decorating ideas Archives - Arrow Hill Cottage

Today, I want to share the cottage spring decor here at Arrow Hill Cottage. I am always amazed to see how simple changes can completely transform a space for the seasons.

With winter finally melted away, and the official start of spring identified on the calendar, it was time to change up the interior decor of the cottage.

There is something so special about the spring season. It has a freshness, a sense of newness about it. People generally are spending more time outdoors and enjoying the longer hours of sunshine.

As a minimalist family, the amount of decor items kept in our home is small. However, I do like to mix and match the items we do have as a way to change the look of the cottage interior.

Cottage Spring Decor

Our cottage is filled with items that have been collected slowly throughout the years. As I was gathering pieces from various rooms, a theme started to emerge. Green, pale blue, and yellow seemed to be the dominant colors I was drawn to. Natural elements, such as woven baskets and greenery also played an important role in this year’s spring decor.

The living room, complete with the newly reupholstered side chair, holds a couple of cute displays. Above the fireplace, a vintage painted window takes center stage. Although the window recently fell, breaking the glass, my husband restored the wood pieces. I a grateful for that!

In addition to the wood window, an old piece of trim and bird paper-cut art piece are layered. To the right of the frame, a small green tin holds faux flowers. I love mixing textures. The metal of the tin, together with the patina of the trim and wood window, is complimenting.

Next to the fireplace sits a large chalkboard. The black and white typography is balanced by the potted plants, which are placed atop an enameled tray.

I have plans to give this chalkboard a makeover in the near future, so be on the lookout for a post or video about that!

This vintage blanket adds the perfect amount of muted color to the space.

Decorating with memories

Incorporating memories into decor is one of my all time favorite tips. This little display features quite a few, including the pedal sewing machine that was my great grandmother’s.

The typewriter is another cherished keepsake passed down to our family from my husband’s great grandma. Just seeing these types of items sprinkled throughout the cottage brings us a sense of connection to the past.

Similarly, an old window sits atop the piano. We added a chalkboard panel behind it, and attached metal clips. These clips allow me to change out photos or mementos to display.

For the cottage spring decor setup this year, I chose photos that showcase special memories that our family has experienced during the spring season through the years.

Natural elements in spring decor

When it comes to spring decorating, I especially love incorporating natural elements. Since nature outdoors is showing the first signs of blooming, it only makes sense to bring the magic inside.

In the Midwest, tulips are a tell-tale first sign of spring. I picked these up at Aldi of all places! Because they are potted, they can be transplanted outside when it warms up a bit more!

On the dining table, an arrangement of faux greenery and candles sits inside a small crock. Coupled with a textured art piece, woven basket and a sweet little deer figurine, the entire table centerpiece anchors our simple white oak table.

Isn’t this little guy just the cutest thing?

In comparison to the rest of the main level, I didn’t spend a lot of time decorating in the kitchen. I think that adding decor in this room will become easier once our floating shelves are installed. Until then, I love having the large window ledge above our sink as decorating space.

My tin collection has grown a little bit, and soon I will be planting spices and possibly a few succulents in them! These clay pots are also just waiting to be filled. I am getting particularly excited for garden season this year!

Thanks so much for stopping by our cottage. I hope your spring season is going well so far, and that you are anticipating great things ahead!

Decorating Arrow Hill Cottage

Watch as Arrow Hill Cottage is transformed for the new season.

More Spring Decor Ideas

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Refreshing + Minimal Spring Cottage Tour | Pine + Prospect Home

My husband and I have lived in 3 old houses over the course of our marriage – a 1905 farmhouse, a 1904 American Foursquare, and a 1920’s farmhouse. And although each of these houses have had their own share of character items, not a single one has had a fireplace.

We love the ambiance that a fireplace can add to the spaces it serves, and so for Arrow Hill Cottage we are working one into the design. For ease and safety reasons we are going to be utilizing a gas insert unit. I’m thinking something simple and not too large – maybe a model similar to this.

I have a feeling the firebox insert will be the easy decision to make. The more complicated endeavor will be determining what the fireplace surround should look like! Initially, I had designed in bookcases on either side of the fireplace; but ultimately decided that a larger bedroom closet, and a broom closet were more important for the function of the house; And so the fireplace itself will be positioned on a wall in our living room and serve as a stand-alone feature piece.

I have been tinkering around in Sketchup with a few different options of how to finish the surround, and thought it might be fun to share with you today and take a poll about which is everyone’s favorite. All four options include a chunky wood mantle, which we hope to have milled out of a tree that will need to be removed from our property for the construction of the house. I’ve intentionally left the top of the mantle bare, so that your eye can focus on the fireplace itself – but you’d better believe I will have a TON of fun changing out the decorations to dress it up!

I am sharing multiple images of each fireplace option, so that you can see how it relates to the spaces around it.

OPTION 1: WHITE BRICK + SIMPLE SHIPLAP

This is a really clean look, and pretty straightforward. It is also probably the most cost effective of all the options. If I have one concern about this option, it would be that it may be TOO white – and wouldn’t stand out enough as a focal point in a room that has all white walls and a white ceiling.

OPTION 2: STONE WITH BOARD AND BATTEN

The exterior of the cottage utilizes a bit of cultured stone on the porch column bases, as well as board and batten siding on the gable ends. I thought it might be nice to connect these element to the interior by using the same stone and paneling technique on the fireplace.

OPTION 3: CLASSIC WITH TILE

This is the fireplace finish that first comes to mind when I think about a historic home. It is clean, simple, and stately without much fuss. We have friends who had their tile laid in a herringbone pattern, which gave their fireplace a more contemporary feel and looks great! The portion above the mantle could be accented with a different color of paint, perhaps a bright pop of something dramatic.

OPTION 4: ALL STONE

This option has me a bit worried about the budget – as stone is not cheap! I do like the ‘cottage feel’ that it seems to give the space though! And it definitely draws your eye toward the fireplace as a focal point.

What do you think? Which fireplace option is your favorite? If you have any real-life personal experience about fireplaces – whether it is something not to do, or something you have done and love – please let us know by commenting to this post or on one of our social media locations!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Tag: decorating ideas

Cottage Spring Decor | Spring 2021