| If you are lucky enough to live in a country cottage | | | | attainable, more costly and highly desirable, especially |
| you will recognise the utter appeal of English cottage | | | | since the shabby chic style became so popular; which |
| style furniture. There is no doubt that tasteful furniture | | | | is why there is now a growing demand for good |
| that is in keeping with its surroundings, contributes to | | | | quality reproduction pieces. |
| the convivial heart of a home and this is no more so | | | | When putting together a cottage style room it is |
| than with the appropriate use of cottage style furniture. | | | | important to be sure of which direction you want to |
| Historically cottage furniture was designed to be | | | | follow so be certain to focus your ideas before you |
| practical, comfortable and above all affordable. | | | | start. For instance do you want to create a classic old |
| Although these days many genuine antique pieces can | | | | cottage look using mostly old oak furniture alongside |
| fetch enormous sums of money, originally much of the | | | | lots of pretty fabrics or do you lean more towards the |
| furniture designed and created for cottages was | | | | shabby chic look using distressed and painted furniture, |
| modern in its day and was simply hewn from natural | | | | with corresponding accessories? Once you've decided |
| materials that were easily to hand. | | | | on the general theme tie your look together so that it |
| These materials would have included mighty oaks, | | | | appears effortless and uncontrived. |
| beech, ash, tall pines, wild cherry, pliable willow and the | | | | You can probably now see just how important it is to |
| great elm trees - sadly no longer with us. All were cut | | | | use the right type of cottage furniture to ensure getting |
| and felled from fields, woods, river banks and open | | | | the exact look you want for your home. You will not |
| moorland and then left to season before being turned | | | | achieve a calm rural ambience in any room that looks |
| into chairs, tables, stools, settles, four-poster beds, | | | | a mish-mash of ill-chosen furniture and oddments. |
| dressers and cupboards by skilled local craftsmen. | | | | Keep a rigid sense of direction and try to plan as near |
| The dark stained and polished traditional cottage style | | | | as possible the exact layout and room position of your |
| furniture you see today, in antique shops, cottages and | | | | major signature pieces. Once these are in place the |
| even old manor houses, would originally have started | | | | rest of your furniture and special treasures will fit |
| life as light or pale coloured wood that only darkened | | | | naturally round them. |
| over the centuries. Any furniture that survived through | | | | It is sometimes worth spending a reasonable sum of |
| to the modern day became more valued and much | | | | money on one stunning item if you feel it will transform |
| sought after items in their own right. | | | | a hitherto plain area into somewhere captivating and |
| Many of these pieces would have originally have been | | | | welcoming. There is no doubt that something like a |
| part of co-ordinating sets of furniture comprising a | | | | beautiful polished antique chest sporting a vase of |
| double bed, a wash stand, a dresser, a small table, | | | | cottage garden flowers can turn a room into a |
| chairs, and sometimes a wardrobe. A hundred years | | | | masterpiece of design. |
| ago or more an English cottage would have been a | | | | As with all décor pick your colour schemes |
| very small and unsophisticated dwelling occupied by | | | | carefully to complement your English cottage furniture, |
| local villagers and farm workers. | | | | making sure there are plenty of nature's tones on the |
| These were generally speaking quite poor people, who | | | | walls, floors and upholstery. Shades of pink, rose, |
| wanted nothing more than simple and affordable | | | | brown, yellow, rust and green are perfect for that |
| comfort at the end of the day. Their furniture needed | | | | English cottage look but keep it subtle to maintain the |
| to be functional and robust, which is why genuine | | | | antique, aged and cosy feel that is appropriate for this |
| cottage furniture is rarely elaborate, except for bucolic | | | | style. Be sure to stay well away from sleek, highly |
| carvings and painted decoration. | | | | polished and modern furniture; even one inappropriate |
| Flowers, fruit, hedgerow plants, farming symbols, birds | | | | piece can destroy the whole balance of a room. |
| and animals were the most common carved features; | | | | Nothing has to match, and if it doesn't, so much the |
| these were done by local cabinet makers, who in the | | | | better. The overall effect you want to achieve is a |
| main didn't have any formal training. The painted | | | | look of charm and distinct comfort. Anything that you |
| embellishments were either slightly primitive, with a Folk | | | | have found or bought that is a bit worse for wear can |
| Art feel to them or, if the artist was talented, featured | | | | be painted or covered with new fabric to help it fit into |
| highly detailed and beautifully executed scenes. | | | | your overall scheme. In the past it was not unusual for |
| Furniture made from pine was the cheapest and | | | | pieces to be adapted from one use to another, for |
| probably the easiest to work but because it lacked the | | | | example an old cottage door have might be |
| patina of the beautiful hard woods many pine pieces | | | | remodeled into a kitchen table; don't be afraid to do the |
| of furniture were painted and then decorated to | | | | same if you have the talent. |
| enhance the rather plain appearance; although there | | | | Finally if you are furnishing a small space it is often |
| are a few examples where the natural wood was | | | | best to choose one large focal piece of furniture and |
| varnished but left unpainted with the exception of | | | | then add smaller well-chosen items to fit in around it. |
| some painted floral accents. | | | | When a restricted space is filled with to many smaller |
| True English cottage furniture is homely and unfussy | | | | pieces, it tends to make the room appear fussy, |
| and should feel inviting when you walk into a room. It | | | | cluttered and even unkempt. Also avoid the temptation |
| does in fact have a charming naïve quality that is | | | | of pushing everything directly up against the walls, it is |
| a large part of its appeal; indeed to people from all | | | | usually best to arrange furniture in an "L" shape, |
| over the world. Many a well-worn country kitchen | | | | without blocking the natural flow of the room. |
| chair, lovingly fashioned from a piece of elm or beech, | | | | Good storage methods are a must when it comes to |
| has gone on to become a collector's item, far from its | | | | living in modest spaces so try to make your larger |
| native land. | | | | pieces of furniture such as blanket chests, dressers |
| Quite a lot of cottage furniture in the past could be | | | | and settles double-up as extra storage space, this |
| picked up cheaply from auctions and junk shops or | | | | way they become dual purpose pieces and help keep |
| even be passed down from relatives. These days | | | | your home both tidy and well-organised. |
| though original pieces of cottage furniture are less | | | | |