Bring back traditional cottage Christmas with cozy textiles
Turn a cottage or an old house into a festive retreat with textiles featuring traditional patterns and checks. Here are 8 ideas to bring cozy country vibes.
Traditional tablecloths embroidered with Christmas motifs and check patterns add a nostalgic touch to your table setting. Lush floral prints are a bold alternative to more familiar Christmas textiles. Pair a floral tablecloth with solid-colored dishes, and pick napkins in the design’s main hue. A monochrome linen tablecloth is always a safe choice for Christmas. It provides a calm backdrop for patterned dishes and Christmas flowers.
After a Christmas sauna, it’s a delight to sink into a bed made with soft flannel duvet covers. No need to hide patterned sheets under a bedspread; highlight them with a wool blanket that ties in with the colors. Switch out the main room’s rag rugs for a warming wool rug. Wool repels dirt, so stains can be wiped away with a damp cloth.
1. Linen for the table
A traditional embroidered Christmas tablecloth fits beautifully with vintage farmhouse furniture. Embroidered linen and cotton runners and tablecloths are often available at flea markets. Red napkins add a festive pop of color. Straw stars and paper angels folded from old book pages adorn the Christmas tree set up in an old wooden barrel.
2. A festive look for the sofa
The pull-out sofa is already Christmas-colored, and floral throw pillows highlight the holiday feel even more. The cotton Amaryllis pillow covers are by the Finnish brand Pentik. To paint an old wooden sofa, Ottosson Färgmakeri’s linseed oil paint is a great choice—its specialty shades are tinted based on the Tikkurila Symphony color chart.
3. Cherished ryijy rugs
The dark log wall of this hundred-year-old cottage provides a dramatic backdrop for a 1930s heirloom ryijy, lending the main room a Christmas-like feel. Don’t store an old rya rug in an unheated cottage over winter, as the wall hanging may mold.
4. Tone on tone
Here, light-colored textiles look abundant thanks to varying shades and textures. The corner sofa, constructed from pallets, is furnished with pillows adorned with festive, hand-tied macramé. A wreath crafted from forest finds and attached to a metal hoop completes the look.
5. A fresh pairing
Complementary colors make each other stand out. The red-and-white tablecloth really pops alongside the green-painted kitchen cabinets. Red and green napkins are a perfect fit for this Christmas table.
6. A cozy table runner
If your cottage has a beautifully worn wooden table, there’s no need to cover it completely with a tablecloth. Soft brown tones are ideal for a Christmas coffee setting. The Talven tuoksu table runner by Lapuan Kankurit is a linen-cotton blend.
7. The gnome’s comfort
A Christmas blanket adds charm to the sofa and makes a perfect extra layer in the bedroom. Genuine vintage wool blankets are wonderfully durable and often found at countryside flea markets.
8. Timeless checks
Classic checks become more festive with ruffles sewn along the pillow edges. Red-and-white checked Christmas curtains stay fresh all summer, too. The cotton pillow covers are from Ellos.
