Rooms filled with flowers, books, vintage items, blankets to cuddle with and cozy spots for tea always come to mind when I think of English cottage style.
We both have loved the classic style, but pictures and magazines can only go so far – right?
That’s why when we were visiting family in England, we made sure to check out a couple old houses to get inspiration while we were there.
And boy, oh boy, did we get inspired! Below is our list of items we are going to work on introducing as soon as possible.
1. Copper Pots
Matthew has actually wanted copper pots for a while now, but we haven’t found the right ones at a thrift store yet. We just love how they add warmth and an old world feel to the kitchen spaces. Matthew also feels like they cook the food differently — do other people feel that way? In all the kitchen spaces that we saw while we were in England, we spotted copper pots!
2. Blue and White Crockery
This one was not too surprising, because it was summer while we were there, but they are so beautiful. We have blue and white plant pots, vases and serving bowls but we would love to find some blue and white plates and other crockery for our collection. In the summer it makes the tablespaces feel fresh and clean!
3. Wallpaper
Well, I will always choose wallpaper, but it was nice to see it in other people’s home –
especially old ones. We have plastered walls, so wallpaper is tricky to put on, but it was helpful seeing it on older plastered walls. If you’re okay with a little extra wonkiness in the pattern, then you’ll be happy with how it turns out.
4. Paintings
I have written another blog post (hyperlink) about how inspirational paintings can be in your daily décor but the English take paintings to another level! They have large portraits, landscapes over landscapes over landscapes and so many country styled still lifes. The more you add to your home the better, especially if they are thrifted deals!
5. Soft furnishings
I talked a little about the importance of having a cozy spot to sit and a blanket to layer on you, but the coziness does not stop there. You also need, curtains or drapes, lots of rugs, other chairs/sofas, lampshades, and anything else you can pop some fabric on. I love the feeling that all these soft furnishings create when you walk into a space – it’s like a big hug.
There we have it! The fives features we noticed while over in England that create the perfect country cottage styled space. The last tiny tip would be to make sure you also add your own personality to each space as well!
Do you think we missed anything? Let us know in the comments – we’d love to hear from you!
XX
Waite and Matthew
