Follow The Basics For Effective Cottage Style

Home decorators who embark on their first experiences with cottage style sometimes find they overdo it without meaning to do so. The result is often an unhappy experience with a home decorating style that's meant to be friendly and comforting.

Here are some suggestions from interior designers on how to achieve cottage style without going overboard.

Keep Window Treatments Simple:

One of the goals of cottage style is to bring nature indoors. The easiest way to do this is with plenty of sunshine beaming through the windows. To avoid blocking out Mr. Sun, use light, airy window treatments. For example, bamboo blinds could be flanked by organza panels to soften the room. When the breezes blow, the gauzy curtains flutter freely, a lovely effect.

Fearlessly Mix Old and New:

Part of cottage style's charm is that sense of heirloom items combining with the furnishings of a new generation. Familiar things blend with fresh additions, such as pairing your wedding silver with Grandmother's summer chintz china. Pair a wicker love seat with a modern area rug in a foliage pattern. Mixing antiques and vintage furnishings with newer additions takes a little skill, but the experimenting is fun.

Blend to Harmonize:

Key to the blending of old and new is the ability to balance the scale and patterns of various furnishings. For example, a large-scale pattern would work best in an area rug, where it could be fully appreciated, while smaller-scale patterns below on pillows or perhaps a chair.

Display the Things You Love:

A home isn't a museum, carefully controlled and cataloged. A home is meant to be a reflection of its owners' personalities. With Cottage style there's freedom to have more artwork, more collections, more of everything, but try for an eye-catching display, not a hodge-podge. Instead of your entire collection of souvenir silver spoons, exhibit the best examples. This way, the collection can change periodically to give the room refreshing interest.

Use Color in Unexpected Ways:

Cottage style often evokes a pastel or muted palette with many people, but they forget that variations make bold use of color. What's more, vivid colors can energize small spaces, such as walk-in pantries or small hallways. For example, try painting the inside of a closet in bright yellow, especially if the walls outside it are white. Cottage style welcomes whimsical touches.

Layer on the Texture:

Beaded-board paneling makes a terrific addition to any cottage style room. Its vertical grooves can help elongate a small room, especially when painted white to visually expand the space. Some bright pillows on the seats will spark interest.

Welcome the Wicker:

Few things say "cottage" as eloquently as wicker accessories, from chairs and love seats to baskets for everything from logs to flowers. What's more, wicker can be painted to match any color scheme. A pair of wicker bookcases or shelves are ideal for displaying some of those collections mentioned earlier.

Keep it Warm:

Finally, what's a cottage without plenty of throws and quilts to wrap up in when the evening cool descends. Adding these touches will help decorators create a cottage style that's just right.

Article Source: Ezinearticles.com

Beach Living Has Pros and Cons to Consider Before Investing

Everyone wins when it comes to beach real estate like Florida or California real estate. From the point of view of someone planning to live near the ocean, it is worth the price they will have to pay for the privilege. They will be surrounded by great beauty and may even experience a spiritual connection to the abundance of nature.

There is a great upside to living close to the beach. Those who can afford to buy property right on the beach will get even greater advantages. The view out of your windows alone is worth living close to the beach. Coastal properties are also in high demand and make for good rental properties, or a good investment. The small town beach communities can also make living near the coast attractive. However, there may be a downside to counteract the great advantages of living by the ocean.

However, being connected to the beach isn't all sunshine and ice cream. The ocean may be a beautiful place, but with great beauty there often comes a certain amount of danger. In the case of Florida real estate, for instance, that danger comes in the form of storms such as hurricanes which toss around trees as though they were paper cups. Flooding can also be a great concern, as it causes so much damage.

Those interested in an investment property along the beach must not forget the seasonal fluctuations in demand associated with beach communities. While you may be able to charge high rent in the summer, do not expect that to last all year long. Depending on the location in the country, the winter months can be awfully slow to rely on renter's money as an investment. Be sure to understand seasonal traffic flow before deciding to invest.

The owner of beach real estate may have to charge tenants more in order to keep up with costs that arise from the dangers of flooding and erosion. However, the desirability of property such as Florida real estate or California real estate is often such that people expect to pay more for the privilege of living there. Business owners know that they will make plenty of money during the area's tourist season to offset the costs of storm damage and slow winter months. What it ultimately comes down to, is that the pros and cons of investing in property like this can balance out each other if its owner is savvy enough to know how to handle the finances. Beach property can be a wonderful investment and is worth looking into.

About The Author: Sara Green is the real estate marketing director for Shingle Springs real estate where you can find local school information, full access to the Sacramento California area MLS listings. 

Visit OceanStyles.com to find the perfect beach decor for your home.