A Joyful Cottage

In keeping with this month's Every Room In The House party, which is taking place in The Living Room through tomorrow, I'm sharing inspiration photos I've collected this week. I did a google search for "Cottage Living Rooms", and these are some of the ones that showed up. I'm not sure I would classify all of them as "cottage", but I'll let you decide.

Whether you like loads of color, a limited palette, or mostly neutrals, I have a feeling you'll find something in each of these rooms that will speak to you. Beautiful rooms begin with great architecture, and that's something all these living and family rooms have in common.

Traditional Living Room by Harbor Springs Interior Designers & Decorators Cottage Company Interiors
1. Cool and crisp. Green and white check wallpaper, spring colors, beadboard ceiling and the fan give this the feel of a garden room. Great mantel detail.

Beach Style Family Room by Atlanta Architects & Designers Historical Concepts
2. Vintage. Turquoise draws attention to the window and door trim. Note the transom window above the doorway, the oars near the ceiling, and the hanging lights at the windows.

Traditional Living Room by New York Media & Bloggers Rizzoli New York
3. Calm. White and sand with a whisper of blue. Interesting ceiling treatment, wonderful accessories.

Traditional Living Room by Minneapolis Interior Designers & Decorators Lola Watson Interior Design
4. English Country charm. Red and white and beautiful all over.
Layering the window valances over bamboo rollups and an antique rug over a sisal carpet keep the room from being too formal. The green shade on the walls is a wonderful compliment to the red.

Traditional Living Room by Redwood City General Contractors Lencioni Construction
5. Elegant. A formal traditional living room with a very restful palette.

Traditional Family Room by Santa Barbara General Contractors Giffin & Crane General Contractors, Inc.
6. Stripes and toile. High pitch ceiling, lots of white trim, mix and match red fabrics and a turquoise surprise in the pillows. The dark clocks give eyes a place to rest. Nice touch.

Traditional Family Room by San Francisco Architects & Designers Arcanum Architecture
7. Contemporary Country. White with just a dab of color.

Contemporary Living Room by Calabasas Interior Designers & Decorators Jill Wolff Interior Design

8. Modern twist. Contemporary fabrics and sectional, sleek coffee table and unpretentious chairs.

Traditional Living Room by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Adeeni Design Group
9. Rich and warm. Fabulous ceiling, gorgeous colors and a beautiful stone fireplace. This is a room for winter nights.

Traditional Living Room by Wilmette Architects & Designers Boomgaarden Architects
10. Light and soft. Pastels against a white backdrop, with the surprise of brown. The white fireplace with the built in cupboards could get lost in this room if it weren't for the subtle but effective wall color and the artful display above the mantel.

Traditional Living Room by Costa Mesa Interior Designers & Decorators squarefoot interior design
11. Understated. Neutral with just a hint of color. Great ceiling and wall detail. The mantel surrounding the little stove is a delightful touch.

Traditional Living Room by Saratoga Springs Design-Build Firms Witt Construction
12. Naturals. Great fireplace with built in bookshelves, and welcoming window seat. Fabric colors compliment the stone.

Traditional Living Room by Beaufort Architects & Designers Allison Ramsey Architects
13. Bring the Outdoors In. The medium tone wood is beautiful against the white in this room. A single green accent color echoes the colors of nature just outside the windows.

Traditional Living Room by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Jana Happel Interior Design
14. Cozy. I think I actually featured this room in a prior post, which tells me I must like it. I think it's that stone fireplace and the floral chairs that most appeal to me.

Beach Style Living Room by Savannah Interior Designers & Decorators Joel Snayd
15. Casual. An unexpected pop of red in this beach cottage.

Traditional Living Room by Miami Interior Designers & Decorators GIL WALSH INTERIORS
16. Pretty Cottage. Soft blue and red, plaids and florals, a dutch door, white board and batten.

Traditional Living Room by Harbor Springs Interior Designers & Decorators Cottage Company Interiors
17. White and Navy. Architectural details take center stage in this room. The coffee table repeats the shape of the fireplace. Arches at the top of the windows, the scalloped shades, and the slipcovers soften the room.

Beach Style Living Room by Portland Interior Designers & Decorators Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc.
18. Vanilla and blue. Varying shades of blue and French vanilla. Fantastic windows and molding throughout.

Traditional Living Room by Wilmington Design-Build Firms RMB Building & Design
19. Primary colors. This is a room that bursts with color. Bright and cheerful.

Traditional Living Room by Sydney Media & Bloggers A Beach Cottage
20. White and Khaki. A mellow and comfy looking room.

Eclectic Living Room by Matthews Media & Bloggers Two Story Cottage
21. Earthtones. The faux fireplace with mirror is very creative. Beautiful board and batten and molding. Colors one would find in a forest floor, with a mere suggestion of blue in the rug.

Traditional Family Room by Minneapolis Furniture & Accessories Unique By Design Ltd.
22. Buttercream and white. The stripe fabric on the sofa and the ball feet on the tables keep this room playful.

