My dream vintage cottage

Like most early twenty-somethings (ok I'm 25 this year but I refuse to be in my mid-twenties!), I am starting to think (and should really be saving more) for my first house. I have been renting flats since I was 18 and it makes me want to crumple into a small ball and die when I think about how much money that is technically thrown down the drain! 

Last year my boyfriend and I moved in to our little flat, it is just a rented one for now but our landlady is a dream (there's a first for everything!) and she has let us do whatever we want to the place...it has given us the bug for restoration and renovation I can tell you! I will be doing a blog post next week with some pictures of how we've created our own little vintage cosy haven, but for today....here is some Pinterest inspiration of what I want my first home to be like...

This cottage reminds me of the one from The Holiday <3

Plenty of contrasting prints - flowers, checks and stripes

 Laura Ashley furniture is just a heaven of comfort and easy, pastel patterns, although the furthest I'll be getting to one of their suites in the near future is through a window or a computer screen! 

Farmhouse sink

Laura Ashley fabrics

Beams and a fire in the bedroom

There is loads of info on the web and in books about restoring old furniture, and it's so cheap to do! An antiques shop in my city has pieces like the dresser above for under £50...a few coats of white paint, some sanding to scuff it up a bit and smooth on some old flowery wallpaper, et voila! A shabby chic dream.

You can buy new-but-looks-vintage colanders from TK Maxx, they are amazing! I have my eye on a red one at the moment.

My cottage WILL have a real wood burner 

I've seen this on ebay but I want to make it with some hessian and fabric paint!

Roll top bath...need I say more?

Russian dolls and bunting, ahhhh

Pretty please?


I know buying somewhere that's a bit sad and in need of plenty of work is a mammoth task, but why would you want to buy one of these new, identical-to-all-the-others-on-the-street houses when you can have something that you've made cosy with your own creativity and efforts?

*All images are from Pinterest