Cottage Dining Room Ideas

Tables and Chairs

• When choosing a dining room table and chairs, think rustic. Choose a table made from wide planks, and then paint or stain as desired. As far as the seating goes, select chairs that are heavy and well made from wood. Benches work well in dining rooms, especially if you have several children or entertain regularly. Do not worry about all the chairs matching either. Find wooden chairs at flea markets and thrift stores, refinish them and add them to your collection.

Curtains

• Appropriate curtains for a cottage dining room include different styles. Choose from short panel curtains that hang no longer than the bottom edge of the windowsill, valances or ruffled tie-back curtains, just to name a few. The type of fabric you use for the curtains is just as important as the style of curtains. Use fabrics that are light to medium weight instead of heavy draperies.

Decorations

• The decorations for a cottage style dining room should be purposeful as well as attractive. Crocks of all sizes can hold silverware, napkins, tablecloths and anything else that you normally store in the dining room. Crocks and even pottery bowls add to the cottage effect of your dining room. Choose artwork to hang on the walls of your room. Pictures that represent nature or times gone by work very well in the cottage themed setting.

Fresh Flowers

• One of the attractions to cottage living is the abundance of flowers and plants right outside the door. Bring those flowers and plants inside your dining room to add to the cottage effect. Fill vases, or even some of the crocks, with fresh wildflowers when they are in season. Check with your local florist, who will be happy to tell you what flowers are available when. Bring some potted plants into the room, again using the crocks if desired, to plant herbs or other green plants.