In love with the cottage decor aesthetic but not sure how to achieve it? This is a simple guide to show you 15 unbelievably charming cottage decor ideas for your home.
If you’re like me, you’re dreaming about living in a cottage on a hillside with a view. Even though you may not be living out your daydream, there are ways to make you feel otherwise. Any home has its own endearing characteristics and charm, even if you have to lure it out a little bit. Knowing how to do this and what accent pieces to buy will help to enhance your home’s unique charm.
In this post, you will learn about simple ways to immerse yourself in a cottagecore environment. From adding texture and color to choosing specific furniture, you will be given 15 unbelievably charming cottage decor ideas.
After reading about these cottage decor ideas, you will be able to turn your home into the cottagecore haven you’ve been dreaming about.
This post is all about Charming Cottage Decor Ideas For Your Home.
What Is The Cottage Decor Aesthetic?
Imagine you’re living on a picturesque piece of land on a hillside with a view of the fields and rolling hills. Your windows are open, and the fresh scent of lilacs are wafting into your kitchen, where fresh bread is cooling. Every space in your home is simple, yet intentional, and the decor reflects this. Open shelving in the kitchen displays beautiful serveware, and the colors surrounding you are muted, soft, and tranquil. The dining table is set with delicate linens that make each meal feel like you’re in a cobblestone street cafe in England. The wind blows in and ruffles the pages of the book you’re reading in the living room, and gently passes through the leaves of the plant sitting in the corner. The whole home is consumed by ethereal calmness.
THIS is cottage decor aesthetic at it’s finest. The following ideas and suggestions will help you achieve this daydream.
15 Unbelievably Charming Cottage Decor Ideas
When it comes to creating the perfect cottage vibe in your home, the power is truly all in the details. When inside a home, it is rarely the structural details that make a person think “this has a warm, cottage feel to it.” As structural details can help provide a backdrop, it is the decor and details that really create the feeling. Even if you feel like your home is not structurally set up for this decor theme, there are many ways to override it and add the cottagecore vibe you’ve been craving.
Knowing what finishings and small touches to add to achieve this can be tricky. The most important thing to remember when working toward this design is that cottagecore thrives off of natural beauty and simplicity. Keeping this at the forefront of your mind while collecting elements will ensure that you stay true to the heart of cottage decor. The following unbelievably charming cottage decor ideas will help you turn your home into a restful and welcoming sanctuary that makes you feel like you’re living in a cottage on a hillside.
1. Use A Muted & Neutral Color Palette
Tans, creams, and greens are on the top of the list, but incorporating muted tones of other preferred colors is ok too. Just remember to choose a soft and muted hue of that color, and try to keep the palette consistent or of complimenting colors. As the most obvious way to use color is with paint on the walls, don’t overlook other, smaller ways to use it, such as with decor items, soft furniture, pillows, bedding, and linens.
The other color consideration to make is in the furniture you choose. When it comes to the cottage core aesthetic, it is generally made up of lighter and medium color woods. This is not to say that dark wood would not achieve the desired look, but it should be mixed with other, lighter pieces so as not to darken the area too much. Oak is one wood that has a beautiful, light tone to it. Synthetic wood is a great, cheaper alternative, and is also available in a variety of tones.
2. Add Texture & Shape
Adding texture and shape to different areas of your home can be a simple thing with a large impact. Having decorative plates and serveware with textures such as scalloped edges is a great way to do this, plus it serves as a functioning item in your home. Buying small decor items such as vases or candles with a prominent texture is another way to do this. Vases and candles that look like pottery or stone will immediately add warmth to your space.
3. Choose The Right Furniture
Related to adding texture and shape, choosing furniture that has unique and soft shapes to it can add to the cottage feel, and provides character to an otherwise ordinary piece. Rather than buying plain, square back chairs, opt for more detailed and decorative ones that have arched backs, curved edges, or other small details that will make it stand out. Furniture with built-in shapes such as etched detailing on the top or carved out shapes on the legs will also fit into this decor theme.
4. Integrate Mixed Metals
Brass, gold, bronze, nickel… beautiful both separate and together, choosing a mix of metals for your home’s finishings can add a vintage, cottage-y feel. Choosing the right metal color for sink faucets, cabinet hardware, light fixtures, and mirror edgings can really complete the look, and can add both warm and cool details where needed.
5. Find Unique Decor Pieces
Arguably the most fun, yet most challenging aspect of achieving the cottage feel. Finding unique decor pieces is the glue that holds all your hard work together. Choosing the wrong decor can give you an undesirable result, and can alter the feel of your home, even if you successfully implemented other aspects. Carefully selecting decor items is not something that can be rushed, and most likely will be done over a long period of time, allowing you to integrate new pieces and alter older ones.
Finding items like baskets and wall art are great ways to take up large spaces, and fulfill the need of taking up wall and floor space. Other, smaller items such as pitchers, vases, books, and other decorative objects are great for filling up shelves, counter space, and other surfaces.
