Want to recreate this look? Check out our Morris Slipcovered Sofa, available in 400+ fabrics, and our Manorville Chair for the seating. Coffee table options include our Crane Cocktail Table, Lowcountry Coffee Table, Old Pine Square Leg Coffee Table or the Twin Lakes Coffee Table – all completely customizable. Our hand-loomed wool rugs help round out the look.

Looking to upgrade your windows or doors for more sunshine in your space? Fusion Windows specializes in window and door replacements, as well as installing custom window treatments to accent your installation in the greater Los Angeles area. They are incredibly knowledgeable about the product lines of just about every major brand in the window, door and covering business.

Brought to you by Cottage Home – specializing in custom furniture & farmhouse tables

The post Rooms To Love: Light & Airy Beach House Living appeared first on Cottage Home.

Do you like the neutral style of the sisal area rug, or would you prefer to see more pattern or color?

Brought to you by Cottage Home – specializing in cottage furniture & farmhouse tables

Image: Flickr

The post Rooms to Love: Farmhouse Kitchen appeared first on Cottage Home.

The post The 4 Most FAQS about Farmhouse Tables appeared first on Cottage Home.

Treating yourself to a lovely day seems the only solution if you are to be alone. Teach yourself to make your grandmother’s oyster stuffing. Go out in nature and gather pinecones. berries, boughs or seashells for your table. Get out your favorite china and table linens – don’t leave them in the hutch just because there won’t be a crowd.

Bringing nature into your home and cherishing the things that bring you comfort seem to be the only antidotes to the feeling of loss this holiday (besides a FaceTime session). We here at Cottage Home Furniture wish you a safe, creative and content holiday.

Don’t forget to tell us about how you spent your amended day and please follow us on Facebook.

Photo credits (clockwise from upper left): Starfish Cottage, Tuvalu Home, Cherry Blossom Events, Shelterness, Jungalow, Sand and Sisal

The post Inspiration Board: An Old Re-Fashioned Thanksgiving appeared first on Cottage Home.

Decorate Your Mantel

Swapping out the seasons, amping up the glitz for some holidays: this is the fun part. Each one of us has our favorite rendition of the perfect fireplace mantel, whether it be a country rustic mantel overflowing with gourds, Indian corn, rusty farm implements and beeswax candles, a coastal-inspired mantel showing off delicate starfish, glass buoys, driftwood and twinkle lights, or a lodge look mantel piled high with pinecones, antique lanterns and elk statuettes.

The little touches centered around your theme – coastal, cottage, country farmhouse or lodge – are fun to come by and give the decor our own personal stamp. Remember to keep proportion and color in mind for when you step back to observe your new favorite focal point. But sometimes a mantel need a larger item than knick-knacks to set it off – this is where we can help.

Accessorize Your Mantel 

From artwork to mirrors, we have the larger companion pieces your cottage style mantel needs. From the upper left photo going clockwise, we will show you examples of like-minded accessories we offer at Cottage Home Furniture.

Sea captain’s mustard painted mantel: How we love the old time feel of this dining room and the saffron hue of the mantel. This nautical folk art piece suits this cottage dining room, but if you don’t have the original, we have something to fit the bill. Our collection of vintage vinyl floor cloths include some seagoing scenes, and although they are primarily meant for the floor, we don’t see any reason why you couldn’t frame one (available in 23″ x 30″ and 43″ x 56″). Go with what you love. This one we call Pleasant Point:

Ocean theme mantel with artwork: Pretty and pale, this ensemble proves that not all pictures need to be hung to be taken seriously. The large model sailboat needs balance and finds it in this sea blue painting, propped up nearly on a level. We have a large assortment of custom-made canvas giclee wall decor to hang over your prized mantel, from abstract sea horizons to pastoral landscapes. The giclee that rings true to the one in this sea-inspired living room is called Sea Breeze:

