Cottage decorating is an eclectic style that combines what homeowners love best

Being eclectic is the heart of cottage-style decorating, in which a variety of furnishings can reflect what homeowners love best.

"You can mix old and new; rare and inexpensive; and simple and ornate pieces and forget about committing to a single decorating genre," according to Better Homes and Gardens magazine. "This is a style about pulling together what you love; it's pretty décor your way, designed for your life."

Chairs and benches in ironwork, rustic wood or wicker will inspire a beach scene or stroll in the garden when homeowners decorate in these two popular themes of cottage décor.

Like most furnishings in this style, 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, the magazine recommends.

For a cottage-style window treatment, shutters are the best choice when they are painted in white, off-white or muted pastels. Shutters that cover only the bottom half of the window allows some light into the room, but provide privacy at street level. They can be offset by fabic roller shades in a pattern or print that coordinates with other colors in the room.