How to Get an English Decorating Look

Creating an English Style Living or Sitting Room

• 1

  Lay a Persian or Oriental rug on the floor.

• 2

  Hang chintz curtains over the windows.

• 3

  Arrange books and magazines on a low, upholstered bench. Some English rooms place this bench in front of the fireplace.

• 4

  Purchase a tufted sofa in a bright color or pattern.

• 5

  Hang art on the walls. Look for dreamy landscapes, portraits that predate World War I and pastoral scenes of English country life.

• 6

  Arrange fresh flowers in a variety of vases and distribute around the room.

The Kitchen

• 7

  Suspend a pot rack from the ceiling and hang with copper pots.

• 8

  Arrange blue and white dishware on open shelves.

• 9

  Place pewter candlesticks on the kitchen table.

• 10

  Paint an old wood dresser and use as a kitchen island. Classic English kitchens did not feature the amount of built-in cabinetry found in the typical modern kitchen today.