All-white decor doesn’t have to be bland…on the contrary it can be cozily grand! Here’s how to create an all-white cottage that sumptuously says, “Welcome Home!”

1. Shady Lady. The secret to decorating your cottage successfully in white lies in using several shades of complementary white paint on walls, floors, and furniture. Think very subtle shades of bright white, soft white, yellow white, beige white, gray white, etc. Look at paint cards at the paint store to find shades that complement each other. The choices of white shades are virtually unlimited.

2. Touching Texture. The next most important secret to decorating with white is texture. Think textured paint on the walls, chenille comforters, pillows embellished with texture, textured art, white seashells. Texture in different shades of white creates a soft ambience.

3. Wonderful Windows. Painting windowsills a bright high-gloss white makes them stand out from other shades of white walls, such as off-white or beige, and gives a crisp, clean look. Window treatments are often not necessary, or try sheer white textured panels for a lovely romantic look.

4. Give it the Slip. White cotton duck slipcovers on sofas and chairs are a wonderful cottage look and also very practical as they can be washed easily, and with each washing they get more soft, comfy, and cozy.

5. Fabulous Furniture. Paint all your wooden furniture different shades of high gloss white. The styles and shapes may differ but the white paint will create a charmingly cohesive look. For a weathered look, simply sand a little of the paint off with sandpaper. White wicker furniture especially adds nice texture and always says “cottage charm.”

6. Beautiful Bathroom. A white pedestal sink and white wainscoting on the walls say “instant cottage.” Add some very thick fluffy white towels with your monogram for style.

7. Light Luxury. Put dimmer switches on your overhead lights and use white candles throughout your cottage for a soft romantic look.

8. Shutter Chic. Use old white weathered shutters around your home in a decorative way for a charming cottage look. For example, I have a weathered shuttered screen indoors used as a room divider, and an old white shutter on my patio with ivy growing on it.

9. Dashing Dishes. Collect and mix-and-match white dishes and add color for different occasions with placemats, tablecloths, napkins, and flowers.

10. Arresting Art. To highlight your all-white scheme, hang floral art with soft pastel shades, or for a more contemporary cottage look, hang big bold art with bright colors.

It’s easy to create a wonderful all-white “color scheme” for your cottage and it can really be dynamite!