100 Comfy Cottage Rooms

By Coastal Living
June 30, 2020
Jean Allsopp, Writer: Anna Lee Gresham

Play up the coziness of your cottage with these color, pattern, and design hints.

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Shabby-Chic Living Room

Lacy curtains, fresh florals, and plenty of monogrammed pillows are just a few of the feminine touches that give this room its calming and sweet mood. Pieces scored at thrift stores and flea markets were refreshed with paint, then artfully applied to achieve the shabby-chic distressed look.

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Patterned Floors

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn, Writer: Perry Del Favero

This pleasant kitchen has painted floors in a checkerboard pattern to add some interest under your feet. Playful flooring is an unexpected way to have some fun with your design scheme.

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Beach Hues

Nothing is more classically coastal than a blue-and-white color palette. The bright white provides the perfect base for deep blue accents, resulting in a crisp combo that’s always right on trend. On the coast, throw open glass French doors to infuse your space with the salty breeze.

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White Backdrop

The added extras in this crisp white subway-tiled bath are what make it worth a second look. The apple green accents on the towels and bathmat bring the whole look together and prove that style doesn’t have to come at an extravagant cost.

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Nautical Living Room

Shake things up in your living room by choosing mismatched pieces that are united by a common theme. In this case, it’s sea blues and nautical decorative elements. 

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Tropical Kitchen

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn, Writer: Perry Del Favero

Kitchen lacking energy? Throw caution to the wind and utilize a favorite color—or three! This tropical trio of colors is inspired by the setting and reflects the owner’s favorite flowers found right outside.

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Sea-Inspired Kitchen

This kitchen’s stainless steel appliances and dark surfaces are expertly balanced by the pale blue cabinetry and sea-inspired backsplash. The iridescent tiles in various cerulean shades catch the light beautifully and led to a similar scheme for the rest of the house.

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Mixed Accessories

Pump up the excitement in your den with a quirky print and lighthearted decorative touches. As long as you continue with neutrals and natural elements, the effect will still be relaxed. The accessories, such as the glass bottles and balls lining the shelf, have a just-washed-up-on-the-shore feel.

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Casual Living

David Tsay, Writer: Perry Del Favero

Informal and low-maintenance, linen slipcovers like these chocolate brown and striped versions are a great choice for a family-friendly home. You’ll rest easy knowing your furnishings are fully washable and get the added benefit of their beautifully relaxed look.

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Grand Lighting

Make a statement with your lighting like these homeowners did with this 36-inch capiz shell orb over their low-key dining room table. Not only does it cast a warm glow over diners, but also it can be spotted from the shore and gives this beach bungalow a one-of-a-kind look.

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Cozy Corner

This custom sectional piece in a soothing moss green hue fits snugly into a window-filled corner of this room. A stylish large-scale pattern like this traditional damask lends a feeling of warmth to any room.

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Detailed Cottage Kitchen

The charm of this lakeside cottage kitchen lies in its attention to detail. The previously linoleum-covered floors were ripped up in favor of this rich blue color, echoed again in a vase of hydrangeas. An ultramodern light fixture paired with the old-school movie poster is a refreshing mix of old and new.

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Crafty Living Room

Kim Cornelison, Writer: Perry Del Favero

The two artistic homeowners think of themselves more as curators of this creative cottage—their home away from home during the summer months. The living room displays just a couple of their ordinary objects turned into art, like this couch covered in doodles and coffee table carved by hand from a felled tree.

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Rustic Island Kitchen

Annie Schlechter, Writer: Perry Del Favero

This kitchen gets its distinctive look primarily from its location, at the base of a windmill tower on an old sugarcane plantation in the Caribbean. Recreate a similar island effect with natural wood pieces, lush vegetation, and bold floral accents in tropical shades of red, blue, and green.

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Bunking It

Compromise with the kids by creating an upscale bunkroom with the sophisticated colors and prints you love combined with the fun beds they’ll love. This modern update on the classic bunk bed style is more sculptural, yet sturdy and compact with plenty of room for sleepovers.

