Create cottage comfort in your own home

Embrace the imperfection of "found" objects such as this table and pitcher and bowl. Decorated with flowers, it creates a casual cottage look.

When it comes to a weekend escape, location is everything. How then to improve on the convenience of a city home that idyllically captures the perfection of a cottage? An enticing blend of serviceable style and weather-beaten charm, cottage style is a soothing balm to urban stress. Most cottages are gathering places for families; vacation homes where industrious laziness (bending to deadhead spent geraniums or lighting up the barbeque) is dutifully rewarded with time off for loafing and leisure. Eliminate the pesky two-hour drive Friday nights (and its bookend performance Sunday evening) and create a home that welcomes and revitalizes weekdays and weekends. Here's how to bring that cottage feeling home to the city.

Flooring

Cottage style is easy to recognize thanks to its relaxed, carefree attitude but its casual veneer conceals the hard working surfaces and furnishings that make it trouble-free to begin with. Flooring not only has to be quietly purposeful, it also needs to be easy to care for and able to stand up to wear and tear without strain.

• Varnished hardwoods like maple require very little maintenance beyond sweeping and occasional mopping, and they can take anything your roller-blading, bike-riding toddler can deliver. Add an area rug (of faded florals or braided rags) and you'll dampen some of the inevitable noise and introduce some of the intrinsic charm cottage style is known for.
• Linoleum is another great option but don't kid yourself, if children, pets, or high heels are in residence you cannot effectively paint over tired linoleum in order to extend its life. The first time Junior rides his Big Wheel trike through the kitchen, you'll see why.
• Sealed cork, popular in Europe for decades, is finally gaining acceptance here at home.
• Ceramic and stone tile are other options well suited to cottage style, especially when paired with rush matting, coir, sisal, or my favorite, seagrass.

Furniture

Although no single style of furniture wholly expresses of cottage style certain characteristics are common. In general, furniture is unpretentious, often made locally, with detail carving either kept to a minimum or done "loosely", sometimes with more enthusiasm than skill.

• Indigenous woods such as pine, beech, poplar and maple are frequently used and suit the casual nature of cottage style. When stained, they are most often treated with a light tone or "bleached".
• Painted wood is an equally appealing and has the benefit of introducing favorite cottage colors such as mint, coral, pale blue, navy, raspberry and cream into interiors. White must be a category of its own and many cottage fanciers use its various shades to decorate the entire house.
• Wicker plays a vital role in capturing the cottage spirit. Armchairs, settees, tables, and benches are readily available, sometimes painted in crisp white or left in more natural honey tones.
• Iron, especially painted iron works wonderfully well in casual, cottage style.

Fabrics

The right fabrics are key to capturing the light, playful feeling so envied in cottage style.

• Faded florals, orderly stripes, crisp checks, playful plaids and all manner of pictorial cottons and linens are cornerstone textiles.
• Very often a decorative scheme will include a dozen or more patterns, taking care to vary the size and style of patterns goes a long way toward successfully completing this look.
• Cotton and linen slipcovers can effortlessly disguise heavy winter fabrics such as velvet, brocade, and chenille.