Traditional Living Room by Minneapolis Furniture & Accessories Unique By Design Ltd.
23. Romantic. Beautiful fabrics and chandelier, and a pink blush on the walls.

Eclectic Living Room by Shelter Island Architects & Designers SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.
24. Bold accents. Black and white stripes make a statement.

Transitional Family Room by Dallas Home Builders Ellen Grasso & Sons, LLC
25. Sophisticated. Soothing colors in a contemporary room. Nice furniture arrangement for conversation.

Traditional Living Room by Miami Interior Designers & Decorators GIL WALSH INTERIORS
26. Cheery. Primary colors and lots of light. Ceiling detail repeats the entry door's window pattern.

Farmhouse Living Room by Raleigh Media & Bloggers Home & Harmony
27. Serenely white. Varying shades of white and neutrals in this room soothe the soul.

Farmhouse Living Room by Newton Center Media & Bloggers Justine Hand
28. Neutrals for the minimalist. A very pared down room.

Traditional Living Room by Costa Mesa Architects & Designers Brandon Architects, Inc.
29. Match the art. It appears the painting was the inspiration for this color scheme. Very nice.

Traditional Living Room by Rockville Interior Designers & Decorators Decorating Den Interiors - Michelle Belsito, CID
30. Masculine. A man would be very comfortable in this room, I should think. Again, look how the color choices are pulled from the painting over the mantel.

Rustic Living Room by Venice Architects & Designers tumbleweed and dandelion.com
31. French vintage. Great use of red as an accent. Wonderful grain sack fabric. Light and airy window treatment.

Beach Style Living Room by Costa Mesa Architects & Designers Brandon Architects, Inc.
32. Grey and white. Pleasing symmetry. Good use of twin chests and lamps on either side of the fireplace.

Traditional Family Room by Atlanta Architects & Designers William T Baker
33. Nautica. Does this not look like a Nautica ad?

Traditional Living Room
34. White and tan. Beautiful ceiling and glass front built in.
The curves in the furniture lend a feminine touch.

Rustic Living Room
35. Rustic. This is a unique room.

I want to show you more. . .

Rustic Living Room

and more. . .

Rustic Living Room

and you have to see the sea view. . .

Rustic Living Room

Which one of these living rooms is your favorite? Is there a particular architectural detail that struck you? I'd love to know.

Oh, and there's still time to link up your living or family room at Every Room In The House - The Living Room. But hurry, the linky closes February 28.

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Every Room In The House
Feathered Nest Friday

When last we saw Cottage Lover in The Enchanting Cottage - Part Three she was oohing and ahhing over the master bedroom ceiling. . .

Artist Steve appreciated the compliments from Cottage Lover.

He motioned toward the door, "Come and I'll show you the Secret Room."

Cottage Lover's eyes lit up with delight. For if there was one thing she loved as much as cottages, it was secret rooms.

Artist Steve led Cottage Lover into another bedroom. There she saw a delightful painting the artist had created for his daughter when she was very little.

Artist Steve opened a door in a large armoire and Captain said, "Look inside. There's a ladder."

It was so dark inside the armoire that Cottage Lover could barely see the ladder. Captain urged her to climb it. She was a tad fearful, since it was a narrow ladder and very steep, but Captain steadied her with his strong arms and told her she would not regret the climb.

When she reached the top of the ladder she saw a small room with a tall window.

She stepped up into the room and turned to behold magical creatures.

A second ladder for climbing to a loft.

And next to the ladder a door that Artist Steve said opened into a little closet.

Artist Steve had created the Secret Room for his daughter. And Cottage Lover thought his daughter must be one of the most blessed children in all the world. Who could ask for a more loving father?

Cottage Lover climbed down the ladder with the help of Captain, and followed Artist Steve to the back porch.

She was amazed that the porch was just as charming. . .

just as whimsical. . .

just as wondrous. . .

as the rest of the cottage.

Resting on the porch floor was a cradle that Artist Steve had made. A cradle that reminded Cottage Lover of the little cradle she saw in Steve's painting.

A butterfly graced the front of the cradle.

Oh, it was adorable! And Cottage Lover imagined it to be an absolutely,

positively,

perfectly peaceful place for a baby to nap.

Artist Steve took Cottage Lover and Captain outside to show them the weather vanes a friend had made.

Cottage Lover thought The Enchanting Cottage deserved such marvelous weather vanes.

Artist Steve's studio overlooked the garden.

Although the garden was dormant, it was still charming. For Artist Steve had decorated it with trellises and other pretty things.

Like a gazebo. . .

with matching benches.

The garden shed had a special door that looked just as a garden shed door should look in such a magical, fairy tale place.

All too soon the tour of The Enchanting Cottage was over.

Cottage Lover felt sad that she had to leave The Enchanting Cottage.

She did take consolation, however, in knowing that she could return once more.

Perhaps in the spring.

When The Enchanting Cottage garden is in bloom.

And she knew, if she did return then, she would take photos and share her garden experience with her Cottage Friends.

The End