Cottage style is known for its light and airy quality, but cottage can also be luxurious, as in this bedroom designed by Jennifer from The Old Painted Cottage.

Jennifer's room uses an elegant, nearly monochromatic palette of taupes and creams, with just a hint of pink. Built around the soft taupe walls, in this case, "Antique Bone" by Ralph Lauren, Jennifer's room is like a sumptuous French hotel.

Jennifer's home has been featured in Romantic Country with good reason. She has a gorgeous home, full of French and shabby country style. Her bedroom is a more romantic, textural space, and when I talked to her about how she made her color choices, this is what she had to say:

What was the inspiration for the room color?
The color was inspired by a bolt of fabric. Seriously. That fabric that I used on the headboard, it served as my color palette for the entire room. I had found the bolt at a flea market and it instantly struck me.

You have a very distinct style--how would you describe it?
My style in general is romantic cottage. However, for my bedroom I wanted it to feel like a luxurious French hotel room. I always dreamed of having a glamorous bedroom.

Which came first, the wall color or the other elements?
It began with the fabric for the headboard, then the wall color next, and then everything else fell into place. I used champagne colored silk curtains and bedding. Cream colored faux fur pillows and a white flokati rug. This room is all about texture, luxurious fabrics and materials.

Once you knew you were going to go with taupe, how did you decide on this particular shade?
Sounds funny, but I really didn't have any plans for this color until I spotted that bolt of fabric at the flea market. Impulsive, huh?

What do you love most about the room?
I love that every time I enter my bedroom, I feel like I'm entering a glamorous hotel room, even though it's just 5 steps away from my office.

That headboard is fantastic! How did you make it?
It was originally a mantle, and it was the true begining of the entire "room project". I'd found it on the side of someone's house and paid $100 for it. It was solid black and very plain. The second I spotted it, I knew it would make a great headboard. I used 4 coats of creamy white paint, added tons of rose /cherub appliques, and I made the tufted insert by hand, and then voila!

How did you do the words above the headboard?
That's vinyl wall lettering! I saw the phrase in a store once, and it always stayed with me.

Where did you find the hanging bedside chandeliers?
They are circa 1930's and I found them at a flea market.

What a luxurious, beautiful, romantic, glamorous room. I'm not sure that I'd have the willpower to get out of bed each morning in a room this sumptuous. What a treat to see. Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing it with us!

About The Designer
Jennifer is an antiques collector and dealer, in the business for over 10 years. She started out selling at flea markets and selling eBay, then started her own website in 2006, which has been very successful. Her blog is like a personal journal for her to share her antiquing journeys and triumphs, neat decorating ideas, funny stories and personal family life. It has allowed her customers to get to know her on a more personal level; "the girl behind the website," and it has opened up many new friendships. You can find Jen at her website, The Old Painted Cottage, or at her blog, also titled The Old Painted Cottage.

Photos in this article are Copyright ©2007 Jennifer ~ The Old Painted Cottage and are used by permission.

Aside from white, yellow is one of the most often used cottage wall colors. It can be bright and cheery, warm and cozy, or as in this gorgeous dining room designed by Cindy of My Romantic Home, pretty and romantic.

Cindy's room uses a classic palette of yellow and blue, which is often associated with Provincal decorating. But with a softer, creamy yellow, in this case, "Havana Cream" by Behr, and lots of white, Cindy's room is a romantic cottage dining room to die for.

This is even more impressive when you learn that almost everything in Cindy's house has been bought at garage sales, flea markets and thrift shops. By having an unerring taste and a lovely sense of style, Cindy has created the romantic dining room of my dreams. When I talked to her about how she made her color choices, this is what she had to say:

What, if anything, inspired you in choosing colors for the room?
My inspiration came mostly from reading a lot of decorating magazines. I've always been drawn to blue and white decor with yellow walls. I think they just go together so well.

How would you describe the style of the room?
I love Shabby Chic, French, and English decorating and I think my home is a combination of all of those. I buy what I love and it all seems to work well together.

Did you pick the wall color first or the other elements first?
I've been decorating with blue and white for almost 20 years so I had most of the elements first. For years I've lived in apartments where I wasn't allowed to paint the walls. This is the first place that allowed me to paint and I knew before I even moved in that I was going to paint it yellow.

Once you knew you were going to choose yellow, how did you pick this particular paint color?
I heard on a decorating show, I believe it was The Christopher Lowell Show, that you should pick a shade of yellow that is about 2 or 3 shades lighter than what you think you want. Also you should chose a yellow more towards the orange side of the color wheel than the green side. If you look at the paint chips in the store you will see that yellow is sandwiched between the orange and green...go more towards the orange.

