I've always LOVED English cottages and a touch of English decor! With the current trend where any style goes as far as mixing different styles in the same home, it is always nice to have a little touch of English somewhere in your home. Of course, for me, I love it because I'm English and grew up with some of this style in our home.

English Farmhouse

English homes are usually set around their gardens. Lots of seating and beautifully kept grass and rambling roses everywhere. Thatched roofs, stone fences, neat herb gardens, and soft, washed-out colors.

There are some clever ways you can give your home or apartment the feel of the English countryside without breaking your budget. In English Country decor, the colors are taken directly from nature, and are seldom bright or loud. After all, English cottages might be several generations old, and continued use has caused colors to fade gently over the years.

There are always blooming flowers outside cottages in England.

There might be a fireplace in every room or only in the "main rooms", and furniture is comfortable, eclectic, and a lot of time mismatched.

The main living spaces will be cozy, with scattered area rugs and dark woods. Family heirlooms (or reproductions) add an antique feeling: old silver or pewter, mismatched picture frames and mirrors, a footstool with a needlepoint cover and old brass fireplace tools might be seen.

Anywhere you could "whitewash" a fence, an old garden bench or an interior wall, for example, isn't a bright white but more of a thinned white which allows the surface beneath to show through. Autumnal colors of greens, cream, and golden yellow are one color path to follow, while a bedroom might be pretty in soft pinks, light green, and pale yellows accented with white.

Love the rustic fireplace. Oh, you could make this so comfortable with two wonderful slip covered wing back chairs facing this fireplace.

Soft lighting is important when creating an English style – table lamps, floor lamps, and candlelight is preferable rather than overhead lighting or recessed lights. Light a fire in the fireplace, if you have one, and add fresh wildflowers in a crockery pitcher.

Lots of charm here and I could go to town on making this even more beautiful.

Great bones to work with in this room.

This house could look something like the pictures below inside. I'd love to take my morning walks and pass by houses that look like this, wouldn't you?

Love all the stonework.

Love this chair! I could enhance this window seat with some beautiful down filled pillows and a new paint color.

Bookcases should be plain, filled with not only hardcover books (look in used bookstores for classic titles with gently worn bindings), but also mementos of your travels or collections of shells, teacups, or smaller framed artwork.

Love how English homes have beautiful antiques and stunning woodwork on their banisters.

Cozy kitchen.

Farm table and chairs make this so inviting to have a cuppa tea with a friend.

Simply casual.

Beautiful antique bed. Can you just imagine what you could do with fresh new crisp linens and some accessories!

The thatch roofing has such great texture and blends in so nicely to nature.

Oh what you could do with this courtyard.

Adding English Oil paintings to your mix adds so much character, color and warmth to any room. Grouping several of these paintings like these makes an even better impression. These are two of my favorites.

Artist: William Hogarth

Artist: Reynold, Sir Joshua

Make or purchase slipcovers using soft floral prints of the "cabbage rose" or chintz variety, and add pillows with soft fringe, buttons, or braiding trim. These are a few of my favorites

If your furniture doesn't match, don't worry – you can give various pieces a distressed paint finish or leave them as is, with perhaps a table skirt covering the most modern odd pieces. These are nice places to use your vintage linens.

Found this picture in my files of an English home that has been updated and made more modern.

My whole house isn't English that's for sure. I love to mix it up! By adding one ottoman, one painting, one antique, you can add a touch of "English" to your home.

Shake it up a little with a touch of English style. You will be surprised how much you'll like it.

Ruthie