Rustic farmhouse country barnwood beam mantel: Throw another log on the fire and stay a while! This fireplace is too pretty serving as a cordwood container to change a thing. Lanterns, pottery planters and botanical touches encourage the feeling of elegant rusticity, and the large, bold clock face ensnares your interest. We offer a variety of cottage wall clocks to pair with your mantelpiece, including the Hampden 1864 Wall Clock:

Ocean theme mantel with mirror: Adding depth and an ocean hue of soft blue to this coastal living room, the mirror is key to setting off the mantel with its adorable sea birds and natural sea grasses (and another sailboat). We offer several mirrors – some are built by the craftsmen who make our farmhouse tables and they come in several dozen different paint and stain colors. Our Stony Brook Mirror is available in several beachy colors and echoes the lines of the white painted fireplace with its interesting jutting edges:

DIY Mantels

Scoring an antique mantel or weathered barnwood at an estate sale always gets the blood pumping. The same goes for inheriting a country estate with fifteen fireplaces, all with mantels elegantly faded to a Byronesque splendor. But if you have no flea market finds – along with a plain mantel, no mantel or even no fireplace – you can still create “the look” with a little elbow grease – and power tools.

Have a mantel that you’re kind of on the outs with? Here is a DIY video on how to decoratively augment an existing mantel.

Don’t have a fireplace? You don’t even need one. Here is a DIY video on how to add mount a rustic barnboard beam on a wall that needs a fashionable focal point to create a “floating mantel”.

Inspired yet? Don’t forget to tell us about your merry mantel adventures and please follow us on Facebook

Photo credits (clockwise from upper left): Country Living, Ballard Designs, The Glossy Nest and DigsDigs

Video credits: This Old House and Living to DIY with Rachel Metz

The post Inspiration Board: Cottage Fireplace Mantel Makeover appeared first on Cottage Home.

The innate coastal feel of this living room comes from lots of natural light bouncing off white walls as well as carefully chosen neutral hues. The barely-there bleached natural fiber rug creates an illusion of increased floor space and allows your beach cottage furniture to stand out. Striped seersucker armchairs and cottage painted furniture, starfish pillows and washed chambray slipcovers – all these choices and more look fantastic against a neutral backdrop.

Yes, we love the neutrals – they are a big part of the Cottage Home philosophy. But we also can’t do without the pops of color that can individualize a room and show your cottage style. Handblown aqua bottles and glassware, a navy throw pillow and a russet striped throw some hints of color into the beachy mix. But the fabulous bright tropical shade of coral on the shutter-style cottage painted coffee table steals the show.

Pawley’s Island Coffee Table

Explore more cottage style pieces in our Carolina Painted Furniture Collection

Relaxed yet refined. We say it time and time again – a mix of formal and casual pieces will help achieve your sought-after cottage style look in no time. Formal ivory leather chairs with nailhead trim look just right beside a slubby seafoam slipcovered sofa. Some rustic baskets made from materials that could have washed up on shore look perfect in the same room with a glitzy gilt sea life table lamp.

Remember – there is no end to the juxtapositions of texture, color and design ideas make your coastal cottage living room your own, with equal parts of ease and elegance.

Brought to you by Cottage Home – specializing in cottage furniture & farmhouse tables

Photo credit: Country Living

The post Rooms To Love: Coastal Living Room appeared first on Cottage Home.

Now more than ever, we truly realize how important it is to have at least a small piece of the outdoors nearby – as well as a link to the outside world. A porch is not just a way to state your style to any passers-by, but a place to hover between the safety of home and the ever-calling romance with the outdoors and neighborly life.

The porch is not just a portal to all that we call home, but also to everything we as humans seek out. So go ahead and decorate your outside “room” just like you would any indoor living space. It’s good for you!

First, is the porch completely enclosed, covered, or is it more susceptible to the elements? We offer two collections of wicker:

• Cottage Wicker – designed for indoors and for covered screened porches
• Porch Wicker – designed for any type of covered porch with limited exposure

Now decide how you will primarily use the porch – think beyond just relaxing and grilling. This will help you prioritize your space.

• Do you want to incorporate a dining area?
• Would you rather have a cozy conversation nook?
• Do you need a staging area for gardening?

