Cottage Shabby

Shabby Cottage Chic Bedroom Set Bed Table Dresser Chest    US $2,975.00

SHABBY ARMOIRE TV STORAGE WHITE VINTAGE CHIC COTTAGE    US $2,271.75

Shabby Cottage Chic Pair Wingback Armchair Oyster Linen    US $1,995.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White French Rose Daybed Trundle    US $1,995.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Pink Stripe Loveseat Couch    US $1,700.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Bella French Wreath Queen Bed White    US $1,595.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Slipcover Wingback Armchairs Pair    US $1,595.00

STUNNING Shabby COTTAGE cHiC Full Double Wedding BED    US $1,575.00

White Solid Wood DRESSER NEW Shabby COTTAGE CHIC WOOD    US $1,495.00

SHABBY QUEEN BED TIN PANEL WHITE VINTAGE CHIC COTTAGE    US $1,296.75

Antique GLASS CABINET Beach Cottage Chic not shabby    US $1,200.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Large Cream Dining Table Seats 10    US $1,095.00

WHITE Solid Wood Bookcase NEW Shabby COTTAGE CHIC WOOD    US $1,000.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Burlap French Style Armchair    US $995.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Rose Buffet Sideboard French    US $995.00

8 X 10 SHABBY FRENCH CHIC AUBUSSON COTTAGE RUG RED    US $952.00

Shabby French Cottage Chic White Dining Table 1 Leaf    US $895.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Cabinet Display Hutch White Cabinet    US $895.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Square Back Pair Pink Linen Chair    US $895.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Pair of Pink Linen Armchairs French    US $895.00

French Shabby Cottage Chic Mantle Wall Mirror ORNATE    US $875.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Dresser 9 Drawer French Curvy    US $825.00

White Solid Wood Bookcase NEW Shabby COTTAGE CHIC WOOD    US $795.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Floral Sage Pink Rose Rug 8x10    US $784.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Floral Rose Pink Sage Rug 8x10    US $784.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Floral Blue Pink Rose Sage Rug 8x10    US $784.00

VENETIAN Glass Ribbon Mirror Shabby Cottage Paris Chic    US $783.20

Shabby Cottage Chic Distressed French Farm Dining Table    US $750.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White 5 Drawer Dresser Highboy Rose    US $695.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Large Office Desk 6 Drawers    US $695.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Rose Dresser Highboy Vintage    US $695.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Lingerie Chest Vintage White Wreath    US $695.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White 6 Drawer Dresser French Rose    US $695.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Cane Dining Chair 4 Set Pink    US $695.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Oval Dining Table Rose White French    US $695.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Pink Armchair Vintage Cute    US $695.00

OMG Shabby OCEANSIDE Cottage CHIC Full Double BED OMG    US $675.00

Shabby Cottage Chic 4 Drawer Rose Dresser French Vint    US $675.00

Victorian RoseVENETIAN Glass Mirror Chic Cottage Shabby    US $649.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Round White Rose Coffee Table    US $595.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Pair Side Tables Rose French    US $595.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White 4 Drawer Dresser French Rose    US $595.00

Shabby Cottage Chic White Dresser Rose 4 Drawer French    US $595.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Burlap Message Board French BIG    US $595.00

Shabby White Country COTTAGE CONSOLE Couch Hall TABLE    US $534.99

Shabby Country COTTAGE CONSOLE Couch Hall Foyer TABLE    US $534.99

Shabby Cottage Chic White Rose Wreath Twin Bed Frame    US $525.00

Shabby Cottage Chic Swag White Console Table Vintage    US $525.00

Help to design my bedroom!?

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Girls-Rooms/Carlys-Bedroom/detail.esi?oid=6515283

I'm assuming you are totally redoing your room.

First think about what you have to keep and what you can get rid of. If the wall color and furniture have to stay, your options are more limited.

Next, pick a photo of a room to use as inspiration. If the furniture is staying, see if you can find a room with similar furniture

Some ideas:

Organic:

http://www.livingetc.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1149

Crisp Cottage:

Sweet:

http://swishandswanky.blogspot.com/2009/06/ribbons-and-trims.html

Shabby Chic:
http://www.countryliving.com/homes/makeovers/bungalow-rooms-0909 (photo 7)

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/house-tours/house-call-maries-memphis-apartment-074480

The Appeal of English Cottage Style Furniture

If you are lucky enough to live in a country cottage you will recognise the utter appeal of English cottage style furniture. There is no doubt that tasteful furniture that is in keeping with its surroundings, contributes to the convivial heart of a home and this is no more so than with the appropriate use of cottage style furniture.

Historically cottage furniture was designed to be practical, comfortable and above all affordable. Although these days many genuine antique pieces can fetch enormous sums of money, originally much of the furniture designed and created for cottages was modern in its day and was simply hewn from natural materials that were easily to hand.

