Cottage-inspired homes have become one of the most popular aesthetics in recent years, with an emphasis on simple living, pastoral beauty, and nostalgia. This soothing and romantic style is inspired by idyllic countryside living, evoking images of quaint cottages, flower gardens, antique furniture, and handicrafts.

If you’re looking to bring some cottage-inspired home coziness, this step-by-step guide will help you recreate the cottage-inspired look in your space. From decor and furniture to creating a cottage garden, read on for tips and inspiration to transform your home into a pastoral paradise.

History of the Cottage-Inspired Home Trend

Cottagecore-inspired homes as an aesthetic trend came into prominence in the 2010s, particularly gaining popularity on social media sites like Tumblr and Instagram. However, its origins go back much further, with connections to various cultural movements focused on simplicity, the arts and crafts movement, back-to-the-land movements, and pastoral poetry and art.

Some of the key influences behind cottagecore inspired home include:

• The simple living philosophy – The emphasis on living simply, sustainably, and closely connected to nature can be seen in various movements like Arts and Crafts in the 19th century and the back-to-the-land movement in the 1960s/70s. Cottagecore embraces this ideal of a simpler rural lifestyle.
• Pastoral aesthetics – The romanticized view of rural life emerges in various art forms over the centuries, from pastoral poetry and paintings to lifestyle movements like the British Arts and Crafts. Cottagecore evokes this nostalgic representation of country living.
• Women’s crafting/home arts – Cottagecore celebrates traditional handicrafts like sewing, knitting, gardening, and baking, which were historically women’s arts practiced domestically. The contemporary DIY/maker culture has helped popularize these crafts and skills again.
• Nostalgia – From its vintage and recycled elements to its reference of past aesthetics, cottagecore taps into a longing for simpler times and romanticized notions of rural living. This reflects a millennial nostalgia for the recent past.

By bringing together various cultural strands focused on simplicity, crafts, connection to nature, and nostalgia, the cottagecore inspired home trend has struck a chord for its comforting and uplifting aesthetic at a time of uncertainty. Let’s explore how we can bring this pastoral style into our homes.

Getting Started: Key Elements for cottagecore Inspired Home

When envisioning your cottagecore inspired home, there are a few key elements to focus on that will help capture the overall aesthetic:

Color Palette

Soft, light, and neutral colors are staples of cottagecore inspired home. Think natural wood tones, muted greens, sky blues, warm creams, and delicate floral patterns. Some key colors include:

• Soft pastels – Pastel pink, mint, sky blue, buttery yellow
• Earthy neutrals – Beige, taupe, cream, tan
• Greenery – Sage, olive, forest green
• Gentle patterns – Floral prints, gingham, botanical motifs

Textures and Materials

Natural, organic textures and materials help create the rustic cottage feel. Incorporate lots of:

• Wood – driftwood, rattan, unfinished wood
• Linens – cotton, muslin, crochet, lace
• Plants – flowers, leaves, branches
• Stone/ceramics – tiles, pots, vases
• Wicker/straw – baskets, hampers, mats

Furniture and Decor

Opt for furniture and decorative pieces that are:

• Antique/vintage – repurposed wooden furniture, distressed pieces
• Handcrafted – macrame hangings, embroidered linens, woven baskets
• Cozy and worn-in – overstuffed armchairs, cushioned daybeds, distressed wood

Accessories and Accents

Finish the space with accessories that complete the idyllic country style:

• Floral arrangements – wildflowers, daisies, greenery in vases
• Textiles – knit blankets, crochet cushions, lace curtains
• China/crockery – floral porcelain, painted teacups, delicate glassware
• Rustic wood shelves displaying books, plants, and and collections
• Wreaths and garlands: on walls, doors, and and fireplace mantels

Keep these elements in mind as you craft your perfect cottage-core retreat!

Setting the Scene: Interior Design for a Cottagecore Aesthetic

When decorating your cottage-inspired cottage, create a warm, cozy, and peaceful environment reminiscent of a quaint countryside cottage. Use these interior design tips to guide your space:

Create a Natural Color Palette

Stick to light, neutral, and earthy tones that evoke the outdoors and feel sunlit and airy. Paint walls in soft whites, beiges, pale blues, or sage greens. Use natural wood furniture and flourishes of greenery to bring the outside in.