The pictured porch is pretty impervious to weather, so the pieces in it hail from our Cottage Wicker Furniture Collection. Featured are some key pieces for relaxing as well as entertaining, such as the Cottage Wicker Hexagonal Table and the St. Augustine Wicker Rocker. Several wicker colors are available. P.S. The little cutie peeking in at the lower right-hand corner of the photo is the Cape Hatteras Fish/Whale Bed.

Our Porch Wicker Furniture Collection is a versatile option for indoors, screened-in areas and covered porches – all pieces are made of durable rattan. If you’ve always wanted a small dining area on your porch, the space saving Bistro Wicker Diamond Dining Table Base is a great idea.

Bistro Wicker Diamond Dining Table Base

Whatever is on your porch agenda, remember to plan for privacy so you can truly relax and enjoy the space.  Consider the seasons – shading is essential in the rainy spring and hot summer, while an adjacent fire pit or outdoor heaters allows you to enjoy your outdoor space long into the autumn and early winter.

Brought to you by Cottage Home – specializing in cottage furniture & farmhouse tables

The post The Importance of Porches appeared first on Cottage Home.

Our featured farmhouse dining room impresses with its inherent checks and balances; dark against light, formal against relaxed and grounded against airy.

Dark and Light

An unquestionably commanding framework is set with dark walnut stained dining chairs and a matching farmhouse trestle table. But what keeps this dining room from getting bogged down with all dark tones is the interplay with the room’s crisp, white elements – the glossy painted ceiling, trim work, wainscoting and chair rail, as well as the white candles, flowers and china. Touches of white as fresh as newly pressed country table linens give an instant lift to spirits.

Formal and Relaxed

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to express individuality in your dining room is through seating choices. Opting for rush seats on these otherwise elegantly turned dining chairs reveals a soft spot for rustic charm. Placing overstuffed, white upholstered host chairs at either end of the table brings a casual feel to the dining room that using all the same chairs would not achieve. The choice of white for the dining chair fabric again lightens things up and also conveys a carefree attitude toward entertaining.

Grounded and Airy

Naturally, the focal point of any dining room is the dining table and chairs, and the darkly handsome pieces in this farmhouse dining room are no exception. But they amiably share the show with all of the other more ethereal elements begging for your attention: the antique botanical prints of lacy leaves and berries, the strong yet delicate blown glass lighting fixtures and the bounty of flowers gracing the table settings. Washing over the whole scene is the light pouring through the large French doors, compelling you to pull up a chair in the moment.

In short, this gracious farmhouse dining room cannot be accused of taking itself too seriously.

Historically Speaking

The trestle table is one of the oldest styles of dining table. With its narrow central structure, trestles were easy to transport, set up and take down. It is also said that trestle tables made sense as people would all sit on one side and be served by one person moving along the opposite side, Additionally, the trestle table, which could quickly and easily be flipped onto its side, was also used as a way to block the onslaught of any intruder who may choose to visit at mealtime in the uneasy days of Medieval Europe.

In the market for a farmhouse table?

We offer many styles of farmhouse table, but the foremost benefit of trestle tables is that they are great for tight seating requirements and provide more comfortable seating because the apron required for tables with legs is eliminated.

All of our hand-made, hand-finished farmhouse trestle table offerings are made in the USA, fully customizable and come in an array of stains, paints and finishes.

Here are a few:

Our Piedmont Country Farm Trestle Table with classic trestle base is one of our most popular farmhouse trestle tables. It is an authentic farm-style table custom built for you with either a planked or seamless top. Constructed with “slow-growth” Appalachian Pine, a renewable resource.

Shown in Blackberry paint over Chestnut stain.

Our Sheffield Barn Wood Trestle Table is a good example of a double pedestal farmhouse trestle table. A true work of art, it is hand-made of wood recycled from old barn boards. Part of our collection of Reclaimed Barn Wood Tables, all bench-built in standard old pine or old oak.

Shown with Honey stain top with Tomato over Snow painted base.

