Cottage Style Decorating Ideas For Living Rooms

Cottage living rooms are loved for being cozy spaces full of character and rustic charm. When it comes to decorating yours, first look to what you have – historic cottage living rooms are awash with beautiful original features from rustic beams, timber weatherboarding or exposed stone – so build a scheme around these features to really make them shine.

See: Living room ideas – clever ways to decorate living spaces

Secondly, take inspiration from nature. Cottages are often surrounded by idyllic countryside, so cottage decorating ideas should naturally include earthy and muted colors inspired by the landscape. These are a brilliant foundation to build upon, alongside neutrals to keep spaces calm and bright. Furnishing with natural materials and finishing with flora and fauna prints, or classic checks and stripes, will also ensure timeless charm.

Cottage ideas for a living room

'If it's not cozy, then it's not a cottage!' says LA based interior designer Stefani Stein. 'Start with comfortable seating, incorporate a variety of textures and then layer in a patterned throw pillow or two... for a great cozy-yet-calm vibe, I like to include earthy hues, dusty palettes and a hint of leather.'

Read on to discover more cottage living room ideas and inspiration for creating the perfect country retreat.

1. Embrace architectural features

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – with exposed stone walls

Cottages are loved for their original features, from their rustic wooden ceiling beams and stone flagstones, to inglenook fireplaces. If you're lucky enough to have a property with beautiful architectural features, then it's a good idea to use them as the starting point for your interior design, creating a scheme around them that complements their aged patina.

Taking center stage in this living room, these exposed Cotswold stone walls really sing when set against greyish blue tones.

See: Grey living room ideas – inspiring neutral schemes that you'll love for years

2. Furnish with natural materials and textures

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Cottage living room with log burner

Intertwined with the landscapes which surrounded them, historic vernacular cottages are often built with the very stone they sit on or wood sourced locally, so what better way to pay homage to their origins than to furnish them than with earthy natural materials?

Lay a textural sisal or seagrass rug and choose handcrafted furniture made from FSC timber, or cane and rattan, with seating upholstered in natural fabrics such as wool, cotton and linen.

3. Choose an uplifting color palette

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Vanessa Arbuthnott living room

As spaces to relax and unwind in, it's important that a cottage living room has a calming, uplifting color scheme. Fabric designer Vanessa Arbuthnott explains how blue and yellow make a great pairing for cottage living rooms.

'Lemon yellow and soft smoke blue complement each other so perfectly. The tone of each of these colors is gentle which draws you into a room. This shade of yellow (above), which I call Hay, is so fresh, making you feel happy, full of hope and sunshine. On the other hand blue if often seen as peaceful and secure.'

See: Living room color schemes –the best color ideas for living spaces

4. Create a cozy feel with a woodburning stone

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Cottage living room with wood burner

If there's one thing a cottage living room can't be without it's a fireplace. The cozy heart of the room which everyone gravitates towards, the fire is the perfect place to kick your boots off, put your feet up and relax by after those long country walks.

See: Fireplace ideas for living rooms - from style to placement

5. Choose comfortable, traditional sofas

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Living room with cream sofas and fireplace

A sofa is a big purchase – it's where we unwind after long days and is the centerpiece of the living room, so getting the balance of comfort and style just right is important.

To create a classic, cozy cottage feel consider a traditional Howard-style design with a soft curves and a dropped, scroll arms. Choosing loose feather-wrapped foam cushions will give that comfortable sink-in feel and relaxed look without the constant need to fluff up.

6. Mix up modern and vintage furniture for an eclectic look

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Stefani Stein cottage living room

Cottage living rooms are places to relax and unwind but also to socialize and entertain, so factoring in an array of versatile seating options to accommodate guests is a good idea.

Mixing up styles and materials is a great way to achieve a layered, homely look, as interior designer Stefani Stein explains.

'I prefer a space that has a bit of the unexpected and that means you can mix a shelter arm piece, a channel tufted item, a button tufted element and some great vintage finds. And, don't be afraid of allowing the space to be eclectic – it's perfect if a pattern or color doesn't quite match with the rest.

7. Use mirrors to maximize light in a cottage living room

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Brent Darby Bee Osborne living room

Hanging a series of mirrors is a great way to maximize natural light in small spaces, and can make for a stylish feature wall, too. For classic elegance, try white frames on blue walls – you can't go wrong with this timeless color combination.

Don't miss our cottage lighting ideas for pretty, practical solutions for brightening dark spaces.

8. Create a cozy window seat

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Window seat with Vanessa Arbuthnott blind

Cottages are all about feeling relaxed and cozy, and what could be better than curling up on a window seat with a nice cup of tea while you take in views of surrounding countryside?

'Window seats are super useful in a small cottage sitting room for extra places to be. The perfect place to sit to watch the outside world from and read a book,' says fabric designer Vanessa Arbuthnott.

'Make sure you make a really good thick window seat and add lots of cushions to so that the space is really comfortable. Either dress the window with a blind or have curtains that draw back past the recess do they don't interfere with the window seat.'

See: Window seat design tips interior designers want you to know

9. Layer neutral shades to keep spaces bright yet interesting

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Cottage living room

Cottage living rooms can be small and lack light due to small windows – opting for white or off white walls throughout is an easy way to maximize any natural light. However, it can leave a room feeling cold and empty.

To counter this, ensure you furnish with lots of texture and neutral shades. Try wooden pieces in a washed, light grey finish with armchairs upholstered in an oaty, textural linen ticking fabric as pictured in this space.

For cottage kitchen ideas, don't miss our inspiring image gallery.

10. Bring a cheerful color pop with vibrant floral prints

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Buxton house living room Period Living

Keeping cottage living rooms neutral is a great way of making them feel bigger, but it doesn't mean you can't introduce some bold prints. Try adding in floral prints through curtains and cushions to bring color and pattern to your space – they can be easily changed with the seasons and if tastes change.

11. Fit floor to ceiling bookshelves

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – Jody Stewart Spiurling

Fitting floor to ceiling book shelves are not only great for storage in small spaces, but will give cottage living rooms a snug, homely feel, too. While we love them, the irregular angles and lack of straight lines in old cottages can cause difficulties when furnishing, so getting a carpenter to build in bespoke shelving is a brilliant solution. You could even paint them to make a feature of them as pictured here.

12. Add color, pattern and comfort with curtains

Cottage ideas for a living room – cottage lounge inspiration – kate forman floral curtains

Though they can be overlooked, cottage curtain ideas are an important finishing touch of any scheme – they control light, privacy and add a layer of insulation to cottage living rooms that can suffer from cold drafts.

To make cottages cozy, homely spaces, curtains or fabric blinds – or both – are one of the best options; their soft pleats lend a relaxed feel to a space.

What's more, there are infinite prints to choose from, wether it be country checks or bold botanical prints. If you're looking. to create a feeling of quintessential country charm you can't go wrong with a faded floral linen such as this Roses design from Kate Forman.

Lover of all things vintage, floral and country, Pippa has been working in interiors media for 10 years. A graduate of Art History, and Style Editor for Period Living magazine, she is a nostalgic soul who is passionate about historic architecture and traditional craftsmanship. When she's writing about homes and gardens you'll find her pottering on her Gloucestershire allotment, Pippa's Plot, where she grows flowers for styling her own home and interiors shoots.