Select Vintage and Antique Furnishings

Cottage-inspired decor favors repurposed, imperfect, and worn-in vintage pieces full of charm and character. Source items like:

• Distressed wood furniture – cabinets, hutches, tables
• Cushioned chairs and sofas—final coziness
• Woven blankets and textiles add elegance and warmth

Flea markets, second-hand shops, and online retailers offer finds to fit this aesthetic.

Let in Lots of Natural Light

Open up the space and make it feel light and breezy with large windows, French doors, and skylights. Hang lightweight curtains in cotton, lace, or gauze to gently filter the sunlight. Decorate window frames with trailing vines or garlands.

Add Handmade Touches

Incorporate arts and crafts details to personalize your space. Display collected treasures like shells, flowers, or colorful glass. Hang hand-embroidered pieces, woven wall hangings, or a quilted blanket. The imperfections add to the homespun charm.

Create Cozy Nooks

Cottagecore spaces invite you to get comfy and curl up with a book. Add window benches or overstuffed armchairs in alcoves to create charming reading nooks. Use soft rugs, plush cushions, and downy throws to make each nook ultra-cozy.

Rustic Wood Accents

Incorporate reclaimed wood elements to enhance the pastoral vibe. Display fresh flowers in a rustic window box made from salvaged wood. Use an old wooden ladder as shelving or hang it with tea towels. A vintage trunk covered in travel stickers makes a charming coffee table.

Vintage-Inspired Kitchen

The heart of the home, the kitchen, should also reflect the overall cottage aesthetic. Paint the cabinets a light, cheery color or soft white. Display delicate floral porcelain on open shelves. Add a vintage-look basin sink and pendant lighting. Kitchen linens in gingham or calico prints add a homey country touch.

Cottagecore Bedroom: Create a Charming Retreat

Make your bedroom the ultimate cottage-core escape with these tips:

Soft and Natural Bedding

Choose bed linens, duvets, and shams in natural fabrics like cotton, linen, or muslin. Look for delicate details like embroidery, crochet edging, or floral prints. A handmade quilt or knitted throw at the end of the bed makes it extra cozy.

Vintage Bed Frame

Wrought iron, brass, or carved wood bed frames fit the vintage cottage aesthetic. Go for an antique-style bed with a vintage look. Add charm by draping the frame in lace, muslin, or crochet.

Plush Rugs

Layer plush area rugs to make the flooring soft and warm. Braided, knitted, or wool rugs work well. Play with texture contrasts—a cozy shag rug with rustic sisal mats.

Framed Botanical Prints

Hang framed nature prints or botanical line drawings above the bed, on the mantel, or cluster them together in groups. Vintage herbarium sheets or floral sketches make fitting cottagecore wall art.

Handcrafted Furnishings

Fill the space with handmade wood furnishings and textiles. A hand-carved nightstand with a lace runner or a painted dresser decorated with flowers and candles have a homespun, romantic feel.

Nature-Inspired Textiles

Use textiles featuring floral, botanical, and nature motifs. Adorn windows with embroidered cotton curtains or hang a macramé plant hanger. Set out crocheted coasters on the nightstand or add a cross-stitched-deded sampler on the wall.

Fresh Greenery

Dot the room with bits of nature like a vase of wildflowers, a plant basket with trailing ivy, or a windowsill herb garden. Choose hardy plants like ferns, ivy, and succulents. The organic touches enhance the pastoral charm.

With a soft, vintage foundation and loving handmade accents, your cottage-core bedroom will be a sweet escape.

Building a Cottagecore Porch, Patio, or Garden

What cottage would be complete without a dreamy outdoor space to relax? Extend the cozy cottage-inspired home aesthetic outside by crafting a charming porch, patio, or garden. Some ideas:

Cozy Front Porch

A front porch is quintessential for cottage life. Make it inviting with:

• Vintage bench seating: purposeful wood, woven wicker
• Rocking chairs are really great for breezy days
• Twinkly lights create an ambiance
• Potted plants:wers, herbs, and and and and and ferns
• Wreaths – on doors, walls, railings
• Rugs and throws – for chilly nights

Charming Cottage Garden

Capture pastoral whimsy with a flower-filled cottage garden:

