Cottage-style décor can include vintage accessories and shutters for windows

With a mix of light colors, comfortable furnishings and vintage accessories, homeowners can achieve the cottage look without moving to a cabin in the woods.

"Even your three-bedroom ranch in the suburbs can have the ambience of a cute cottage if you decorate it properly," states CottageStyleDecoratingGuide.com. "Wicker, light wood pieces or overstuffed, upholstered seating can all be used, but textiles that convey the cottage look are most often chintz, toile, florals or plain, textured fabrics."

Interior shutters bring the outdoors inside for a cottage-style room. They 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 can be closed to limit bright sunlight coming into the room without shutting it out altogether. They also provide some privacy at street level, while retaining a view at the tree line.

When it comes to choices in flooring, the website states that cottage style can range from floral area rugs in pale colors to a simpler sisal rug on top of hardwood floors.

The website also recommends using slip covers that can be removed easily to reflect the change in seasons, as well as vintage accessories to convey the atmosphere of cottage living.