The Balding Brothers recently took a trip across the pond to visit family in England. While we were there, we were surrounded by charming English cottages that date back to the 17th century but have been updated with convenient modern fixtures. We were so impressed by these little cottages that we decided to highlight a few tips that can give your home that highly sought after “cottage feel”.
Bead Board PanelingBead board paneling is a versatile and easy way to add vintage charm to any room in your home. The most common areas to use bead board are in the kitchen, bathrooms and hallways. It is also a great option for adding character to the ceiling in a bathroom or in a screened-in porch. Originally, bead board was often applied on walls at chair rail height but today it is commonly applied at a variety of heights, as well as in a variety of colors.
Hard Wood Countertops
Hard wood countertops are appearing in design magazines more often than ever these days. Hard wood countertops add an organic
feeling to your kitchen and look especially appropriate in a historic home, a seaside cottage or a country farmhouse style home. Additionally, these countertops can last for many years with an appropriate coating of polyurethane or a low VOC alternative and proper maintenance. For a true cottage feeling, consider pairing hard wood countertops with white, cream or pastel colored cabinets.
Dutch DoorsHistorically, Dutch doors are split in half and open up separately on the top and bottom. This unique feature can be very useful for sectioning off rooms without making the space feel too closed in, which is especially useful if you have young children or a best friend with four legs. Today, many Dutch doors also come with a mechanism for locking the two pieces together to function as a standard door when desired. Adding an interior or exterior Dutch door is a sure way to kick up the country charm at your home.
Please contact us today if you would like to explore any of these ideas in your next remodel!
Cool. We consider 305 a cottage though it was designed with a nod to the bungalow--we did beadboard paneling in the bathroom up to the chair rail and love it, and we're loving our maple butcher block countertop section next to the stove. We just oil it occasionally and it's looking great. The Dutch door would definitely be good with dogs.
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