Hello, friend! This is the day! In our English cottage style guest bedroom remodel series we have finally reached the end! Today we will actually set up the room. Once the furniture is moved in we will hang curtains, style the bed, the chest of drawers, the nightstand, and everything in between. There is a special surprise you’ve yet to see that I’ll share at the end. It’s one of those special touches that leaves your guest with that warm, cozy feeling that they were a treasure to host and very welcome to return again soon. Let’s get started!
The Before: Our First Guest Bedroom
Here is the before! This is where we started after buying the house and setting up our first guest bedroom.
This is our first house and our budget is smaller… I picked up the headboard off the roadside, and the lamps and artwork were given to us. The room is a good size with a nicely sized window and a small closet.
Even here, I was tinkering with a gallery arrangement with the art I had at the time.
The room is dark and feels dated with the heavy orange-ish paneling. I knew paint was in order, and I really wanted to give wallpaper a try! So we’ll choose wallpaper first, then pull the paint colors from there.
Choosing the Wallpaper & Paint Colors First
I discovered this charming, worn-looking wallpaper on Etsy (the link is in the description box in the video). From here, I pulled the colors, both by Sherwin-Williams. Ivory Lace 7013, and the mushroom brown Universal Khaki 6150. I had no idea at the time we were remodeling this room that these two colors would become the basis for creating our unique home color palette!
Even before finding the color palette, I knew the style was English country cottage. Knowing these two things informed my shopping, and I began picking up furniture, textiles, accent lighting, and art.
The First Haul: A $5 Antique Headboard
Here is the first “haul”! This lovely antique headboard was found in a junk shop for less than $5!
The Second Haul: Furniture, Curtains & a $25 Reading Chair
Here is the second “haul”, including furniture, curtains, and more pillows. Imagine how thrilled I was to discover this shell-backed, tufted, cozy little apricot reading chair at the thrift shop for $25! It was just the right size & so cute!
A $5 Yard-Sale Side Table DIY
One day, just down the street, our neighbor was having a yard sale, and I picked up this side table for $5. This would be a simple DIY project! a coat of paint and new hardware to pull this little table from farmhouse to cottage vibes.
Warm, Ambient Lamplight
For the warm, ambient lighting we so love, I picked up a couple of lamps. The brass lamp turned out to be a vintage French Bouillotte lamp and was worth much more than the $7 I paid! The vintage-looking peach lamp had nice lines, and I felt it would go well on the side table next to the bed.
A Hand-Knotted Wool Rug
Over the summer, we took an anniversary trip and (of course) went thrifting, flea marketing, and antiquing. This green hand-knotted wool rug from India was the score of the trip ~ it will add such wonderful texture and pattern to the room!
Collecting Art for the Gallery Wall
Now, I’ve been collecting art for a gallery wall in this room as well as for other areas in the house for over a year. Here is the collection I felt would best complement the feel and color palette of the room. This may be the part I’m most excited about!
Before & After: Paint & Wallpaper Make the Room
Everybody loves a good “before” & “after”! Paint and wallpaper make such a tremendous difference ~ this doesn’t even look like the same room!
Moving In & Hanging the Gallery Wall
Now it’s time to move in the furniture, hang the gallery wall, the curtains, and sprinkle in the cottage style home décor! Once the chest of drawers and settee were in place, the exact area for the art could be measured. My goal for this collection was to fill the space while dropping the art below the level of the chest of drawers, as well as wrapping the art around the adjacent wall.
Now that the main part of the gallery is up, we need to hang the curtains to see just how much space we have for the art on that wall. Now, the pieces for this side were difficult to find since they had to be a certain size…
A $5 Watercolor from 1940
Just two weeks before we finished the remodel, this lovely original watercolor popped up at the thrift shop for $5 and has moved up near the top of the list as a favorite piece! It was painted by a lady named Vera Scrivener in 1940 and has wonderful wavy glass.
Now to balance the wall on the other side of the curtains…
The Finished Cottage Bedroom Tour
All done! Now let’s look around our finished English cottage bedroom…
Guest-Ready Touches in the Closet
To create a sense of privacy and welcome for our guests, we have put some extra touches into the closet area.
With some of the remaining wallpaper, we covered one side of the closet. I painted the inside of the closet door to match the mushroom brown behind the gallery wall. To further tie the closet to the room, I “gilded” the frame of the full-length mirror with an antique gold-tinted wax called Rub ‘n Buff. I’m thrilled with how this turned out!
Extra Blankets, Hangers & Pillows
To provide a further sense of welcome for our guests, storage and extra hangers are provided to encourage guests to make themselves at home. Some guests tend towards being cold-natured, so an extra blanket is included ad on the bed, and both firm and soft pillows are available.
What Makes a Bedroom Feel English Cottage
What gives a bedroom that lovely English cottage feeling? For me, it often begins with pattern on the walls, perhaps a soft floral that looks as though it’s been there for years. Let the wallpaper guide the room. Pull its colors into the paint, furniture, artwork, bedding & those pretty little finishing touches.
An old wooden headboard adds so much character. Worn places, an aged finish, or a shape from another time will feel more collected than a modern upholstered bed. It doesn’t need to be perfect. A little age is part of its charm!
Now, layer the bed with pieces that look as though you’ve gathered them over time. Try a quilt with a folded blanket and a few pillows that don’t match perfectly. The bed should feel soft and comfortable, never too carefully arranged.
