Relax with Cottage Style all year-round
Written by: Sharon Grech, Benjamin Moore Colour & Design Expert
All photos courtesy of Benjamin Moore
WALLS: Stonington Gray HC-170, CEILING, TRIM & BOOKCASE: Chantilly Lace OC-65, DOOR: Boothbay Gray HC-165, FLOOR: Glacier White OC-37
Cottage-Style has become a timeless décor trend, influenced by nostalgia and the informality of casual, care-free, summer days. Whether we call it a cottage, lake-house or cabin, the draw is to bring the seasonal serenity, warmth and inviting ambience from away, to our year-round home in the city or wherever we dwell.
WALL & SHELVES: Linen White OC-146
From a décor perspective, this style embraces comfortable furnishings, calming colours, and natural materials that reflect a connection to the outdoors and a touch of historical charm. While it doesn't need to reflect a specific season, cottage interiors are often inspired by a favourite time of year or a beloved natural setting—like lakeside trees, a sunlit beach, shimmering river stones, or a deep forest. Here are a few tips to help you create your own cottage-style space:
Start with a colour palette that feels relaxed and peaceful to you. Warm, muted colours are favourable for this look such as nature inspired greens, blues, tan and clay tones. Gloucester Sage HC-100, Tranquility AF-490, White Sand OC-10 and Venetian Portico AF-185 are some of my favourite options. If white paint colours are your idea of coziness, surround yourself with warm tints like Cloud White OC-130, Paper Mache AF-25 and Linen White OC-146. Avoid the high contrast of stark black and white and instead look to charcoal, navy, bronze or deep warm greens to pair.
To enhance the Cottage-Style, consider ship-lap panels for walls and/or ceilings to add subtle dimension. Layer in an abundance of texture with natural wood, stone, woven textiles like rugs, baskets and embroidered cushion covers. Include a few light-hearted, cottage-inspired fabric patterns such as ticking, chintz or plaid. Open shelves displaying decorative elements such as vintage dishware, pottery or glass is another simple way to add authentic touches to enhance the style in your home. Mixing old and new is key to most interior aesthetics today. Before bringing dated wood furniture pieces curb-side, consider painting to inject them with new life while adding character and your own history to any room.
CABINETS: Gloucester Sage HC-100, WALLS, TRIM, SHELVES & CEILING: Steam AF-15, BEAM: Natural Linen CC-90
Looking to give your home a cottage-style inspired makeover? Consider hiring a professional painting contractor who can achieve a flawless finish on every one of your homes’ surfaces, inside and out. Hiring a professional will help you achieve beautiful results and has the added benefit of supporting small businesses in your community.