Perfect English Cottage explores 18 beautiful and inspirational homes that celebrate the best of cottage style in the English countryside. The classic English country cottage is both an icon and an archetype. Dozing beneath a heavy thatch and with roses growing around the door, it epitomizes all that is desirable about life in the countryside and offers the perfect antidote to the stress of the urban grind. In Perfect English Cottage, Ros Byam Shaw takes a fresh look at the decorating and design solutions that make the classic English country cottage as attractive inside as out, as well as practical and comfortable to live in.
The book is divided into five chapters that address different facets of the look: Romance, Character, Holiday, Simplicity and Elegance. The 18 featured homes are incredibly varied, from a humble farmworker's cottage with raw, exposed beams to a picture-perfect cottage with roses scrambling around the door and plenty more adorning the interior. At the end of each chapter there is an invaluable review that picks up on ideas and inspiration from the featured homes. And at the end of the book there is also a comprehensive directory of sources to help you achieve the essence of the English Cottage look in your own home, wherever you may live.
