Snuggle Up This Fall With Serious Cottagecore Inspo

Live the good life with this rustic trend with a twist

Cottagecore decorating is having a moment right now, with online searches for 'cottagecore aesthetic' skyrocketing by 188% in the last year. As much a way of life as it is an interior design style, it's a modern take on country décor that embraces a more home-centric, slow and traditional way of life. It really took off during lockdown when people yearned for comfort and meaning, so the look mixes soft colors, natural textures and eclectic items that have or look like they have been collected and curated through generations. Ready to slow down? Then click or scroll through and take a look at these idyllic cottagecore ideas...

Start with vintage finds

Mix and match is a cottagecore element that can make a room seem as though it's been carefully curated with treasured finds over a long period of time. Scour antique fairs, vintage shops and even online marketplaces and keep your eyes peeled for well-loved and comfortable furniture. Then dress them with soft throws and pretty cushions for added texture.

Dress the kitchen sink in fabric

If you are lucky enough to have period features in your home, enhance the authenticity by accessorizing them with rustic elements such as this charming sink skirt. This ruched muted linen with faded cabbage rose prints looks vintage and organic.

Fake a boot room

A boot room provides a practical space for muddy outdoor attire in the country. But, if you don't have one it is easy to create the look. This pretty 'dresser-style' roller blind features a medley of colorful crockery stacked high and low. Teamed with practical storage benches and shoe racks the display will give a plain entryway a cottagecore laundry room vibe.

Embrace simple pleasures

The cottagecore vibe is about celebrating a simple way of living by getting back to basics. So, when accessorising the kitchen look for useful and practical tools made from natural materials. Use glass storage jars and store wooden utensils in terracotta pots. Charity shops are full of unique vintage kitchenware. We love this enamel colander that's almost the same as one Granny would have used. 

Arrange furniture well

This homespun trend introduces rustic character to rooms with furnishings that instil a simple and rural way of life. To encourage a sense of intimate space, place an inviting sofa in the center of a room facing out towards the windows and light. Then, introduce a shabby chic style footstall, rug, and plenty of cushions to complete the cozy vibe, for a space you'll love to spend time in. 

Pop in plenty of rugs

Warm wooden floors are a country classic in any room. Encourage a lived-in vibe in the bedroom by throwing a vintage style rug under and around the bed. This pretty pink version featured in the bedroom of @elle_the_home_bird anchors the eclectic furniture and vintage metal bed with feminine charm and warmth. 

Fall for floral print fabrics

Nothing says cottagecore more than a display of floral print cushions, but keep the color palette light so the room doesn't end up feeling cluttered or dark. If you're creative add some of your own hand-stitched versions!

Nail the natural look

Nature is at the core of cottagecore so fill surfaces, walls, floors and ceilings with houseplants wherever you can. Keep the eclectic vibe flowing through by choosing plants in different shapes, sizes, and tones. Then, display them in unusual and interesting pots. Online plant companies such as leafenvy.com offer plant boxes already carefully curated to work a room. 

Fill up a dresser

A key furniture piece to invest in to nail the cottagecore look is a large painted dresser. The open shelves create the perfect backdrop for displaying those country accessories that add character and attention-to-detail. Try not to store items in a uniformed way; a varied display of crockery and kitchenalia is the vibe. 

Hang door wreaths everywhere

A pretty door wreath is a decorative accessory that screams cottagecore. Celebrate the seasons by honing on periodic foliage and don't restrict the circular decoration to the front door. They will bring a smile to internal walls, above headboards, and even on the garden shed door. 

Make up a metal bed

Conjure up the ultimate cottagecore bedroom with essential but understated features. White cladded walls and a 100% natural wool carpet create a rustic canvas to layer up a vintage style metal bed. Antique prints in eclectic frames and a simple leaning mirror are uncomplicated additions that perfect the 'granny chic' style. 

Go back to basics in the bathroom

Give your bathroom a cottage makeover with rustic additions. Expose brick and stone walls or fake it in a newer property with natural textured bathroom wall tiles. Stick to a traditional-style suite featuring a focal point roll-top bath. Choose a palette of neutral tones and add natural color by introducing plenty of plants.

