Celebrating your cottage in style

White plank floors and walls provide a fresh
and clean base for your decor. Red and white
is a classic summer combination. Be consistent
and stick to the colour scheme also in the
smallest details (note the red geranium plant!).

Summer time, cottage time. Easy living is the order of the day, and that also applies to how you organize your summer home. Ideally, it has to stand up to sandy feet and dripping bathing suites; it has to accommodate visiting relatives and improvised corn-on-the-cob dinners with friends; and it has to invite you to crawl up and finally read that treasured book. All this and you still want it to look stylish! How do you achieve it? My solution includes a crisp, white base which you combine with one major accent colour, natural textures and accessories, and an effort to always try to limit your furniture and things in general to the essentials. I hope these pictures will inspire you to create your own easy, breezy summer haven!

A white-and-blue floral slipcover is

quintessentially cottage! Seek out 

local thrift stores for old tables that

you can refinish.

Enjoy a peaceful breakfast surrounded 

by stripes - a safe summer choice for
upholstery and cushions.

New and old - furniture as well as guests -

typically share the space around the summer 

table. The bright red mirror and chairs give

the room some needed punch - and tons of 

style! 

And here are a few accessories - all found in North Bay stores - which will complete your home's summer look:

Pot from Stewart's Decorating

Centre.

Lanterns from Winners.

Weathered mirrors from Winners.

White table from Manchester's 
Sleep Centre and Spas.

Wicker stool from Vested Interest and sisal rug from Stradwick's Carpet One.

Old is new at Manchester's Sleep Centre

It's not just the Fischer Street location that is new for Manchester's Sleep Centre & Spas. The store is also introducing a number of new, interesting products. The John Michael Originals, for example, is a line of hand-crafted furniture made from salvaged wood. Each piece is unique and uses mantels, flooring, porch posts and other details from 150-year-old homes in southern United States. The elaborate, salvaged components give the pieces personality, history and style. Precisely what we yearn for! I like how this rustic furniture line lends itself both to traditional country-style homes and to more modern cottage environments.
Take a look at the pieces here below, along with some of Manchester's Sleep Centre & Spas' fancy accessories.

This is a nice mix of old and new; the kitchen island 

is made from salvaged pieces and combines very 

well with the modern line of the bar stools. Island,

on sale for $2295, stools $299.

Detail from the kitchen island.

White cabinet, on sale

for $1599.

Details like these (above and below) add charm

and interest to a functional piece of furniture, 

such as the white cabinet above. Decorative tin 

(below) covers the back of the cabinet.

This cabinet provides tons of 

storage and plenty of country 

flair. On sale for $769.

Harvest table, bench and chairs, all on sale for

$2395, $649 and $199 respectively.

This gorgeous pillow is made from soft jute.

Can't get enough of royalty? Try these fun pillows

for a touch of glamour.

Some rooms call for calm patterns, such as this

botanical motif...

... other rooms need drama and contrast, and will

look vibrant with a pillow like this.

"Leila" is a new bed set for 2011 at Manchester's 

Sleep Centre & Spa and looks pretty in purple!

Want to show off something 

really beautiful in your home?

Give it extra exposure with a 

mirror! $400.