Cottagecore is one of the fastest growing home décor and fashion trends of the moment. So what is it exactly? What are the elements? What are the influences for cottagecore house decor? And how can you get the look in your home?
THE COTTAGECORE HOUSE
When you look at images of cottagecore online you’ll find chocolate box cottages, busy but cosy interiors, idyllic fields of wildflowers, romantic woodlands, and a fairytale look. Cottagecore is a romantic idealisation of the English countryside of pastimes.
COTTAGECORE HOUSE DECOR
Cottagecore house decor is a vintage décor with nostalgic touches, which means you’ll be able to spend hours and hours looking for treasures in second hand shops and boot fairs.
Cottagecore house décor has a bohemian undertone which almost touches gypsy chic but with a fresh interpretation. Humble and cozy rooms. Big bouquet of wildflowers, velvet drapes and embroideries, woven baskets, and quirky wall hangings that you might have made yourself.
People are moving away from minimalist décor, and looking to create warm, comfy spaces, and cottagecore offers that. Plain walls make way for botanical wallpaper, hand-painted murals, floral decals, often in large scale. And books, lots of books, from floor to ceiling, old vintage leather bound or linen bound books, stacked high, piled up in all different ways.
You’ll see a lot of florals, in soft furnishings as well as on wall decors and china in a cottgecore house interior. Layered textiles, rugs and textures add a cosy feel. The cottagecore house look is floral, feminine and has the feel of an English garden that’s been allowed to get a little bit wild and a little bit unkempt.
Furniture is rustic, wooden, recycled, re-purposed, reclaimed in a cottagecore house whenever possible. Recycling is a key element of cottagecore, because it’s not just about creating a bygone look but it’s also about a return to nature and sustainability, and nurturing yourself and the environment. Cottagecore is more than just a design style, it’s a philosophy, an ethos. It’s embracing and caring for yourself, and naturally that has to include the environment too.
The look is intentionally a little mismatched and messy – odd chairs and crockery, plants draping, lots of activity with patterns and lace; it’s a little cluttered. It’s as if you’ve gone back in time to your great-grandmother’s house and got out all the treasures from the attic.
It’s about creating a well lived-in space with a comfortable vibe, full of warmth and love, where things don’t have to be perfect but have heart. It’s traditional, yet fresh feeling with a hint of modern.
COTTAGECRE COLOURS
Cottagecore house decor colours tend to be muted, and tones are natural, soft pastels and warm earth shades, which offer the calm and comfort that cottagecore reflects. Watery blues, light lavenders, pale creams and earthy rusts and natural greens.
Floral patterns are a must, in wall papers, murals, in fabrics. Add more interest and texture with scatter cushions and throws, and vintage rugs add floor décor whether over carpets or natural wooden flooring.
COTTAGECORE ROOMS
THE COTTAGECORE KITCHEN
The kitchen is a focal point in cottagecore because homemade is part of the nurturing and natural lifestyle.
There’s almost always something on the go and there are signs everywhere of a self sufficiency lifestyle – drying herbs hanging up, glass ingredients jars out on the counters, foraging baskets for walks in the forest or to gather homegrown produce in from the garden, odd bottles of homemade cordials and juices, and windowsills full of seedlings, herbs and small food plants bursting with life.
In the cottagecore kitchen there’s an Alice in Wonderland picnic feel with lots of mismatched grandma’s style floral china. Get a Welsh dresser or have open shelves to make a decorative feature of these every day things.
A solid farmhouse wooden table is a must, around which all activity thrives, from baking to homework, to crafting projects. And add odd chairs, of different shapes, sizes and colours.
If you’re having to renovate your kitchen anyway and need to replace cupboards, go for wooden ones, ideally salvaged from a yard. Hand paint motifs and floral décor on the drawer fronts and cupboard doors. Add a ceramic butler’s sink and an aga to really finish off the English countryside feel.
THE COTTAGECORE BEDROOM
The cottagecore bedroom is all about creating a cozy retreat where you can cuddle up, read a good book and really relax.
Soft luxury bedding with piles of pillows and scatter cushions are a must, in floral prints and a few stripes and velvets thrown in there too for the homely effect.
THE COTTAGECORE LIVING ROOM
The cottagecore living room, like the rest of the cottagecore house is fundamentally about being welcoming, homely and relaxing – a snug sofa with plumped cushions, soft throws and puffy cushions, vintage velvets, and warm fairy lights or candles, all to add to the comfy feel.
Make the most of period features and add vintage furniture. And like elsewhere bring the outside in with floral wallpapers and fabrics, as well as houseplants, to encourage a natural feel.
THE COTTAGECORE GARDEN
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, making it cottagecore will be easy.
If the space allows for it, make a section for growing veg, fruit and herbs; organic ideally. Make another section for a wildflower area to encourage bees and pollinators – you could even put bee hives there if it’s not too close to unsympathetic neighbours.
Plant fruit trees too if you can – apples, pears, plums grow best in the UK, but try figs too. They may take two years for fruit to be ready but it will be well worth it to be able to have a fresh picked fig for breakfast.
Garden flowerbeds can be cottagecored by adding herbs and cottage garden plants like foxgloves, mallows, lupins and roses. Add scented plants like honeysuckle on fences or divides. Grow a climbing rose on a rose arch, or around the front door. Make sure you have lavender somewhere, and calendula, which are useful in all sorts of lotions and creams you’ll be making as part of a cottagecore life.
Add a garden room too if you have the space – turn the potting shed into a cottagecore nook where you can hide out, be closer to nature and read a good book, or may be even write one.
Bring plenty of plants inside, make use of sunny windowsills to germinate seedlings, have indoor trailing plants to add to décor, and vases of fresh blossoms and baskets of dried flowers and herbs.
TIPS FOR COTAGECORE HOUSE DECOR
- use natural materials for furniture, soft furnishings and decor – wood, cotton, linen, wool
- choose old vintage furniture and rustic pieces – recycling and reclaiming is part of cottagecore sustainability
- include plants and flowers inside – it’s about getting back to nature so bring it inside too
- allow spaces to feel lived in – think the opposite of minimalism
- create a cosy charm with layers of draping fabric, throws, crocheted tablecloths
- mix different floral designs, add vintage velvets and even throw in the odd striped piece
- allow things to be mismatched – crockery, cutlery, chairs, lamps
- by day let spaces be airy and bright with natural light pouring in and open doors, by night use fairy lights and candles for a sprinkle of fantasy
- add vintage items wherever you can, from crockery to wall prints
- make ornaments and trinkets from foraged bits from the garden or country walks, like twigs, branches, leaves, acorns
Cottagecore house decor isn’t too demanding, and taking the time to add a cottagecore house style to your interiors will bring it’s own reward by the relaxing and restorative space you create, to add more self-nurturing to your life.
What could be better!