These materials would have included mighty oaks, beech, ash, tall pines, wild cherry, pliable willow and the great elm trees – sadly no longer with us. All were cut and felled from fields, woods, river banks and open moorland and then left to season before being turned into chairs, tables, stools, settles, four-poster beds, dressers and cupboards by skilled local craftsmen.

The dark stained and polished traditional cottage style furniture you see today, in antique shops, cottages and even old manor houses, would originally have started life as light or pale coloured wood that only darkened over the centuries. Any furniture that survived through to the modern day became more valued and much sought after items in their own right.

Many of these pieces would have originally have been part of co-ordinating sets of furniture comprising a double bed, a wash stand, a dresser, a small table, chairs, and sometimes a wardrobe. A hundred years ago or more an English cottage would have been a very small and unsophisticated dwelling occupied by local villagers and farm workers.

These were generally speaking quite poor people, who wanted nothing more than simple and affordable comfort at the end of the day. Their furniture needed to be functional and robust, which is why genuine cottage furniture is rarely elaborate, except for bucolic carvings and painted decoration.

Flowers, fruit, hedgerow plants, farming symbols, birds and animals were the most common carved features; these were done by local cabinet makers, who in the main didn’t have any formal training. The painted embellishments were either slightly primitive, with a Folk Art feel to them or, if the artist was talented, featured highly detailed and beautifully executed scenes.

Furniture made from pine was the cheapest and probably the easiest to work but because it lacked the patina of the beautiful hard woods many pine pieces of furniture were painted and then decorated to enhance the rather plain appearance; although there are a few examples where the natural wood was varnished but left unpainted with the exception of some painted floral accents.

True English cottage furniture is homely and unfussy and should feel inviting when you walk into a room. It does in fact have a charming naïve quality that is a large part of its appeal; indeed to people from all over the world. Many a well-worn country kitchen chair, lovingly fashioned from a piece of elm or beech, has gone on to become a collector’s item, far from its native land.

Quite a lot of cottage furniture in the past could be picked up cheaply from auctions and junk shops or even be passed down from relatives. These days though original pieces of cottage furniture are less attainable, more costly and highly desirable, especially since the shabby chic style became so popular; which is why there is now a growing demand for good quality reproduction pieces.

When putting together a cottage style room it is important to be sure of which direction you want to follow so be certain to focus your ideas before you start. For instance do you want to create a classic old cottage look using mostly old oak furniture alongside lots of pretty fabrics or do you lean more towards the shabby chic look using distressed and painted furniture, with corresponding accessories? Once you've decided on the general theme tie your look together so that it appears effortless and uncontrived.

You can probably now see just how important it is to use the right type of cottage furniture to ensure getting the exact look you want for your home. You will not achieve a calm rural ambience in any room that looks a mish-mash of ill-chosen furniture and oddments. Keep a rigid sense of direction and try to plan as near as possible the exact layout and room position of your major signature pieces. Once these are in place the rest of your furniture and special treasures will fit naturally round them.

It is sometimes worth spending a reasonable sum of money on one stunning item if you feel it will transform a hitherto plain area into somewhere captivating and welcoming. There is no doubt that something like a beautiful polished antique chest sporting a vase of cottage garden flowers can turn a room into a masterpiece of design.

As with all décor pick your colour schemes carefully to complement your English cottage furniture, making sure there are plenty of nature’s tones on the walls, floors and upholstery. Shades of pink, rose, brown, yellow, rust and green are perfect for that English cottage look but keep it subtle to maintain the antique, aged and cosy feel that is appropriate for this style. Be sure to stay well away from sleek, highly polished and modern furniture; even one inappropriate piece can destroy the whole balance of a room.

Nothing has to match, and if it doesn't, so much the better. The overall effect you want to achieve is a look of charm and distinct comfort. Anything that you have found or bought that is a bit worse for wear can be painted or covered with new fabric to help it fit into your overall scheme. In the past it was not unusual for pieces to be adapted from one use to another, for example an old cottage door have might be remodeled into a kitchen table; don’t be afraid to do the same if you have the talent. 

Finally if you are furnishing a small space it is often best to choose one large focal piece of furniture and then add smaller well-chosen items to fit in around it. When a restricted space is filled with to many smaller pieces, it tends to make the room appear fussy, cluttered and even unkempt. Also avoid the temptation of pushing everything directly up against the walls, it is usually best to arrange furniture in an “L” shape, without blocking the natural flow of the room.

Good storage methods are a must when it comes to living in modest spaces so try to make your larger pieces of furniture such as blanket chests, dressers and settles double-up as extra storage space, this way they become dual purpose pieces and help keep your home both tidy and well-organised.

About the Author

Karole Howard is passionate about interiors, fabrics and colours inspired by the countryside. She launched her well known online shop http://www.countrycream.co.uk in 2003 in order to help people who want to create the country look in their homes.