Did you test colors?
I bought a quart of the yellow I thought would work out well and painted one wall. I was shocked that it looked like highlighter yellow. It was so bright and GLOWING! I went back to the store and lucked out with my second choice. I think yellow is the hardest color to get right!

The room is just so lovely, not just the color, but everything in it. Where did you find all of those gorgeous things on a budget?
I found the chandelier at a garage sale for $25 and I rewired it myself. The hutch I found on Craigslist, the table was a hand-me-down from my parents and the chairs, believe it or not, I found on the curb in my neighborhood.

So many great tips! Fortunately for us all, Cindy publishes all of her finds and projects on her blog so we can all learn her best secrets. I am constantly inspired by Cindy's decorating, and I hope you are, too!

About The Designer
Cindy is a single mom with a son in college and a daughter in high school. She has always enjoyed decorating but have been limited by her budget. In order to have the beautiful home she desired she has learned that it's possible to decorate with items from thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, and discount stores. She recommends being creative and leting it evolve over time. You can find Cindy at her blog, My Romantic Home.

Photos in this article are Copyright ©2008 Cindy ~ My Romantic Home and are used by permission.

Pale green walls are a classic choice for a cottage room. They can be nostalgic, edgy or everything in between. Paired with white, as in this airy room designed by Kim Niesz of Niesz Vintage Home, they are both fresh and charming.

Kim's room is built on the base of the pretty pale green wall color, in this case, "Sea Drops," by Glidden. With white and the additions of pink and yellow, it is a sweet combination reminiscent of 1930's quilts.

What Kim does brilliantly here is give this classic updated flair by pairing it with a modern blue and brown color scheme and adding unusual accessories and contemporary prints such as this crystal pendant lamp and the graphic blue and white curtains.

Overall, Kim has put together a room that is fresh yet welcoming, cozy yet stylish. When I talked to her about how she made her color choices, this is what she had to say:

What, if anything, inspired you to choose green for the room?
I have always considered green like a neutral. Love it. It seems to be the one color that creeps into every room in the house.

Did you consider any other colors before choosing this one?
Last year, before the housing market tanked, we were looking to sell this house, so I wanted to make the color scheme as neutral as possible. I choose a basic tan for the living and dining room. It was even called "Practical Tan." Well, after living with that color for two months, I was ready to throw myself under a bus. It was so depressing. I like tan walls in other homes, but I just couldn't live with it. It just seemed so drab. I needed something different. I wanted a fresh, clear green...nothing muted. I knew I would be using an ocean blue with it, so Sea Drops sounded like a good choice. At first, my husband thought it might be a little too pastel, but I really liked it. I think it allows the other colors to stand out. I love how the bright yellow of the vintage pillow adds a pop against the cool green.

Once you knew you were going to choose green, how did you pick this particular paint color?
I brought home many, many paint chips. I usually buy small pints or samples of several colors to see what they'll look like at different times of day, but I don't think I did that with this one. We painted the room, I liked it, and I was done. Of course, after the depressing tan, I think I would have welcomed just about any color!

All of your decor in here is so charming. Where did you find everything?
The couch and chair are from the Jaclyn Smith Home collection at Furniture Fair. The coffee table was a sale item from Value City furniture 15 yrs ago! It has been dark green, red, and now cottage white (how's that for stretching a dollar)? The crystal pendant is a recent find from the mall. Pillows are vintage fabrics from my collection paired with a green fabric by Waverly ($1.00/yard on clearance). The armoire is from my Grandma's attic. The windows are from an antique store in Brown county many years ago. The yo-yo quilt was a gift from my mother-in-law. And the best part, the drapes: I made them myself using the most wonderful linen fabric. It's a lovely ocean blue damask print linen by Chris Stone. I found it at Hobby Lobby on sale. Still expensive, but worth it.

There you have it. A charming, updated cottage classic. I hope you love it as much as I do!

About The Designer
Kimberly Niesz is a vintage fabric collector and dealer who creates a comfortable space in her tiny home by incorporating pieces of the past in new ways. Her business, Niesz Vintage Fabric specializes in unused vintage fabrics (barkcloth, chintz, and quilting cottons) from the 1930's-1960's, but also carries vintage linens, feedsacks, trims, buttons, and curtains. You can find her at her shop, Niesz Vintage Fabric or at her blog, Niesz Vintage Home.

Photos in this article are Copyright ©2008 Kimberly Niesz and are used by permission.

In our Home Improvement section, there is an article on how to paint, trim and update dated oak kitchen cabinets, featuring the process and progress photos from one of my first friends in blogland, Kim from One Woman's Cottage Life. Well, Kim has been busy, and her kitchen is about finished! It's just beautiful, and (with Kim's kind permission), there are tons of pictures to share with you.

When Kim bought her home, the kitchen was functional but without charm, interest or character. Builder basic oak cabinets, appliances and a popcorn ceiling made for a dreary space.

