The English are remarkably good at creating lovely cottage interiors and exteriors. The one thing both these spaces have in common is flowers. Who doesn't love an English garden? The English cottage interior follows suit and brings that English garden inside through the use of pretty floral chintz fabrics. Add in a touch of lace, some needlepoint, framed art hung on the walls, a surplus of books, your cherished collectibles, and some wonderful English antiques and you will have succeeded in creating that cozy, layered, relaxed and feminine English cottage interior.
Floral chintz has always been the go to fabric for the English cottage interior and with it's recent rise once again in popularity, now is a particularly good time to design that English cottage look you have always dreamed about. Don't mistake the look for Granny or Shabby Chic, as authentic English interiors are not loaded down with ruffles, lace, and doilies. Yes, you can use a bit here and there, but restrain, restrain, restrain, from "going Granny".
I hope the pictures I have collected will help you if this very distinctive look is what you are after. Be sure to incorporate chintz to bring your English cottage interior into bloom!
via Pinterest
Chintz is a glazing that is applied, usually to a floral cotton textile, that gives it a crisp texture and a muted shine. This wonderful fabric can be used formally or dressed down for a casual English cottage appearance.
You can create the English cottage look by using a saturation of chintz......or simplify the look with small touches of floral chintz in the form of pillows, lampshades, footstools.....you get the picture. Chintz works well with ticking and other stripes, plaids, toile, and paisley so be sure and use an interesting mix.
Here a bit of chintz at the cottage window, some pretty antique china, and of course a bouquet of flowers guarantees a soft feminine vignette.
A comfy floral chintz upholstered side chair is almost a requirement for the English cottage interior.
google.com
Of course a chintz covered sofa is equally as pretty. One thing I love about the English cottage look is it's livability. It's not about a decorating style as much as it is a life style.
Genteel clutter and colorful rooms with floral chintz is what you are looking for. Don't forget to treasure hunt for a pretty tea set. You can't have the English cottage look without one!
I prefer touches of chintz as opposed to saturation. However, the English cottage room can go either way. Look for colorful handmade rugs! This is a great color for walls in this type of interior.
Nicky Haslam
The quintessential element of any pretty English cottage room is a floral print. Here you can see a variety of ways to bring florals to your space.
The English cottage is usually a home brimming with personality, charm, and lots of chintz!
Sister Parish style via architecturaldigest.com
You might choose to let your walls be the bearers of chintz by using a pretty floral wallpaper. English cottage interiors wear paper well.
via Pinterest
Floral chintz pillows........
and handmade needlepoint pillows are the perfect partnership for an English cottage interior. I was fortunate that my mother taught me to needlepoint so I can make my own. You can find them at antique malls, flea markets, estate sales, or on Ebay. They are out there and can be found at good prices.
via Pinterest
I love this English cottage interior. Chintz floral fabric at the window and on the pillows livens things up a bit. Florals don't have to be vivid to be pretty as this room points out.
The homeowner of this English cottage interior has used floral chintz slipcovers. If you are crafty, make some for your chairs to help you with the cottage look. Also decorating with canine art lends to the English feel of a room.
Rose Cumming
Chintz saturation can be lovely as it creates a wonderful seamless effect. But it has to be done well or it can really go south on you. Even though I normally am not crazy about all over chintz, this space is gorgeous and would make a great English or French cottage bedroom.
Anthony Baratta
Chintz chair and sofa in an English cottage interior that incorporates an equestrian theme.....typically British!!
A lovely chintz covered window in British textile designer Louise Townsend's cottage home.
Roger Banks-Pye of Colefax & Fowler
Chintz at the window and many other wonderful patterns throughout give this English cottage interior it's warmth and charming appeal. You want many patterns but just be sure that they complement and don't fight each other.
louisejonesinteriors.com
via Pinterest
Collecting old boxes covered with different chintz patterns or making them as a fun DIY project will provide you with some accessories for your English cottage interior.
A pretty mix of floral patterns. I love the chintz covered sofa with bullion fringe trim but would lose the ruffles on the pillows.
Here in this English cottage space several patterns are at work. The chintz is brought into the mix with the addition of floral pillows. If you decide to mix several patterns remember the rule of thumb to start out with the one primary pattern that you want to see the most of, then chose the secondary patterns that bring out colors from the first choice all while mixing large and small prints for maximum visual interest.
Wallpaper is a good idea for an English cottage bedroom. Here the same pattern is present on the bed skirt, headboard, curtains and chair upholstery.
Designer Betsy Speert
Small rooms look fantastic in a wall-to-wall chintz style paper. Choose a larger coordinating print for the windows and bed skirts. Antique iron beds and solid colored quilts complete the look.
English cottage style is all about creating a charming relaxed atmosphere. Light and airy floral chintz in soft colors can be instrumental in making that happen.
via Pinterest
A four poster bed dressed in chintz is another good look to create if you are trying to achieve an English cottage interior.
Make a chintz headboard for your English cottage bedroom. A gallery wall is also a good addition. Be sure and mix in a few florals!
Oscar and Annette de la Renta’s chintz covered sitting room of their English country house in Kent.
A cozy space with a mix of floral chintz textiles.
If you want your bathroom to reflect an English cottage look try using chintz fabric for your window treatment.
Geranium' by Colefax & Fowler on the windows of this cute English cottage style bathroom.
Or maybe a colorful chintz table skirt will help give your bath English flavor. The botanical prints are the perfect accessory for an English cottage.
A kitchen is a great place to add English cottage style to your interiors. Windows treatments are a good place to include some floral chintz.
Or paper your cottage kitchen walls in a chintz pattern that makes the room feel neither too polished or too rustic.
If you want to incorporate floral chintz into your English cottage space but not necessarily with fabric or wallpaper, start a collection of Royal Albert Chintz china to display.
If you are a Minimalist this look is definitely not for you. The English cottage interior's charm lies in it's eccentricity and clutter. It's a style to have fun with and enjoy immensely. And chintz is at the core of the look. So I say "welcome back old friend, glad to see you appreciated again"!
To see my other blogs posts about chintz visit https://eyefordesignlfd.blogspot.com/2019/01/decorating-modern-traditional-interiors.html
and
https://eyefordesignlfd.blogspot.com/2012/11/romantic-chintz-interiorsthe-mario.html
Click here to see the previous post
This blog post was published by Lisa Farmer
