Shutters work well in beach or garden-inspired cottage style

The crisp look of cottage style can be applied to any room in the house, by creating a light and airy atmosphere with beachside or garden themes.


To bring in the look of ocean, sun and sand in a beach-themed room, CottageStyleDecoratingGuide.com recommends choosing pale blue or yellow for wall colors, which can be offset by shades of tan in soft, upholstered furniture. Shells and other beach artifacts make attractive accessories in this room style.

Another popular theme among cottage lovers is to bring the outdoors into the house. A garden-inspired cottage decor usually has pale greens and yellows as base colors and deeper greens displayed through a collection of houseplants or artwork.

Ironwork, wood or wicker benches and chairs are not only practical, but in keeping with traditional cottage décor. They can show some wear - scruffed-up edges on painted wood pieces, for instance - to give them lived-in appeal. Vintage fabrics are perfect choices for seat cushion covers.

For a window treatment, shutters can be painted in any color, although whites and off-whites may fit better with traditional cottage design. Shutters that cover only the bottom half of the window allows some light into the room, but provide privacy at street level.