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Adobe Stock./By Alena Ozerova
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Cottage style is rustic, relaxed and romantic. It can be cute but never cheesy.
Designer Karen Helme of Found in Centreville suggests starting your décor journey by visualizing a cozy fireplace and a vintage silver pot ready to pour tea into a hand-painted cup passed down from your grandmother.
“Perhaps a collection of blue and white—classic cottage colors—with hand-woven rugs,” she says.
RELATED: This Charming Cottage is Nestled in One of Rehoboth’s Coziest Communities
Look for furniture and accessories compatible with a clean white background or soft floral wallpaper, both hallmarks of cottage style. Think timeworn wood, reedy baskets and vintage crockery. Keep windows simple, the better to view the garden. Imagine gauzy white curtains waiting for the next breath of fresh air.
Here are five items we recommend to get started on building a cozy cottage vibe.
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TASSLED THROW BLANKET
Cozy up to cottage style with a super-soft tasseled throw blanket from 28 Collective. You can give it the personal touch with a monogram or your name in a variety of fonts and colors. $48, at 28collective.com.
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LUXURIOUS, ORGANIC COTTON SHEETS
Janet Wischnia, of Philadelphia and Bethany Beach, is the founder of American Blossom Linens, a purveyor of extra-deep luxury sheets made from organic cotton grown in the U.S. (and made here, too.) “It’s timeless, like the bedding your grandparents had, a special touch that will bring a relaxed and romantic cottage look to every bedroom.” Prices start at $229 for a set of twin sheets, at americanblossomlinens.com.
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WHIMSICAL LAMPS
Lamps from the Port 68 Collection illuminate a room with whimsical patterns and colors based on original sketches and paintings by John Loecke, Madcap Cottage co-founder. $485, at J. Conn Scott in Selbyville, Elegant Slumming in Rehoboth Beach and Megan Gorelick Interiors in Montchanin.
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CHARTHOUSE BENCH
With a weathered gray finish, this Charthouse bench is at home at the dining table, the foyer or wherever you need casual seating. $350, at American Signature Furniture, Bear, and americansignaturefurniture.com.
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DECORATIVE RUG
Cottage design is grounded in charming patterns, and so are durable yet decorative rugs from the Momeni Collection. Summer Garden Isleboro Eve rug (5 feet by 3 feet), $229, at shop.carpetmart.com.
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VINTAGE PIECES
Vintage pieces and small-scale furniture epitomize cottage style. Balloon-back chair, $195, and antique quilt, $125, both at Found, Centreville, and foundantiquesde.com.