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Welcoming Breakfast Nook

This welcoming breakfast nook has a built-in bench with cabinets underneath for extra storage. Pile it high with pillows for a snug spot to watch the water. The woven hanging lamp and pretty patterns offer texture and interest to this small space.

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Azure Accents

Without the pops of cobalt blue, this smart seating area’s neutral tones would feel a little washed out. Fun patterned pillows with drapery and flowers to match don’t take the focus off the main event, the wraparound water view from the windows.

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Mixed Patterns

This teeny bedroom leaves just enough room for the bed and bench, but it seems so much larger thanks to its diverse mix of patterns and prints. You can put stripes with spots—and add much-needed dimension—as long as you simplify your palette.

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Special Collection

Roger Davies, Writer: Perry Del Favero

This homeowner filled her living room with unexpected treasures, like wood and building fragments, found objects, and natural elements with lots of great texture. When decorating, pile on the things you love and edit away later for the best results.

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Well Traveled

An art collection that includes cultural and nature-inspired pieces from across the globe transforms this simple seating area into a sophisticated hideaway. Include items from your travels in your home, and you’ll always have a story to tell.

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Serene Living Space

An extra-large cushioned space for lounging adds a quiet elegance to this simplistic living area. Organic extras such as the driftwood coffee table and decorative beach stones have a natural coastal charm.

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Simplistic Master Bedroom

A lack of knickknacks, soft neutrals, and multiple mirrored surfaces make this tranquil master bedroom seem larger than its actual size. A hazy gray wall color is a chic alternative to bright white.

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Flowy Attic Bedroom

Sophie Munro, Writer: Perry Del Favero

The dramatic high ceilings and mahogany floors in this sparse attic room are timeless. Sheer netting around the bed is a romantic detail that also comes in handy when you leave the windows open on summer nights.

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Precious Prints

Achieve an easygoing vibe in any room with an assortment of fabrics, colors, and patterns. Sweet prints like polka dots and gingham look mellow and fun on woven white chairs like these. Wicker furniture looks great painted or natural and is easily moved around for when you want to mix up your look.

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Clearly Coastal

This sea-hued dining room strikes the ideal balance between formal and relaxed, with its fanciful chandelier and soft chintz slipcovers. Shells, sea stars, and a playful mermaid ensure that you won’t forget you’re at the beach.

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Working Kitchen

Tria Giovan, Writer: Perry Del Favero

When you know you’re going to be working overtime in the kitchen, simplify the design and let efficiency be your guide. A colorful mixer and a bright dish towel add cheerful color to this neutral space. Such details as twin sconces lend charm.

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Graphic Dining Room

Tria Giovan, Writer: Perry Del Favero

Floor-to-ceiling window treatments in a graphic print make a statement and frame the view, drawing the focus to the world outside. After all, the beautiful scenery is probably the main reason you live on the coast.

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Mixed Patterns

What might seem like a pattern overdose comes together beautifully when you use a single color. Pick a shade you truly can’t get enough of, and the rest will be smooth sailing.

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Painted Floors

Painted floors only look better with age, and you’ll especially love them in a bold color. Kelly green is an ideal counterpoint to wood accents.

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Marine Inspired Bedroom

Pay homage to the sea with a bedroom awash with calming blues and ocean accessories such as this mirror framed in oyster shells. A dark wood bed and crisp white chandelier add elegance to the space.

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Colorfully Fun Living Room

Invigorate your living area with a serious splash of color and fun details such as these iron lamps. The decor lets guests know to get ready for a good time, but it’s the comfy couch that gets them to stay awhile.

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Personalized Breakfast Nook

Dominique Vorillon, Writer: Perry Del Favero

When decorating a room, remember to stay true to yourself. Let your personality shine through with casual touches such as laid-back wicker chairs and homemade artwork to keep the look from getting too fussy.

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