Let the bedroom bloom

Nothing says cottagecore bedroom more than a hit of pretty floral wallpaper. Whether it's wall-to-wall, a feature wall behind the bed or teamed with paneling, using florals for pattern is a quintessential cottage look. Enhance the country romance by displaying a unique vase of the same real blooms beside the bed. 

Delight with a duvet cover

A floral print duvet cover is one of the easiest ways to inject cottagecore into a bedroom. Choose a delicate ditsy print in earthy meadow toned colors and continue the country cottage vibe with a chunky hand-knitted throw. Set an understated ceramic table lamp on the nightstand alongside a wooden chair, if there is room. This one is a dining chair but its simple Shaker design is ideal for this look.

Conjure up cozy vibes

The living room is the central part of the home we love to relax in. So, the cottagecore aesthetic is a fitting look that will transform yours into a traditional and comforting space. Hide the TV, layer plenty of textiles in various textures and add natural country style foliage to the mantel. As the night draws in, hunker down by switching on ambient lamps after closing the floral print curtains.

Clash busy pattern

Look for a statement floor that features a unique and decorative pattern. The busy print will be practical underfoot and reflect a Victorian-inspired era of years gone by. Rich heritage tones will evoke that homespun and homely feel cottagecore is famous for. 

Go for granny chic

Create a nostalgic setting in the bedroom that's perfect to curl up in by mixing and matching cottage-inspired printed bed linen. Chose floral motifs such as hollyhocks, roses, and foxgloves teamed with stripes, gingham, or polka dot. Grandmacore is a similar aesthetic which is based around typical grandma pastimes, so introduce homespun, crafted elements, too.

Install a range

Curate the ultimate farmhouse kitchen by centering the heart of the home around a warming range cooker. Choose wooden kitchen cabinets and display beautiful ceramics in glass-fronted units. Hang copper pans and dried flowers from a wooden overhead dryer and if you can't afford a real stone floor look for ceramic tiles in neutral tones. 

Celebrate original features

A weathered backdrop with wooden beams and a rustic fireplace creates a warm and genuine setting to fill with a muted palette of natural textures that let original features shine. It's hard to believe many of the furniture pieces are mass-produced by IKEA when dropped into this charming cottage scene. 

Grow a cottage garden

Using the key element of nature, the cottagecore trend spills seamlessly into the garden and gardening and growing is restorative for the soul. Think chocolate box cottage layout designs. Line winding pathways with hydrangeas, peonies, and foxgloves. Let climbing roses and wisteria make their way up pergolas and terraces. Hang baskets full of sweet peas around a colorful metal bistro set. Then, sit back with a pot of tea and soak up the cottage garden character.

Warm up the walls

Relaxation is created by the right color palette. To bring about a wintery and cozy vibe, lean towards warm natural decorating tones for walls such as sage green, mushroom, spiced nutmeg, or oatmeal. Display plenty of candle votives with flickering flames on a wooden mantel to complete the look.

Sit by the fire

Cottagecore décor is not complete without the warmth and ambience of a working stove. Enhance the cottage vibe by working around the feature using plenty of floral prints. Catharina Björkman, Scandi lifestyle expert at woodburning stove company Contura says: "The goal for cottagecore is to achieve the look of an English countryside cottage, a romantic throwback to a time of simple living and a greater connection with nature."

Decorate a farmhouse dining room

Disconnect your dining room from the modern world by avoiding new and contemporary materials. Warm up an authentic stone floor with a natural sisal rug and embrace the cottage character with a shabby chic dining table that's full of imperfections. Mix and match upcycled dining chairs or pick up a reclaimed church pew from a flea market to add to the vintage character. 

Create nooks to relax in

Contract a carpenter or use your DIY skills to construct practical and interesting corners. Opt for painted wood paneling with useful shelves and peg rails painted in the same tone. Complete the arrangement by installing a corner storage bench piled high with comfortable cushions, to sit and work on your handicrafts or read a book.

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