6. Consider Shopping At Boutiques & Thrift Stores
As places like Target have beautiful decor options that may fit the bill, there are other options as well that may provide you with more unique, and less common decor pieces. Small, local boutiques and thrift stores can both be great sources of one-of-a-kind finds. When shopping, have photos of the space you need decor for on your phone, and try to imagine different decor items fitting into the space. Having a visual in-store can help avoid the “loved it until I brought it home” phenomenon that we all experience way too commonly.
7. Make Use Of Rattan & Wicker
As these two materials are similar, they do have their own distinct properties that will bring different looks into your home. The choice and preference is yours, and if you can’t decide, don’t be afraid to incorporate both! From baskets to table settings to lamps to accent furniture, rattan and wicker can be a wonderful source of cottage character.
8. Utilize Soft Patterns
Choosing soft patterns for items like bedding, throw pillows, and rugs can tie together the cottage feel in any room. Combining soft patterns with muted colors will allow you to add interest into your space without making it feel overwhelming or obnoxious. Having too many prints is never ideal, but separating different prints by room will help to keep the feel consistent and calming.
9. Display Flowers, Plants, & Greenery
Whether they are real or fake, flowers, plants, and greenery really bring in the warmth of a hillside cottage. Tulips, poppies, garden roses, peonies, lavender, and hydrangeas are the very core of the cottage feel, and although having artificial flowers are great, replacing them with real ones during the summer is even better.
Having plants and other greenery around the house also adds life and color. Having vining plants along certain surfaces in your home is a whimsical way to add character to your home, and adding wreaths with greenery in them is also a great accent.
10. Include/Buy A Fire Element
If you’re lucky enough to build a home, consider adding a fireplace with a wooden mantel, or a wood stove to your living space. We all know the ambiance of a fire is unmatched, not to mention the beauty it offers to a room. An easier and much cheaper option for a home without a built-in fireplace is to buy an alternative fire piece. This can be an electric stove, a console table with a built-in fireplace, a freestanding electric fireplace, or a mounted electric fire piece. An option that is somewhat between these two options in regard to cost and effort would be an indoor propane stove. They mimic a real, wood burning fireplace, and can be tucked into small corners. These accents can add so much coziness to a room, and fit in perfectly to that cottage feel we are trying to achieve.
11. Include Decorative Linens
From bedding to curtains to table settings, adding delicate linens is a great way to add the softness and femininity the cottage environment thrives off of. Having layered bedding with different soft colors and patterns will bring the cottagecore feel into your bedroom.
Making use of table settings on a quaint dining table or breakfast nook will add interest to your table, and will make your dining experience that much more special. Table runners, table cloths, placemats, chargers and napkins are all part of creating a beautiful table.
12. Use Everyday Items as Decor
Sometimes we overlook the quaintest decor items simply because we see them as functional, not decorative. This mostly happens in the kitchen. Items like pots, cutting boards, mugs, teapots, mixing spoons, bowls, measuring cups, and storage canisters all have a dual purpose; functional and ornamental. Displaying these items aesthetically on kitchen shelves or countertops can add to the cottage theme of your home. When shopping for everyday items, try to take on a different visual perspective and consider higher quality items that have more charm to them. Taking into consideration both function and beauty can help utilize daily objects as decor.
13. Create Interest On Your Walls
Accent Walls
There are so many different options for building an accent wall. As an accent wall can be one wall in a room, it can also follow the entirety of the room. Putting accent walls 1/3 or 1/2 way up your walls will avoid an overwhelming look, and will allow you to install it on multiple walls without it being overbearing. Picture frame, board and batten, wainscoting, beadboard, shiplap… the list goes on. Creating an accent wall instantly adds character and beauty to an otherwise bland wall.
Wallpaper
Installing wallpaper on one or more walls in a room can liven up the space. With the correct color and pattern, wallpaper can definitely add to the cottage feel, and works wonders on small, otherwise boring spaces.
Open Shelving
Mostly seen in kitchens, open shelving can serve as both functional and decorative. Being able to display pretty serveware and other kitchen tools and accessories romanticizes the kitchen, and takes up vertical wall space.
14. Lighting
Scattering table lamps, floor lamps, light fixtures, sconces, & candles (including sticks & candelabras) throughout your home adds warmth and ambiance to each space. The correct style of lighting will help tie in the cottage decor aspect we are trying to achieve. These lighting pieces can take up both wall and vertical space, as well as tabletop space. Choosing vintage inspired lighting options will level up your home, and will combine use with ambiance.
15. Take Advantage Of The Smallest Of Places
In cottage decor, no space is too small for a decoration. Making use of all the nooks and crannies of your home will help to create that quaint, cozy, cottage haven. Keep in mind that a decoration can be as simple as a candle or a picture frame with a print from Etsy being displayed. Making sure not to over-crowd is also important; you want to keep that calm, peaceful feeling. Finding the right balance is tough, but experimenting with your space and decorations will help you find the perfect combination.
When it comes to cottage decor, there are very specific elements to be used to achieve this decor theme. From finding the right colors to finding unique decor items, achieving the cottagecore aesthetic takes time and intention. Whether you incorporate one or all of the elements above, it is sure to add some charm and character to your home.
This post was all about cottage decor ideas.