“Cottagecore” is not only a real word, it’s an increasingly popular design choice for younger people looking for something a little more...rustic.
As a design trend that sprung up in recent years among the more influential young designers and fashionistas out there, cottagecore offers an alternative to the bright colored, ultra-modern looks most homes and clothing styles tend to go for. Think of it as a modern application of the Little House on the Prairie look, updated for 2020 - or for a more specific example, think about your favorite English teacher back in school with the weird mushroom collection on their desk.
It’s a vibe and look that applies to both fashion and home decor these days, but as with many design trends, you might have a few questions about how to make it work practically inside a home, as far as things like storage and organization are concerned.
What Is Cottagecore Design?
Cottagecore goes by a lot of names, many of them silly, but all of them affectionate. You might see people online refer to it as “grandmacore”, “farmcore”, or any other number of similar terms, but the end result is always the same. Without getting too deep in the weeds on the theory as to why, a lot of people have found themselves adopting a more rustic look that still offers modern conveniences and accessibility. Above and beyond wearing soft floral patterns, cottagecore usually brings with it an interest in warmer home decorations, and even traditional crafts such as baking and gardening. (Heck, you probably do some of these things already without knowing it!) If you’ve been finding yourself looking for a home decor/personal fashion vibe that gets away from the post-millennial sleekness everything offers these days, cottagecore might just be the thing for you.Adding Storage to Your Cottagecore Home
Of course, with any big new design trend, there’s always the question of how to implement it practically. Sure, you can start throwing flowers and mirrors and wicker baskets everywhere, but...how is it going to help you keep your home organized? Where are you going to put all those cute new pottery supplies you picked up? Luckily, cottagecore is a design ethos with a strong aesthetic but not a ton of hard-and-fast rules, which means you can have a lot of fun with it:- Stick to natural materials. Whatever you use for storage, try to find materials that complement what you would see in a cabin or out in nature. Wood wall shelves are a great way to help grow your indoor plants or show off your antique brass picture frame without ruining your whole rustic vibe. Accessories like shelf brackets should either be wood or an antique-looking material like wrought iron or brass to complete the aesthetic. Using shelves with wicker baskets is a great way to combine convenient storage with a softer look that can help make your home as comfortable as possible.
- Neutral, natural colors: Similarly, your color palette should focus more on ‘earthier’ tones and shades. Particularly for larger furniture pieces like coffee tables and bookcases, go for something more lightly-stained that lets the wood show through better.
- Ornate vintage designs: One of the big points of cottagecore is to embrace a more antique ‘designed’ kind of look, instead of the mass-produced sleekness of modern day coffee tables. Look for things like ladder shelves instead of standard shelving, tables with more rustic colors and elaborate edging, and anything that looks a little more ‘lived-in’.
- Leave room for creativity: Of course, you need to have space for your hobbies, right? If you’re the baking sort, maybe get a small wooden kitchen cart to store your favorite flours and mixes. If you’ve decided to pick up cross-stitch, use shelves with wicker baskets to store your various sewing supplies. Whatever your hobby, make sure to leave a little room to store it and get creative around your new cottage, even if your ‘cottage’ isn’t as far out in the woods as you’d like it to be.