I’ve only just recently found out about cottagecore as an official trend…oops…where have I been? Well the funny thing is I have been having my own very real dose of cottagecore over the last few years.
In 2015 myself and my husband (along with our 3 year old daughter) bought a run-down thatched cottage in the West of Ireland. It was during a period of change for us at the time, we were reaching a bit of a crossroads work-wise in London and it was time to take stock. We threw ourselves into the refurbishment of the cottage and within 9 months of getting the keys had created a cosy holiday home, where we continued to go many times each year, all year round - a great anecdote to urban living just off London’s Holloway Road.
It was at the cottage we learned what it’s like to live a slower pace of life. To not have conveniences on our doorstep; to have to plan ahead more in terms of food shopping and anything else you might need. To be relying on the outdoors and therefore, the Irish weather - and sometimes that meant wearing our winter coats in summer. We also learned what it felt like to be remote, away from everyone and everything and discovered our own pros and cons around this. And we discovered that there were other people who actively sought out a quiet place to go and stay. People who have stayed there have reported transforming it into a hive of creativity during their stay - knitting, writing, drawing, making music, baking. We also had someone go and stay for a month of isolation to complete an MBA. And this was all pre-Covid pandemic.
So I can really relate to what’s happening with this cottagecore trend over the last few months of lockdown and why. (For a more indept read on cottagecore itself, see this recent article in House Beautiful magazine.)
Here are a few of the things we incorporated into the cottage renovation, which I feel you could apply to any home to give it an injection of cottagecore aesthetic: (Note: as with all the interiors I design I love to mix materials, colours, styles etc. The same goes here, so rather than feeling something has to be in a ‘cottage’ style, I focus more of what evokes the desired atmosphere!)
Patterned tiled flooring in the tiny bathroom continued out to part of living area (these are Bertie tiles from British Ceramic Tile)
Patterned floor in upstairs bedroom (these are Lattice Hellebore luxury vinyl tiles from Harvey Maria)
Painted woodwork in a selection of colours to add contrast and warmth to the traditional white interior walls which we kept (this window frame in painted in Dulux Jewelled Creek 3, in an eggshell finish)
Any woodwork that might look ‘white’ is actually a very pale grey shade to be softer on the eye and cosier than white (this colour is Dulux Grey Steel 4, in an eggshell finish)
Painted the huge fireplace hearth in a deep grey rather than black to slightly soften it’s appearance in the room (this colour is Dulux Night Jewels 2)
Mix of patterns, textures & colours in the living room on throw, cushions, rug & lampshade.
Curtain over front door – practical to keep out drafts but also something very cosy about shielding the door from view when it’s in your living space
Pink kitchen is so warm and welcoming, the ceiling is (a paler shade of) pink too! (Pinks are Dulux Candy Love 2 and Candy Love 6)
Converted an existing outbuilding into a utility room and storage, to keep the cottage free from noisy appliances and provide a garden base for projects / outdoor work / muddy boots etc.
There are lots of other gory details on our Thatched Cottage Ireland blog such as sorting out the septic tank and bringing a soil pipe under the cottage for the first time - many of these made me appreciate the conveniences of city living I once took for granted!!
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Resources
If you are looking for further cottage information and inspiration I would suggest the following
Book: Irish Thatch by Emma Byrne
Facebook Group: Cottageology - Irish Cottage Renovation & Appreciation Facebook Group
Update
The time has come to pass this beautiful place on to someone else – our cottage is for sale.
It’s been an utter joy renovating it, experiencing rural life, the quietness, the sunsets, the history, walks to the lake, the stove in winter, late nights in the garden in summer and spending time here with friends and family.
But as we live in London and can’t spend as much time here as hoped. It’s also time for us to move on to our next renovation project whatever that might be…
https://www.daft.ie/galway/houses-for-sale/headford/cloonkeely-headford-galway-2227449/