Current Cottage Decorating Trends
As featured in Cottage Country Lifestyle Magazine 2019.
Adding fresh new looks to cottage style!
“Everyone can identify with a fragrant garden, with beauty of sunset, with the quiet of nature, with a warm and cozy cottage.” – Thomas Kincade
Stoney Lake in The Kawarthas where we paddle to this small island to picnic!
Summer is in sight and there is nothing more exciting than opening up the cottage, breathing in the warm air and imagining all the shared memories that lie ahead. From campfires to board games, cottaging evokes the nostalgia of either growing up cottaging or being inspired by the cottage look for your own home.
So how do you work with current interior design trends when it comes to the cottage? How can you integrate some of the fresh new looks into your own cottage design without losing that real “cottage” feel that we so often crave at the end of a work week. For 2019 it just so happens that many of the new trends are easy design considerations for cottage country!
Floral Focus
The traditional look of floral patterns couldn’t be more ideal for that cottage feel and is an exciting fresh new look we are seeing in all types of design environments. Perhaps its time to take out that antique floral quilt or to spend a weekend antiquing for that perfect find. From homespun influences to retro patterns and prints, floral design is having a major influence in rooms everywhere. Consider the low-cost solution of framing a variety of floral wallpapers for a bedroom wall or bathroom. The easy part is this look encompasses everything from intense bold color to vintage finds making it easy and budget friendly to inject florals into a few throw cushions or bedspreads.
Human-Kind Meet Nature
This look is all about being organic and our relationship to nature. What better place to be able to do that than at the cottage! Bringing in smooth, worn medium size stones as door stops, bouquets of wild grasses and branches or integrating natural, vibrant and warm paint colours. There are a multitude of ways to go biophlic and explore this natural trend that will allow you more connectivity to nature that we are currently craving.
I love foraging and often find these dried birch natural “vases” and with a vase inserted make for a visual explosion of colour and contrast!
Wildflowers displayed in an antique trophy on our mantle add interest and summer feels to the great room.
Jewel Box Tones
Good-bye grey and hello layered, rich deep tones of especially emerald green. Layer with dark blues and yellows. For this trend the more you can make these colours pop the better so consider setting them against neutrals like black and white. Imagine a side chair in a cottage bedroom upholstered in one of these vibrant colours against a white wall, or a mirror frame spray painted in a vibrant green for extra pop. Work in beach towels in these tones to lend interest and layers to your bathroom area. Rugs are another great find especially with those floral patterns we talked about earlier. Or maybe you prefer the whimsy of an old dresser painted in a fabulous jewel tone, with a pile of coloured antique books layered on top. Lamp shades, artwork and collectibles are all ways to work in the jewel tone trend.
Use accessories in jewel tones to add interest and color to rooms!
Jewel tone rugs are also an easy way to add pops of color and help build on pattern for a layered look.
I used construction paper in jewel tones to frame vintage lures and to create a gallery wall! The wood lamp base is from Cameron Lake where I spent my childhood.
Hand-Made is Home-Made
Have you been meaning to sign up for that local pottery class? Now is the time. Feeling the earth and appreciating the sustainability of home-made items is making this trend a hip consideration for many. Hand-made pieces are super easy to find and work into cottage décor. Think hand-made rugs which can be used as wall hangings and large comfy blankets doubling as shawls around the campfire. The future is reusing and the maker movement has gained traction in our time of consumer fatigue. This has schooled us in looming, weaving and wood turning in pursuit of craftsmanship. Think clay, cork, bamboo and other natural textures where we give our planet a rest and embrace the art of something well made.
Earthenware bowls at East of Eden a cottage country antique store in The Kawarthas.
Pottery by Jack Troy works alongside a Paul Chester painting to display local artwork supporting the maker movement.
Horsehair fired pottery by a local artist in muted tones still adds texture.
Comfortable Abundance
Sounds basic right? But we are in a movement of comfort being a little more elegant. Consider the warmth of well-made antiques, finding a spot for family heirlooms that provide a sense of emotional comfort alongside that old well-worn couch and arm chair. We are living in rushed and deadline driven times, this desire for comfort needs to wrap around us and give us what we are craving. Imagine that worn armchair in a quiet reading nook with an ottoman and floral throw blanket for a cozy nesting feel. This is a trend where second hand items are centre stage. Cruise those cottage country garage sales for things that tell a story, look for traditional furniture and patterns.
Garage sale finds like this vintage fish and mini paddle can be incorporated into vignettes that tell a story.
Ultimately all these trends can overlap making it even easier to integrate into current cottage décor. Don’t be afraid to let your choices tell a story, what better place to weave your new stories in with the old than the cottage. This is the beauty of reusing and recycling for more sustainable choices. So mix those patterns, create and layer in texture, your 2019 cottage summer inspiration is all around you!
