Trend Alert: Cottagecore
A rustic revival for your home.
What is Cottagecore?
Cottagecore embodies the sweet simplicity of the rural countryside. Despite its bygone influences, this quaint, unpretentious style is becoming more and more popular as an interior decorating trend. Cheery and down-to-earth, the style places function over form and comfort over modernity with an emphasis on well-loved furniture, vintage-inspired patterns and upcycled items. In this guide, we'll help you familiarise yourself with cottage-style decorating ideas so you can make cottagecore your own.
Cottagecore: The Basics
- Colour palettes featuring white, cream, light gray and a rainbow of pastels.
- Cosy and easygoing textiles such as flannel, cotton and linen.
- Homey patterns including gingham, florals and ticking stripes.
- Distressed, worn or painted furniture and fixtures.
- Sun-drenched, airy spaces that bring the outdoors in.
- Original or reclaimed wide-plank wood flooring.
- Upcycled or vintage-inspired decor that pays homage to farm life.
The Architecture of a Cottagecore Home
Cottages are historically small, cosy and well-loved homes. These quaint spaces may not have cathedral ceilings, but they certainly have their own special charm. Though originally a cost-effective measure, exposed beams, mismatched large-plank wood flooring and wood shiplap walls are now cottagecore essentials.
Cottages also tend to have an enclosed patio space or sunroom in the front or back of the house. Exceptionally bright and comfortable, these spaces are perfect for sitting and enjoying a cup of tea while you observe the world around you. They also make great gathering spaces for friends and family.
Another staple of a cottagecore home is a fireplace. Whether they're surrounded by painted wood paneling or exposed brick, these hearths characterise rural living spaces.
One of the key characteristics of cottagecore style is airiness; despite their sturdy furniture and plush textiles, rooms decorated with cottagecore always look and feel bright and airy. Light neutrals (white, cream and warm grays) reflect the bright natural light that streams into spaces, whilst white or cream walls create the perfect neutral backdrop in cottagecore homes.
Pastel hues – mostly greens, pinks, yellows and blues – maintain the room's lightness while adding just a splash of colour. Colour is most often found on accent decor rather than the main furniture. Concentrated colours including sunflower yellow and cherry red, can be used sparingly on patterned decor or select pieces you'd like to highlight.
Classic Cottagecore Patterns & Textiles
When choosing textiles for your cottagecore home, try to choose simple materials that have a decorative flair. You can never go wrong with cotton or linen fabrics for curtains, upholstery or bedding.
Traditional patterns – such as gingham, ticking stripes, toile, florals and plaids – add colour and personality to cottagecore homes. When choosing patterns to decorate your home, there's no need to avoid clashing; mismatched patterns can be combined endlessly to create a space that feels lived in and loved. When combining patterns, try to vary the scale (size of the pattern) and maintain a relatively consistent colour palette for easy mixing and matching.
When using simpler textiles without much colour, look for subtle embellishments that will maintain your cottagecore home's quaintness. Think lacey edges, swooping stitching, embroidered eyelets and ruffles.
Don't forget to use plenty of cosy quilts and throws.
Tip: Looking for a foolproof pattern combination? Try a large-scale floral pattern and a smaller ticking stripe.
Cottagecore: Wooden Accents
Wood furniture and decor are a cornerstone of the cottagecore aesthetic, as they impart natural warmth into a space. You'll find warm, blonde-hued wood throughout cottagecore homes, whether in the large, family-sized farmhouse dining table or the salvaged pine floors.
In this style, wood is often stained to allow the natural grain to show through. Another popular treatment is painted and distressed wood, commonly found on accent tables, dining chairs and dressing tables.
Cottagecore: Lighting
Dark metal pendant lights are fixtures of cottagecore dining areas. If you have a larger dining table, opt for two pendant lights or replace the pendant with a larger chandelier in the same material.
Throughout the rest of the home, try to keep light fixtures simple and task-oriented. For example, install a sconce or two beside the bathroom mirror and keep a quaint lamp on your bedside table for reading. Candles are a must-have, especially on candlesticks. If you want to go all in with cottagecore authenticity, try to avoid installing any flush-mount or recessed lighting in your home. As with most cottagecore elements, look for vintage-inspired light fixtures that could have been installed in a rural cottage decades ago.
Wood Rocking Chair: There's nothing more quintessentially cottagecore than a wood rocking chair.
This classic piece exemplifies the easygoing, rock-your-days-away appeal of cottagecore style. A rocking chair will fit almost anywhere, from a welcoming front porch to the main living space to a cosy bedroom. Toss a blanket and some patterned throw pillows onto the chair for comfort and set up an end table next to it for some sweet tea and a good book.
Display Cabinet: When you think of a cottagecore dining space, you should also think of a display cabinet proudly exhibiting all of your home's finest china. There's no better place for a slightly distressed display cabinet holding antique dinnerware than a cottagecore home.
Vintage-Inspired Decor: A cottagecore-inspired home isn't complete without a set of signature, vintage-inspired pieces of accent decor. Think farmstand signs hung on the walls, worn watering cans reused as flower vases and wicker baskets, old metal buckets and wooden crates used as storage containers. Decorating in cottagecore provides you with the perfect opportunity to explore antique stores and thrift for well-loved elements you can give a new home.