After her renovations, the kitchen is an airy, light-filled space with a mix of antique and modern sensibilities. Kim and her husband completed most of the work themselves, including a paneled and box-beamed ceiling, crown moulding, oil-rubbed bronze fixtures, a freestanding island, farmhouse furniture, a white-on-white paint palette and a stunning cabinet updateI.

To achieve the dramatic change on her cabinets, Kim added moulding, trim, beadboard end panels and a multi-step distressed and antiqued paint finish. The saturated red injects the space with color and energy.

The addition of a freestanding island built from architectural salvage not only adds texture, but improved functionality by protecting the kitchen's work core from traffic. As an added benefit, it provides a furniture-like view from the nearby dining area.

Kim also added a drum shade in the dining area, another nod to modern style. The unexpected shape adds a note of sophistication that sharpens the entire design.

By adding both modern displays such as the row of pears on the windowsill, and vintage-inspired charm like the countertop vignette, Kim has made her kitchen both modern in sensibility yet antique in charm. It is the best of both worlds in a kitchen that I find to be extremely inspiring. I hope you do, too!

Resources:

Light fixtures: "House Beautiful Collection" by Kichler. Faucet: "Restoration Collection" from Kingston Brass. Kitchen island & kitchen table: Fuzzot Furniture. Window rods and rings: Wal-Mart. Curtains: Repurposed Queen sheets, Wal-Mart. Curtains at kitchen sink: Repurposed pillowcases, Goodwill. Wall paint: Valspar "Malted Milk." Trim paint: Valspar "Anthem White." Cabinet paint: Basecoat, American Tradition "Homestead Resort Parlor Taupe." Topcoat, Waverly "Cherry." Glaze, "Raw Umber" translucent glaze. Details here.

This kitchen is from my old English Cottage, a 1930's home that I renovated and then put on the market in fall of 2007. Our objective was to create a charming, cottage style kitchen with modern amenities, durable, easy-care surfaces and a warm but bright color palette. Because the home was put on the market soon after these renovations were completed, there is a minimum of accessories, which I would change if I had stayed in the house.

The original kitchen seemed bright, but it had a frustrating layout, a lack of storage space and an appalling lack of counter space. In addition, the eating area was too small for a standard table and required that everyone shoehorn in. Gootz was always annoyed because he sat at the end of the table and had to fetch anything anyone wanted because no one else could get up and leave the table. The reason for this was that the eating nook was actually a converted back porch that had been enclosed in the 1970's.

One of the first things we did was to add trim around the opening between the main kitchen and the eating nook. Next we converted the peninsula to an island, using the same cabinets to keep costs down. We also:

• Installed wainscoting throughout the kitchen
  
• Had the counters and backsplash tiled (counters in 12" granite tile and backsplash in 2" ceramic mosaic)


• Replaced the pendants in the dining area and switched the flourescent monsters over the main kitchen to vintage-looking track lighting


• Painted the walls, trim, ceilings and cabinets


• Added cabinet and drawer pulls


• Tiled the floor with laminate tile


• Installed all new stainless-steel appliances and a new farm-style sink with faucet

Here's what it looked like when we bought the house (previous owner's decor):

And here's what it looked like afterwards:

(Note: These were all taken a day or two before the final, final details were done, so in these pictures the cabinets don't all have pulls.)

Looking the opposite direction, before:

And after:

Here's another shot of the island:

And the tile backsplash:

While we were living there, one of my favorite spots in the whole house was the dining nook, even when it was under construction, just because of the windows:

And the view to the backyard:

We managed to pull of this renovation for a very small sum. We had originally planned to spend under $5,000, but in the time crunch had to hire out a couple of the bigger jobs, which put us over budget. The breakdown looked like this:

Materials
Stainless steel appliances (fridge, stove, dishwasher): $2600
Tile & materials (caulk, grout, etc) for counters and backsplash: $980
Sink & faucet: $300
Two additional cabinets to fill in after layout change: $250
Construction materials (lumber, wire, etc.): $100
Stock moldings & beadboard: $205
Cabinet hardware (pulls): $200
Lighting: $240
Paint: $100
Materials Total: $4975

Labor
Tile installation: $1500
Painting Cabinets: $500
Labor Total: $2000

Grand Total: $6945

Not bad, eh?

Resources

Paint: Glidden "Water Chestnut" in eggshell (on walls) and Glidden "Crisp Linen" in semi-gloss (on cabinets), Home Depot. Hardware:
Knob Hill 50mm small birdcage oval knob (on cabinets) and 3" birdcage wire pull (on drawers). $3.99 and $4.99, Home Depot. Counters:
"Green Tea" 12" granite tile. $6.25 per square foot plus installation, Lowes.