• Old-fashioned blooms: irises, roses, daisies, and and and and and and lavender
• Winding gravel paths lead to secret sitting nooks
• Arbors are filled with vines and hanging flowers
• Herbs: plant lavender, thyme, sage and other fragrant herbs
• Cottage garden shed: storing gardening tools and potting plants
• Birdbath: act songbirds with a granite, stone, or ceramic bath

Dreamy Patio Escape

Make your patio a blissful nature retreat:

• Wisteria pergola: ling vines overhead for lushness and charm
• Seating nook: a cushioned daybed or sofa for naps and reading outdoors
• Stone paths and terraces: European styling
• Potted plants everywhere: flowers, succulents, herbs
• Outdoor lanterns: magical evening lighting
• Water features: a small fountain, pond or birdbath
• Hammocking between trees for idyllic lounging

With charming rustic touches and overflowing greenery, you’ll love relaxing in your pastoral outdoor oasis.

Crafting and Decorating for Cottage-Inspired Home

One of the hallmarks of a cottage-inspired home is its emphasis on handmade and vintage goods that add character and charm. Tap into your creative side with these craft projects and decor ideas:

Pretty Vintage Glassware

Display collected glass bottles, vases, and containers on open shelves or in garden beds. Look for pieces with interesting shapes, patinas, or imperfections. Painted glassware adds pops of color. Distress new glassware with sandpaper to give it an antique look.

Macrame Wall Hangings

Make bohemian-style macramé weavings using rope or thick yarn. Look up tutorials for beginner macramé knots. Hang organic-shaped tapestries on the wall or use them to display houseplants.

Dried Botanical Wreaths

Preserve flowers and herbs by drying them and arranging them into a wreath shape. Grapevine, straw, or wire wreaths make great bases. Accents include ribbons, vines, greenery scraps, and seasonal plants.

Also Read: Positive Impact of Cottagecore Aesthetic Across Centuries (1700s-2024)

Embroidery Hoop Art

Craft charming embroidery sampler wall hangings. Stretch fabric like linen, cotton, or flour sack cloth over wooden embroidery hoops. Embellish with hand embroidery stitches using floral and nature motifs.

Rustic Wood Signs

Make rustic signs to label plants, decorate a bedroom, or welcome guests. Use scraps of reclaimed wood, driftwood, or planks. Paint or stencil letters and designs. Add a hanging string to the display.

Herbariums and Terrariums

Display collected botany in vintage vessels like apothecary jars, glass domes, or bottles. Layer sand and activated charcoal. Add dried flowers, leaves, ferns, and other interesting plants. Decorate with stones, mini figurines, and found objects.

Fill your cottage with cottage-inspired touches and vintage finds that celebrate simplicity, nature, and nostalgia.

Cottagecore Clothing and Style Ideas

Cottage-core fashion mirrors the romantic, vintage feel of the overall aesthetic. Flowy dresses, linen aprons, straw hats, and flower crowns evoke pastoral sensibilities. Some clothing ideas:

Pretty Floral Dresses

Floral cotton, linen, or chiffon dresses with a vintage flair epitomize cottage-inspired and ruffled styles, prairie-style peasant dresses, and lace trim details. Pair with dainty jewelry and flower accessories.

Overalls and Aprons

Embrace the homesteading lifestyle with overalls and aprons that look both functional and cute. Styles made of linen or denim with vintage washes and buttons charmingly layer over cotton dresses.

Cozy Knits and Cardigans

To stay comfy and bundled when relaxing at home, snuggle up in oversized knit cardigans, sweaters, and socks. Opt for wool, cotton, angora, and other natural fibers. Bonus if they incorporate delicate cables, lace, or embroidery.

Straw or Felt Hats

Top off your pastoral look with wide-brim straw hats, perfect for flower-picking and relaxing in the garden. For colder months, switch to warm wool caps or vintage-style felt hats.

Antique Jewelry

Accessories like engraved lockets, cameo brooches, dainty rings, and charm bracelets have an old-fashioned allure. Look for real or replicated antique pieces in silver and gold. Vintage and estate jewelry also fit the aesthetic beautifully.

Romantic Hair Accessories

Pastel satin ribbons, floral headbands, pearl clips, and flower crown-style wreaths add ethereal style to flowing, romantic hairstyles. Or weave small blooms right into braids and chignons.

