If you’re reading this post, you’ve likely had the dream of a cosy cottage somewhere far out into the countryside. Rolling fields, bright skies and a wildflower garden; the idea is such a peaceful contrast to the rush of urban life. Sadly, this may not be the reality for many of us, myself included. Perhaps you’re building a career in the city, moving into student accommodation, or just enjoy living where you are now. So instead, here are the best ways to create the perfect cottagecore home no matter where you are.
Note: this article does contain some affiliate links which will earn me a small amount of commission should you choose to buy them. Thank you!
1. Bring plants into the home
Starting off simple, plants are an easy way to bring nature into a space, making it feel more light and airy. This is the perfect feel for your cottagecore home, since the aesthetic centres around it’s closeness to nature. Plants also provide a sense of character to a space and can make it feel more homely and personal.
Plants are also quite easy to decorate with plants as different types of planters can suit your needs. For example, those who don’t have enough counter space can opt for plant hangers or floor plants to keep the space open. Even better, you can find Plants for relatively cheap at farmers markets or boot fairs making this an easy change to add to your home.
If you’re using hanging planters, these adorable Macrame Hangers add a rustic quality which perfectly fits the cottagecore vibe. The soft colour and rope material are great for the rustic vibes of cottagecore, and feel less cold than ceramic or metal.
2. Wooden Furniture
The warm and rich brown tones of wooden furniture are the base to most cosy homes. They give a warmth to the space and a rustic quality often associated with the cottagecore aesthetic. They’re also a wonderfully quaint contrast to the modern alternatives of marble, metal, or glass. Cottagecore often tries to recreate an idyllic version of the past, so the less modern you can make your home, the better.
Certain woods, like oak, are very durable making them great and sustainable as long life furniture. However, this may be too heavy for apartments or student accommodation. If this is the case, you can opt for a lighter wood like ply or beech wood furniture. If you still want the rich brown tones of heavier woods, you can use wood stain to maintain that rustic atmosphere.
3. Stained glass
This is a bit more obscure but stained glass has grown in popularity recently and it is something I’ve grown to really enjoy. Stained glass offers a whimsical and fun vibe which is necessary for the cottagecore aesthetic. Stained glass can be used in so many ways to make a home feel more cottagecore. This can range from tableside trinkets to hanging mobiles to vases. I personally used stained glass for my jewellery, a vase, and a watering jug. You can either buy stained glass or, if you live along the coast, you can to find some sea glass.
This hanging ornament is a gorgeous feature and would work perfectly hanging in front of a window. I recommended a similar, sunflower design my other article, but I think both would work wonderfully.
4. Wicker
Wicker is perfect to add alongside or as an alternative to wooden furniture. It offers a rustic, natural vibe to the space but is much more lightweight. It’s also more open than wood, which is perfect for small spaces like hallways which might feel cramped with wooden furniture. Wicker is also perfect for introducing patterns as described earlier, as often wicker baskets include an inner fabric lining.
One thing I wish I had done when decorating my university room is using wicker storage baskets for my clothes. It is much more aesthetic than plastic, made from more natural materials, and is still great for storage. For more affordable options, you can often find wicker baskets in charity shops. However, if you intended to use to for clothes you’ll need to add your own cloth lining to avoid snagging.
5. Colours and Patterns
It’s understated how important patterns are to the atmosphere of a cottagecore home. Gingham and dainty floral print are the most popular patterns in the cottagecore aesthetic and will give your home a quaint and cosy feel.
Furthermore, you should attempt to stick to earth-toned colours to keep in line with the cottagecore feel , but feel free to incorporated splashes of colour. I personally prefer to incorporate jewel tones like deep reds and emerald greens, as well as some pastels.
A simple way to incorporate patterns into a room is through throws or pillows. These gingham pillows are similar to the ones I have, it is little details like these which make a room feel more homely.
6. Tiles
Tiles are a brilliant way to introduce fun patterns into a room in a unique way. I understand that tile can be quite an extreme room renovation but another option would be to buy individual tiles to make into a wall decoration. I bought 4 small tiles from a shop on Columbia Road in London (also famous for the flower market which is a great place to get some plants). These were quite affordable and there were so many to choose from that you can really tailor it to your personal style.
However, It may be easier to buy online so I’ve included a link to some tiles to buy online. This shop does some very sweet designs so I recommend looking over all their tiles to see which you like best. To keep a cohesive aesthetic, you can match the colours of the tiles to the rest of your colour scheme, or include animals and patterns which are common in a cottagecore home.
7. Warm, low lighting
Oftentimes, overhead lighting can give a harsh and cold feeling to a room. To avoid this try adding some other sources of warm light to a room. You can achieve this in several ways, either through fairy lights, lamps or candles. These will give a more intimate and soft atmosphere to your cottagecore home.
To further keep the cottagecore aesthetic, try to find a tiffany-style or Turkish lamp to bring a quaint and whimsical element to a room. These lamps can be expensive due to how they’re made, but they will last a long time and are a wonderful addition to a home. They give the room a subtle, warm light which instantly creates a more cosy atmosphere.
However, even a simple lamp can instantly warm a room’s atmosphere, which is the key feature. See in the photo below how the lamp warms the cold area around it?
8. Candles
Speaking of warm lights, candles are a perfect for adding a soft glow and lovely scent to your home. They’re homely, warm and help fill up surface space, making a room look lived-in. They’ll give your cottagecore home an added quaintness and whimsy, especially if you find candles with decorative holders, rather than plain glass.
If you are unable to use candles for any reason, then a perfect alternative is using reed diffusers for the scent. You can also buy decorative candle holders to place fake tea-lights in, keeping that soft glow of real candles. I use this for my university room and it perfectly recreates the cosy feeling of my real candles at home.
9. Scented Pouches
These are a bit more obscure but I think that scented flower pouches are the perfect way to add a quaint element to your cottagecore home, and giving off a nice smell. These can be placed in several places throughout the house; coat racks, drawers, kitchen hooks, everywhere! These pouches are filled with dried flowers (I personally use lavender) to give off a soft floral scent.
The ones I have are homemade by family, and as such they have certain detailing, like gingham fabric and embroidered designs on them. This makes them sentimental, and can elevate the comfort they bring by having them in your home.
They’re super easy to make and can be a good introduction to a bunch of cottagecore activities; like gardening, harvesting, drying flowers, and sewing! I created a tutorial on how to make these at home, if you would like to try your hand at make them.
Final Thoughts
I hope you found this guide useful, I tried to keep it vague yet wide spanning to accommodate everyone’s home, no matter the size or location. I would also encourage you to use these steps as inspiration, not instructions. If you find that certain things don’t fit your idea of the cottagecore aesthetic then go with your own perception. I reference some things as being ‘not cottagecore’, when in actuality the aesthetic is too broad to say such things! Your cottagecore home is personal to you and you should enjoy what you find most endearing or comfortable.
Thank you for reading!