There are two things I absolutely love about this country.

The beach and the South.

I love the sand and the ocean and the seafood and the cottage homes.

And I love the crepe myrtles and the front porch swings and the antiques and the sweet tea.

So when the Mr. and I found this Cape Cod style cottage in East Tennessee, we knew it just had to be our home.

I love how it has the coastal vibe but still keeps it’s southern charm.

It’s situated on a nice, quiet neighborhood where kids ride their bikes up and down the street.

And though the backyard backs right up into a lush little mini-forest, it’s only five minutes away from downtown.

It’s perfect for our family and we love it just as much now as we did when we signed on the dotted line.

It’s funny how the exterior of a home can mean so much.

For our home, the shingle accents are the first indicator to the outside world that inside it’s packed with character.

The coastal cottage look inspired the interior decor of the home and we stuck with a neutral color palette loaded with cottage charm.

To be honest, I didn’t even know I liked cottage style when we moved in.

But as I spent time in the house, it really spoke to me.

It’s like the house knew how it wanted to look and feel and it just needed me to help it achieve that design.

So I listened.

The beautiful moldings inspired the vintage accents.

The vintage accents inspired the creamy walls.

The creamy walls inspired the cozy furniture.

The cozy furniture inspired the antique quilt ladder.

And so on and so on.

Shop The Vibe

I feel like so often, we get so caught up in what we think our design style is that we forget to incorporate the style of home we live in.

And while doing what you love is great, it’s so important to compliment your house with the decor inside.

You never know, you might realize you actually like cottage style, too.

Or mid mod.

Or traditional.

Not sure what kind of house you live in?

My friends at PartSelect and Ghergich&Co are here to the rescue!

They’ve created this amazing guide to the country’s most iconic and popular house styles, as well as a little background on each one.

Take a look and find one that resembles your home the closest.

And I challenge you to do a little research on the interior design style of that home.

And here’s the biggie…try it.

Even if it’s just a light fixture or a bookend, give your home just a little taste of what it’s meant to be.

Trust me, it will thank you. And you’ll love it, too.

I’d love to know what kind of home you live in and if you decorate with that style or something completely different. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Source: PartSelect.com

This post is written in partnership with PartSelect and Ghergich&Co. The home exterior style guide is provided by these partners and have given In The New House Designs permission to share with readers. All other photos are my own and may not be reused without the permission of In The New House Designs.

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