Lighting makes a tremendous difference, too. Sconces or bedside lamps place the light at a comfortable height for reading. They also feel much warmer than relying on one overhead fixture. Those soft pools of light make the whole room cozy in the evening.
If you have space, bring in a chair, even a small one. Your guest will have somewhere to sit with a book or enjoy a quiet moment. It turns the bedroom into a lovely place to linger awhile.
Try gathering several pictures on one wall instead of hanging one large piece. Favorite landscapes, florals & other artwork bring personality into the room. Let the frames and sizes vary a little ~ that collected feeling is part of the beauty.
Above all, cottage style should feel lived in. It can be pretty without feeling precious, and thoughtfully arranged without becoming untouchable. That warm, easy comfort is at the heart of an English cottage bedroom.
Colors for an English Cottage Bedroom
English cottage bedrooms feel especially lovely in warm, gentle colors. Instead of cool grays, look toward cream, soft apricot, faded pink, sage, or a muted green. These shades bring warmth into the room while still feeling peaceful enough for rest.
An easy way to build your palette is to begin with one favorite pattern, perhaps your wallpaper or a fabric you already love. Look closely and pull two or three colors from it. Use one for the walls or trim, then carry the others into the textiles and smaller accents.
Now you don’t have to choose every color on its own. The wallpaper has already done much of the work for you! The shades don’t need to match exactly. They’ll still feel connected because they came from the same pattern.
Before settling on a paint color, hold the chips directly against the wallpaper and look at them in daylight. A cream might suddenly seem too yellow, while a soft green can look cooler than you expected. Move the samples around the room & check them at different times of day.
For the ceiling and trim, choose a soft white or warm cream instead of a sharp, bright white. It keeps the room gentle and allows the colors to flow together without a harsh contrast.
A deeper accent will keep the softer shades from looking washed out. You might use a richer chair or a muted green rug to ground the room. That touch of depth gives the pale colors something to rest against & helps the palette feel warm and collected.
Layering Pattern Without It Feeling Busy
Pattern is one of the sweetest parts of English cottage style. But how do you mix several patterns without making the room feel busy? Vary the scale and leave a few quiet places for your eye to rest.
Begin with one pattern that leads the room. In this bedroom, the floral wallpaper naturally takes that role because it covers such a large area. The other patterns can gently support it. A small check or narrow stripe looks lovely beside a larger floral, especially with a solid fabric in between.
Solid bedding beneath patterned walls is a simple way to keep the room calm. Your quilt, folded blanket & pillows can still have plenty of texture and detail. They don’t all need to ask for attention. A quieter bed gives the wallpaper and gallery wall room to shine.
Color is what ties the different patterns together. Choose one shade from the main pattern and repeat it around the room. You might find it in a pillow or blanket, then again in the rug or a piece of artwork. That repeated color helps everything feel as though it belongs.
And remember, texture counts as pattern, too! A hand-knotted wool rug, quilt stitching, or the weave of a basket adds movement without bringing in another printed design. These details create that layered, homey feeling we love.
Once everything is in place, stand in the doorway and take a good look. Where does your eye land first? If every pattern seems to be asking for attention, remove or quiet one piece. When your eye settles naturally on the wallpaper, bed, or artwork, you’ve found a lovely balance.
Your patterns don’t need to match perfectly. Give them a shared color, a little breathing room & one clear place to begin.
Cottage Bedroom Ideas on a Budget
Creating a cottage bedroom doesn’t require buying everything new. In fact, pieces with a little age and history often give the room its greatest charm!
Begin by hunting secondhand for a headboard. An old wooden one can cost far less than a new upholstered bed, and it brings character into the room right away. Look beyond a worn finish or imperfect color. Paint can completely change a piece when the shape is right.
Yard sales and thrift stores are also wonderful places to find side tables and lamps. Don’t worry if a little table doesn’t look cottage-y at first. A coat of paint or different hardware can give it an entirely new personality. For lamps, pay attention to the shape and size. One with lovely lines may only need the right spot to feel at home.
If the wallpaper you love is expensive, consider using it on one wall instead of all four. You’ll still enjoy its color and pattern, and that one wall can guide the rest of your choices. Even a smaller amount of wallpaper can make a tremendous difference!
Before shopping for anything else, look around your own home. Artwork, quilts, pillows & small decorative pieces can often move from one room to another. Something you’ve owned for years might feel completely fresh in a new setting. A gallery wall is especially forgiving because you can add to it slowly as you find pieces that speak to you.
Keep an eye out for secondhand rugs, too. They can cost a fraction of the price of a new rug while adding color, texture & that wonderful collected quality. Check the size and overall condition, then picture the rug beneath your furniture instead of judging it by the shop around it.
Most importantly, let the room come together over time. You don’t need to finish every corner at once. Buy slowly, wait for the right pieces & notice what the room still needs.
A cozy cottage bedroom is built with patience more than money. With each thrifted treasure, simple project & thoughtful layer, you’re cultivating a room that feels lovingly collected and ready to welcome a guest.
Thank you so very much for coming along with me in this bedroom remodel series! I have enjoyed every moment in sharing this journey with you. I hope more than anything you were inspired to consider cultivating the art of homemaking in your home and in your spaces!
Warmly,
Rachel
