18 Ways to Make Your City Home Feel Like a Cottage Retreat

Give your bedroom an authentic cottage feel by installing an unevenly-cut wooden headboard. It’ll add a subtle hint of the great outdoors without going overboard. Also, consider these 50 fresh cottage decorating ideas the next time you redesign your home away from home.

A lot of cottages have those delightful nooks and crannies that house everything from shoes and bathing suits to athletic equipment. If your home has one of those oddly-shaped spots that is too small for a bookshelf and too big for a simple potted plant, consider creating a space where you can organize and store some of your personal belongings. Or, for something entirely different, you can also transform an awkward nook into a home office.

Something as simple as a single faux antler (or two!) creates a rustic effect in any room – even one with tailored furniture and a chic area rug. We like the simplicity of just one, but multiples work well too.

Related: 10 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Cottage

Jazz up your outdoor space with strings of twinkling lights and watch how quickly it can transform your property and give off a laid-back cottage vibe. You’ll also be more inclined to host summer barbecues.

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If you’ve got the space on your front porch, backyard patio or sunroom, have a little fun with the furniture and add in items such as bright circular lounge chairs or wicker side tables. If you close your eyes, you can almost image you’re beside the lake.

Related: 12 Beautiful Backyard Ideas for Every Budget

Don’t you just want to curl up with a book here as you would at the cottage? Layering different shades of white in different textures is the key and we highly recommend you try this at home. Get even more decor inspiration from this year-round beachy cottage that puts a whole new spin on winter white.

We’re drawn to this winding staircase’s “knottiness.” Adding rope handrails is a simple cottage hack and pairs beautifully with the wood paneling of the upper portion of the wall. The rustic signage finishes off the summertime aesthetic.

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If you’ve got the backyard space, string a hammock up between two trees and – voila! – you’ve got a relaxing, shaded spot where you can curl up with a book or catch up on your Zzz’s.

Related: 60 Beautiful Backyard Ideas

You’ve got plenty of cottage snaps on your phone, but to make a dramatic statement we suggest incorporating Canadian photography into your home. Options abound and we have a soft spot for vintage photos like this black-and-white picnic scene. A lake, evergreens, a meal outside with friends… it doesn’t get any more Canadian than that.

Introduce a little rustic chic to your space with wide lanterns that channel a Canuck fire pit.

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The horizontal placement of the wood beams on the ceiling immediately conjures up a cabin feel (we can almost smell the wood smoke and s’mores). Find a little inspiration from these 20 modern farmhouse kitchen ideas for your next reno.

Reimagine the fireplace mantel with a wood beam. This weathered piece gives the living room a casual quality that invites guests to sit around the fire. We also love the raw-wood look of the beam in the coffee table – its wooden top feels cheery and relaxed.

Any Canadian looking at this entryway will zone in on one thing first: the decorative blue skies. Maybe it’s in our DNA to clock these before the marble coffee table or the cool furnishings. Adding subtle nature-inspired accessories is one of our favourite ways to make Muskoka feel that much closer to home. Find more eye-catching entryways that make the ultimate first impression.

Bring the outdoors inside with sturdy succulents. The sprightly shades of green feel contemporary, yet have a rustic charm reminiscent of the evergreens that surround the lake. Find even more easy-to-care for indoors plants that go beyond succulents.

Sneak in some red and white. Not only is it patriotic (can’t you just see the Canadian flag flying over the dock?), it energizes any room with the bold primary colour.

If you don’t have built-in storage, don’t worry. A sturdy woven basket does the trick just as easily and layers in some rustic texture. We love the leather handles on this chic find.

Any Canadian design lover knows that this stunning cottage belongs to homegrown style star Sarah Richardson. She took inspiration for the room’s colour palette from the great outdoors and you should too: watery blues and natural wood tones speak cottage chic fluently. Find more designs from HGTV Canada’s Sarah Off the Grid.

Don’t banish the woodpile to outside the door. Store wood stylishly and in plain sight, as you would at a cottage. We’re drawn to purpose-built storage like this smart niche that sits directly beside the fireplace.