KINGSTON — American Cottage owner Jan Fraser has always had a difficult time reading about cottages in the United States that are reportedly decorated in an English or French style.

To her, America has its own style that deserves name recognition.

“Red, white and blue,” she said is the difference between the European and American decor. “That’s coming from a patriotic view.”

But she can enjoy peace of mind now, as she has decorated and opened up her own American cottage, where she sells antiques.

Walking into her quaint retail space, on State Route 104, is like stepping into a pre-World War II bedroom: there is a large oak bed frame and mattress topped with a silky green comforter, pillows and hand-stitched linens. The bed is flanked by small oak tables and armoires, plus shelves filled with vases, cookware and everyday items.

Fraser’s goal is to create the look and feel of a cottage, which is why she keeps a bed in there. And it’s important, she said, to have a place for customers to be able to shake out the vintage linens and see what they look like on a bed before purchasing them.

Her favorite items are those particular linens because they are so unique. She buys as many as she can.

“America is never going to make these again,” she said. “They are a dwindling economy.”

The ones she can’t sell due to stains, Fraser cuts up and sews together with other antique fabrics to create pillows, which have been big sellers, she said.

While other antiques shops are usually filled to the brim with wares, Fraser said she prefers to keep things simple.

“Our goal is to carry high-quality antiques in a setting that is not too crowded,” she said.

Part of creating that comfortable atmosphere includes offering tea and coffee in china cups to customers upon their arrival.

“I just want people to have a good antiquing experience the few minutes they are in here,” she said.

Fraser started antiquing about 40 years ago when she was in high school. She and her husband did the same right after they got married because it was cheaper than buying brand new furniture at the time.

“We really took a ribbing for it then (from our friends) but now all those people are collectors,” she said with a laugh.

She started selling her collections in an antique mall in Gig Harbor about a year and a half ago before opening up American Cottage. She hopes to open another shop in Suquamish as well, where she and her husband live.

But for now, when she’s not busy explaining the history of a particular piece of furniture, she sits on her front porch and greets everyone who passes by. In fact, she likens the porch to a general store — it has the look of an old fashioned storefront where people can sit and chat.

“It’s just been a blast,” she said.