Home decorating in the Cottage Style is the final step in a long chain of activities you can do to make your home a more pleasant place to live and entertain. In decorating, a home-owner is not generally changing anything that is permanently affixed to the house. Yet making a structural change can go a long way to advancing the decorative goals of a decorator.

For example adding ceramic tile with a seaside or garden motif to a kitchen with white painted cabinets can add a touch of permanence to a breezy cottage style. Rough ceramic tile on a kitchen floor or even a faux brick gives a kitchen that aged look. Ceramic tile is also great in a bathroom for walls, floors, counter tops, showers, etc. Again, intersperse the tiles with painted tiles.

Another decorating idea that is quite old, yet is resurgent partly due to the cottage style, is the return of wallpaper. Wallpapering is actually a fairly easy job. To keep in line with the cottage style, wallpaper designs should be relatively simple; eschew complex geometric patterns and go with light tans and blues.

Adding or replacing windows can make a tremendous difference. The essence of the Cottage Style is light, and the more natural the light the better. Adding a window to a blank exterior wall can create an atmosphere that both delights and inspires. Breakfast areas especially benefit from a great number of windows. To complement the cottage style choose double-hung windows with simulated panes.

Other decorating ideas might include adding an interior wall which also requires that the homeowner get his or her hands dusty by learning how to drywall, or changing a faucet.

One of the great things about home ownership is that structural changes are completely up to the person living in the space. If you are a renter, you will want to consult the landlord before making any structural changes.