Cottagecore: Interior design for a slower paced life

At its heart, the booming cottagecore trend is all about more simplicity and less haste.

Cottagecore romanticises the rural lifestyle – floral prints, flowy dresses, gardening, greenery and animals. Essentially, it’s exactly what you’d imagine living in a cottage of your dreams in the countryside would be like!

Read on to learn how you can incorporate your favourite aspects of this rapidly blooming design trend to adorn your bedroom and the rest of your home.

What is cottagecore?

Inspired by a quaint and idealised vision of country life, cottagecore encompasses the importance of the natural world, home cooked organic food and caring for others. Its ideals can help to satisfy a popular desire for ‘an aspirational form of nostalgia’ as well as an escape from many forms of stress, according to its supporters. The New York Times called cottagecore ‘a reaction to hustle culture and the advent of personal branding.’

Why is cottagecore booming right now?

It’s becoming increasingly popular to look to the natural world for relaxation, from forest bathing to foraging, thanks in no small part to the influence of social media. Many also credit the rising influence of cottagecore to Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album, Folklore, which was released to great critical and commercial success. Featuring songs written during Covid-19 lockdowns, her album’s promotion of cottagecore in its lyrics and artwork has been cited as boosting the movement’s popularity.

Credit: @athomewiththelloyds

Even pre-Covid there was a tendency towards bringing the outside in, perhaps due to longer working hours and smaller city apartments becoming more popular. Now, having experienced the simple pleasures of slow living, many of us have been looking to reboot our lifestyles to permanently find a slower pace of life and make the most of our time.

What does the cottagecore philosophy entail?

Cottagecore is all about slowing down, putting less of an emphasis on yourself and instead focusing more on finding refuge in the things you enjoy. This lifestyle choice features some common concepts, including home-baked goods, gardening, and wearing relaxing, fit-for-purpose and second-hand clothes. On TikTok, you’ll see its enthusiasts reading books in meadows, hosting picnics and twirling around in flowy dresses.

Popular pastimes of the cottagecore aesthetic involve baking, walking and textile design. Whilst baking loaves of bread and wandering through lush pastures sounds oh-so appealing, the fashion influences of cottagecore cannot be understated either.

Credit: @inside.no.five

Cottagecore fashion is strongly influenced by simpler, older times from the 1900s to 1950s. Lace, embroidery and puffed sleeves are all important aspects of this style, to give traditional 1950s vibes.

Other fashion staples include puffy sleeves and billowy blouses to create that pastoral attire. If that hasn’t already set your imagination alight, let’s explore other ways the cottagecore aesthetic is influencing interiors.

Cottagecore interior design

Cottagecore has also become an interior design trend based around florals and nostalgic patterns, to create a strong pastoral vibe. Helpfully its aesthetic is ideal for all rooms of the house, from kitchens to bathrooms, and living rooms to bedrooms.

Cottagecore design ideas

Here are some simple ideas that you can use to give your own home a feel reminiscent of living in a simple cottage in the old English countryside:

1. Go floral

Floral patterned wallpaper, rugs, vases and cushions enable you to create a natural, soft look that can have a calming effect. Make the most of charity shops and ask friends or relatives if they’ve got any decorative plates, flower pots or trinkets they no longer want. Reusing and recycling are key aspects of cottagecore.

If you prefer to keep things neutral, consider gingham patterns or soft stripes for your bed linens, curtains and soft furnishings.

Credit: @hoppyeveleighafter_

2. Indoor plants

When the nights draw in, it’s a great time to bring nature inside your home so that you can enjoy it all year round. Houseplants and fresh-cut flowers are a good place to start. They brighten up any space and fill the air with luscious scents. To bestow your home with a back-to-nature look, pick some pretty flowers from your garden and arrange them in decorated jam jars.

Credit: @homebyholli

You can also collect shells, driftwood and attractive pebbles and make decorations for your home out of leaves, bark, berries and pinecones. Make use of what you can find when out on a country walk – you’ll find many of the best things about cottagecore are free!

3. Wooden furniture

In the bedroom, you can layer high-quality bed linen in neutral shades, with thick woven wool blankets for that cottagecore feel, along with pastoral print cushions and plenty of candles to provide a soft, warm and natural glow. Next, you might want to invest in some wooden furniture to complete your bedroom. Our wooden beds come in a variety of rustic styles and finishes to suit almost any room. Fitting right into the cottagecore theme of sustainability, our wooden bed frames are sure to stand the test of time.

Then you’ll need to find a cottagecore-friendly colour. Green is the colour of nature and for many people it brings the feeling of tranquillity and freshness. Here are some gorgeous green bedroom ideas with wooden beds and bedside tables to give your bedroom that natural atmosphere.

Credit: @thelawrenceshome

4. Upcycle

Cottagecore emphasises a connection with nature, sustainable living, recycling and upcycling through activities such as knitting, sewing, and gardening. By focusing on ‘traditional’ crafts like weaving, you can help to preserve the past and safeguard the future. You can also help to give a new lease of life to practices that may otherwise start to die out, reducing waste and diminishing our growing reliance on consumer culture.

Its ‘make do and mend’ and ‘it’s the little things in life’ attitudes that are what makes cottagecore more than just a style trend. It’s a more ethical and mindful way of life with significant benefits to your mental health.

Why not join the cottagecore movement?

Cottagecore offers you an escape from materialism, a chance to enjoy nostalgia for childhood and a gentle meditative craft to help distract your mind. It can help to lift your mood and bring about feelings of well-being which can also contribute to helping you sleep better, making it a perfect choice for the bedroom.

If this sounds appealing, there are so many ways you can interpret the cottagecore trend that you’re bound to find one that you can weave into your life. Whether that’s incorporating more greenery into your home or creating your very own custom bedspread, slowing down and finding appreciation in life’s smallest moments is a trend we think well worth celebrating.