Creating a Romantic Cottage Bedroom

Creating a Romantic Cottage Bedroom.

It has taken most of the four-plus years we have been at Hidden Bluff to furnish it. Having left all our furniture behind at the mountain home, we were starting from scratch. Four years later, we finally found the last piece we needed for the bedroom. Our bedroom was the first room we bought furniture for, and the last. We found our first piece online locally. I could see from the photo that it was a lovely bed, but it wasn’t until my husband brought it home that I fully appreciated this massive, ornate oak piece. This was no ordinary queen bed, but a massive piece that looked as if it belonged in a chateau or manor. We also discovered it was a king, not a queen, as the ad said.

That bed became the starting point. That beautiful, heirloom-worthy bed, whose massive wooden structure was carved with swirls and flourishes, set the mood for the romantic, cottage-style look I was about to embark on. Over the next four years, we worked on finding pieces in the same set. Shortly after, at an antique market, I discovered a set in the same style as ours: a nightstand, dresser, mirror, and a queen-size bed. Over time, more pieces were added from my late grandmother because they had similar wood tones. And most recently, our largest find of 2 massive dressers, a queen bed, and the second nightstand we needed.

The Spiritual Symbolism of Oak

With the oak theme taking hold in our home, I sensed something of a spiritual theme. While the things of this world are temporal, God often uses them as spiritual symbols as well. Oak is a symbol of strength, endurance, and wisdom. These are all things we want represented in our home. Having been married for more than three decades, the Lord has carried us through many mountains and valleys. It is in Him that deep roots have been put down in our marriage. Therefore, the presence of oak in our home began to take on a new and deeper meaning.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

Isaiah 61:3

Our Amazing Bargains!

And now we get to the part of the story where I share how much we paid for all this lovely furniture- furniture that retails in the tens of thousands. To sum up what we found over four years in this same furniture pattern: we got one king bed, two extra queen beds, two long dressers (one with a carved mirror), one tall dresser, and two nightstands for a ridiculously low price of $700! We were able to furnish 2 more bedrooms with all the extra pieces we picked up. Furthermore, some family members gave us a barely used king-size mattress set for our king bed.

Wanting to do our beautiful new bedroom furniture justice, I invested in good bedding in pretty floral patterns with plenty of pillows. Additionally, we also had the upstairs floors redone entirely last year (because of the dogs), and now the warm flooring makes the bedroom even more romantic-looking.

I suppose one could buy their way to a cozy, enchanted bedroom quickly, but I think of the fun we would have missed out on and the people we met in the process- not to mention the satisfaction of the journey to get there.

One last thing. Early in this project, I envisioned pink roses covering our bedroom window and cascading over the roofline. Our window was nothing grand, but I knew I could give it some much-needed character, so I selected David Austin’s Generous Gardener Rose for the job. Those roses didn’t fail me. This year, we now have fragrant pink roses peeping through our window and trailing over the roof above. They thrived and added such charm to the cottage-style bedroom. I even put some of them in a pitcher in the bedroom for the photos!

Tips for creating a romantic cottage-style bedroom

• Find a decorator that inspires you and pore over their photos/website/books. This is very helpful for stimulating your creative thoughts.
• Make sure to shop used. It is just fine to mix the old and the new, but the patina of the old adds depth and character.
• Use natural textures in your furniture and decor, such as wicker, chunky knits, wood, and fabrics like chintz or toile, which are classic cottage styles.
• Collect vintage linens or vintage-inspired linens. My favorite brands are Cabbage & Roses, Laura Ashley, & Queen’s House Store (or QSH) on Amazon. The duvet cover set in the photos is Cabbage & Roses.
• Wall art is a wonderful addition that adds a great deal of character, but it can be expensive. Shop estate sales, thrift stores, or order vintage painting replicas on canvas prints and frame them with old frames yourself (what I did).
• Sew your own curtains for a cozier look. Use chintz, linen, toile, or cotton print to sew your own curtains for a homespun look. Also, homemade curtains look fuller. I sewed muslin curtains for our bedroom- easy peasy!
• Don’t forget small details like curtain rods and light fixtures. These can enhance or detract from the cottage look.
• Use light wall colors to give an open feel to your space. Pretty shades of blue, yellow, green, and rose are typically associated with romantic cottage style. Consider wallpaper.
• Old pitchers, urns, and chamber pots are lovely for florals and decor.
• Florals are a must for a romantic cottage style, whether art, faux, linens, etc. After all, the English cottage garden is where this style originates.
• Think softness.

Have a beautiful day!

*No monies or affiliates. All opinions are my own.

Creating a Romantic Cottage Bedroom