Turning a new property into a vintage country home

I've made no secret of the fact that I'm a huge fan of vintage style, and hope to one day live in a cottage in the countryside complete with a butler sink, pantry and vegetable patch. However, whilst that dream may be a while off yet, I've worked hard to create this feel and add character to my fairly modest modern property, and wanted to share some tips on how I've gone about that with you here.

Period features - Newer properties often don't have the period features older houses have, such as fireplaces and bay windows, however this doesn't mean you can't create focus points within your modern home.

I've totally fallen in love with radiator covers, as they not only cover up some of the more ugly features of a room, but they create a pretty focus point - somewhere you can display accessories. My hallway has been transformed with this one, and I plan to get another couple for some of the other rooms in the house too.

A fireplace within a lounge always makes a beautiful feature, however if your home does not possess a chimney you can get some beautiful fake fireplaces that look just as good. My parents have this one that really adds character to their lounge - you can find a really similar one here.

Timeless decor - Country cottages usually have quite a relaxed, traditional style, which is very easy to adopt within your home. Think natural tones with accents of colour to add character. I've followed this rule in every room of my house, as not only does it create a cosy, yet bright and airy feel, it is very easy to update should you change your mind or fancy adding some seasonal colour. Layering furniture with blankets and textured furnishings adds character and depth to a room, and you don't have to spend a fortune on decor to achieve this look either - I blogged about my favourite home shops here. 

Floral features  - These seem to crop up quite a bit in country cottages, and to recreate this quaint look I've used pretty wallpaper to create a feature wall within two of our bedrooms - Laura Ashley is always my go-to for wallpaper, as I think their designs are perfectly suited to a vintage home. I've got their wallpaper in a couple of my rooms, including their Abbeville Pink in my spare room. 

I'm also a massive fan of pretty pottery, particularly Cath Kidston and Emma Bridgewater, and my growing collections, as well as the wall dresser in which I display them, try to add a vintage touch to my kitchen. 

Vintage Furniture - Beautiful shabby-chic furniture is always a focus within cottage homes, and with a bit of upcycling, this is easy to recreate with old and unloved furniture, chalk paint and a bit of TLC. I blogged about my first upcycling project here - I used Rustoleum's brilliant Chalk White furniture paint to transform my table and chairs. 

Hope this has been helpful when decorating your home in a vintage style and adding character to a new house. What other features would you include?

Thanks for reading,
Sam Xx

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