Cottagecore fashion values comfort, nostalgia, delicate details, and flowers, flowers, flowers!

Cottagecore Books, Movies, and Music

Feed your cottagecore dreams by surrounding yourself with books, movies, and music that evoke cozy pastoral vibes. Some recommendations:

Books

• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: An orphan discovers a locked garden.
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery: Orphan Anne finds home on Prince Edward Island.
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is the story of four sisters growing up in Massachusetts.
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Elizabeth Bennet Navigates Love and Class in Regency England.
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith: Teen sisters live in romantic poverty in 1930s England.

Movies

• Anne of Green Gables (1985) is a miniseries adaptation of the classic novel.
• Little Women (2019): A recent adaptation starring Saoirse Ronan as Jo March.
• Emma (2020) is a Jane Austen adaptation set in 1800s England.
• Chocolat (2000): A woman and her daughter stir up change in a quaint French village.
• Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) is an anime film about a young witch finding her way.

Music

• Early Taylor Swift albums: folk-inspired songs about love and growing up.
• Folklore and Evermore by Taylor Swift: Dreamy, pastoral pop transports you to the woods.
• Watermark by Enya: ethereal, atmospheric Celtic-influenced pop.
• Movie and TV soundtracks: Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Pride and Prejudice
• Indie folk artists: Fleet Foxes, First Aid Kit, Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens

Lose yourself in the nostalgic beauty and innocent charm of these cottage-inspired, home-approved entertainment options. They are sure to spark inspiration for your own cozy country living dreams.

Bringing Cottage-Inspired Home to Life: Making It More Than Just an Aesthetic

As you can see, a cottage-inspired home is more than just a visual style or social media trend. It encompasses a longing for connection to nature, traditional crafts, vintage goods, and a simpler way of living. Here are some ideas for going beyond the aesthetic to truly embrace a cottage-core lifestyle:

Take Up Gardening

Planting and tending a garden, whether flowering or edible, is rewarding, hands-on work that connects you to nature. Gardening sustainably also aligns with eco-conscious cottage-inspired home values.

Learn Traditional Handicrafts

Try your hand at sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet, pottery, bookbinding, or other traditional arts and crafts. Rev Here is more of the article, continuing the previous section:

Learn Traditional Handicrafts

Try your hand at sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet, pottery, bookbinding, or other traditional arts and crafts. Reviving these home arts and crafting your own decor helps make a cottage-inspired home more meaningful.

Cook and Bake from Scratch

Instead of buying mass-produced food, embrace old-fashioned cooking techniques. Use local, in-season ingredients. Bake your own bread. Make jam and pickles. Discover the joy of cooking things by hand.

Shop Second-Hand and Artisan

To align with a cottage-inspired home’s emphasis on old and handmade goods, shop at flea markets, vintage fairs, and used bookstores. Support small makers and artisans through craft fairs and online shops on sites like Etsy.

Unplug and Disconnect

Limit screen time and make space for living simply. Spend time outdoors, disconnected from technology, as much as possible. Focus on experiences over social media in cottages and nature.

Create Cozy Community Connections

Cottage-inspired homes evoke idyllic village life. Connect with your local community by shopping at farmer’s markets, attending craft fairs, volunteering at gardens, or visiting historical sites. Get to know your neighbors.

Add Green Living Touches

In addition to gardening, do what you can to make your home eco-friendly. Compost food waste, conserve energy and water, use natural cleaning products, and repurpose and mend items when possible.

The pastoral, nostalgic allure of cottage-inspired homes serves as a lovely antidote to modern society. Let the coziness and charm better connect you to simple living, crafts, nature, and community.

Bringing cottage-inspired home into Your Life

However you choose to embrace it, a cottage-inspired home provides a comforting escape to simpler times, natural beauty, and cozy living. Start small by adding touches to your home, wardrobe, or hobbies, and build from there. Soon you’ll find yourself longing for wildflowers and herbal tea by a sunny cottage window.

Though it romanticizes the past, a cottage-inspired home still holds poignant lessons for modern life: to slow down, disconnect from technology, get back to nature, revive handmade goods, and build community. This timeless appeal ensures the pastoral style and philosophy will continue to inspire idyllic living dreams for years to come.