Reinterpreted Cottage Style

When creating cottage style, decorating is all about making good use of materials on hand. Using all things well-worn, antique, or, in some cases, abandoned as trash brought this humble 1920s cottage to life.

In the living room, white sofas and creamy white walls let the collectibles and artwork take the spotlight. The coffee table is simply an old painted chest. White paint covers the walls, ceilings, and doors -- not for lack of imagination, but because it provides a simple backdrop for the home's eclectic artwork and collectibles.

A fearless combination of eras, colors, and styles works to make the cottage interesting -- just check out the living room's slipcovered sofas teamed with mid-century modern metal-mesh chairs.

This hip 1950s beverage cart offers the perfect setting for a mix-it-yourself bar. "Outsider" art -- often inspired by found objects -- fills the home with color and wit.

Outsider art is art that's created by individuals who are not academically trained in art. You may also hear the genre called self-taught art, visionary art, or folk art. Like the artwork in this cottage, the pieces are wildly creative and often make use of unusual materials or uncommon subject matter. Find outsider art in a big-city gallery, and you may pay thousands of dollars. Get creative with your thinking, and you can get it for free. For example, you may find strange, handwritten signs piled at the curb on garbage day or you may uncover a treasure in the attic -- a portrait of your great-aunt so-and-so drawn by your cousin for his third-grade art project.