The contemporary Moosehead Lake Trestle Table with an inverted trestle and dramatic sweeping curves framing the pedestals is a contemporary version of a traditional farmhouse table. Crafted from dense kiln-dried solid American maple and poplar hardwoods. Table tops are made of solid wood boards joined together in a seamless surface; stained tops are made of maple and standard painted tops are poplar.

Shown in Cinnamon stain.

Photo credit: Better Homes and Gardens

The post Rooms To Love: Farmhouse Dining Room appeared first on Cottage Home.

image: Houzz

The post Rooms to Love: The Well Red Cottage appeared first on Cottage Home.

Comfy Seating

The amount of seating you require is based on how much space you have to spare. At the least, your living room will need a sofa, and ideally, have at least one accent chair or a loveseat. The cottage home living room invites people to sit and stay awhile. If you have a focal point in the room such as a TV, fireplace or even a stunning view of the garden or waterfront, consider how your seating can work around the focal point. This creates better flow while showing off your room’s best features.

In larger rooms, you can designate additional seating where people can feel free to sit and read, chat in more intimate groups or enjoy the best elements of your room. Your seating can include a sofa and loveseat, sofa with one or two accent chairs, or a sectional. Consider the room’s configuration and measurements as well as opportunities to create charming “nooks” or meditative spots where seating will work to make the room more functional and attractive.

Don’t be afraid to introduce less plush seating options such as a natural finish or painted wooden bench, wicker chair or even an antique dining chair carefully placed.

Eclectic Tables

Additionally, your cottage home living room will need an accent table or two flanking the couch. Comfortable seating becomes awkward if people have nowhere to place their cup of coffee or glass of wine. Tables should be eclectic, allowing you to have some fun or evoke a different feeling. For example, if your sofa is more formal in its fabrics you can choose to add an unexpected design element with a roughhewn, distressed coffee or end tables, while a more casual sofa can contrast with slightly more ornate table legs. Don’t be afraid to choose a mix of painted tables, natural wood finishes or even wicker to add to the less formal look of your room.

Once again, space will dictate how many tables you can accommodate. If you have an open, airier room, consider adding a little desk and chair overlooking your best view, or facing the wall for more privacy. And when space allows, a charming sofa table is perfect for placing some of your favorite accents, including lighting, to create a warm ambiance in the evening.

Unconventional Media Centers

A television and other media can really ruin the look of your cottage home living room. However, in smaller homes where you can’t designate a separate room for movies, TV or gaming, you can get creative and introduce cottage friendly furnishings to accommodate your media needs.

Some examples would include distressed or painted wood:

• Big screen TV cabinets ideal for hiding wall-mounted media
• Armoires to accommodate all your media
• Antique styled cabinets with doors to cover up all the media and wires
• Buffet style sideboards or cabinets
• Interesting bookshelves
• Cottage style consoles

Think beyond the modern furnishings used for media and look for unique, one of a kind pieces. Consider customizing a media center based on the wood and/or color scheme in the room to really create a diverse and whimsical look.

Masterful Storage

Media might not be the only items requiring storage. Your living room might serve multiple purposes from a kids’ playroom to your primary room for entertaining. You’ll need storage to keep things neat. This also allows you to use space as wisely as possible in smaller rooms. Some ideas for storage might include painted, distressed or beautifully finished wood pieces such as sideboards, cabinets, bookshelves and even trunks.

Consider multi-purpose pieces for storage such as benches, upholstered ottomans and coffee tables. Pretty woven or wicker baskets can keep things neat, while smaller furnishings such as drawered end tables and cabinets also work well.

Clever Computer Camouflage

Much like your media center, you might require a spot for your computer. Whether you work from home, need a place for the kids to do their homework, or just have nowhere else to place your computer, you’ll want to have clever ways to camouflage all that technology. Computer cabinets are the perfect option, as they tend to be taller than they are wide and include a pullout desk when you need to get to work.

These key items allow you to create a stunning cottage home living room that appears effortless, cozy and absolutely inviting.

The post Key Items in a Cottage Home Living Room appeared first on Cottage Home.