STYLE

Embrace Romance with Cottagecore Bedroom and Living Room Ideas

November 15, 2024

Looking for a bit of escapism in your everyday? There’s nothing that quite fits the bill like cottage style — commonly referred to as cottagecore. This dreamy aesthetic is inspired by a collective nostalgia for simpler bucolic days spent in the sun, surrounded by flowers and hand-crafted designs. If you’re looking to bring a gentle and romantic touch to your space, here’s how you can style a cottage bedroom or cottage living room for maximum coziness. Or refer back to our guide to styling a cottagecore kitchen if you’re looking to elevate your dining space.

How To Style a Cottagecore Bedroom

A romantic bedframe

Cottagecore is all about delivering some serious main character energy, and your bed is the star of the whole plot. Set the tone for a bit of romance, drama, and vintage old-world charm with a four-poster bed frame that showcases ornate carvings and woodwork. Another popular option is a retro-style metal frame — often in classic black or painted white — that similarly showcases decorative elements. If you’re looking to create a cottagecore bedroom on a budget, you can always pair a simple bed frame with a grand headboard like a tall wood design or tufted velvet one.

Feminine details

It’s time to get in touch with your softer side. When it comes to styling a cottagecore bedroom, consider setting the tone with a soothing pastel color palette. Then you can style it further with smaller touches of feminine ruffles, bows, lace, and floral print (or actual flowers). You can incorporate these stylistic elements through an oversized pillow sham, bed skirts, doilies on your nightstand, or floral wallpaper. And remember, cottagecore skews more maximalist than minimalist, so feel free to mix and match materials, colors, and patterns as you please. You’ll know it’s time to start editing if your space starts feeling cluttered or messy.

Soft cozy layers

Like any ultra-cozy bedroom, cottagecore style benefits from an invitingly layered bedscape. Add in the usual set of breathable and soft sheets and linens, comforters, and fluffy pillows, then consider throwing a colorful quilt on top of it all for that final vintage flourish. And don’t forget the rest of the room, from the walls to the floors. Dial up the dreamy aesthetic by clothing these bare surfaces with breezy white linen drapes and floral Persian rugs.

Heirloom-worthy wood

Whether or not you’re a thrifting maven, adding some well-loved and well-crafted wood furniture is needed to add some depth and character to a cottagecore bedroom. Unliked contemporary styles that are all about clean lines and sleek materials, look for rich-colored wood chests, dressers, and armoires that seem heavy and ornate. Or add a bit more texture with weathered wood or driftwood furniture that looks like it has a story to tell. If your piece looks a bit too pristine and modern, a pro tip is to replace the knobs and pulls with ones that have more of an old-fashioned look.

Natural inspiration

Because of its bucolic roots, cottagecore style is often rich in natural materials. We’re partial to woven baskets, rattan and cane accent chairs, and jute rugs to introduce organic textures and fibers to the bedroom. To add some greenery, consider plants — especially bouquets of fresh or dried flowers as well as any vines that can climb the walls. If you have a brown thumb, don’t worry. You can always lean on floral prints as well as fake plants, garlands, and wreaths.

How To Style a Cottagecore Living Room

Classic silhouettes

A cottagecore living room’s best quality is that it’s designed to immediately put you at ease. Instead of going modern and avant garde, invite guests to relax with upholstered seating that has more classic or vintage silhouettes. Tufted sofas, deep-seated accent chairs, and chaise lounges offer lived-in and homey comfort that can be made even more alluring with cozy throw blankets, crocheted quilts and decorative pillows. And when it comes to cottagecore styling, it’s usually the more layers the better.

A cozy nook

For cottagecore lovers, cozy reading nooks aren’t just for autumn and winter — they’re in season year-round. Curate a corner that’s ideal for reading, journaling, or looking out the window with a pensive air. The hallmark pieces of a great reading nook include a side table for your cup of tea or small pile of books, an upholstered accent chair or window bench, a bookcase or an artful pile of books arranged on the ground nearby, and a bronze pharmacy floor lamp or a sculptural vintage floor lamp for both lighting and style.

Styled shelves

Whether you’re looking to showcase a collection of antique plates, precious first-edition books, or a bouquet of flowers in a vase, there’s nothing like a bookcase or some shelves to display this charming exhibition. When it comes to open storage that follows a cottagecore aesthetic, you have a wide range of options. We recommend choosing shelves that have some kind of vintage-looking design element, like floating shelves made of weathered wood or painted wood cabinets with beautiful French doors.

Mantels and fireplaces

Let’s keep the cozy vibes going. Although we can’t all be blessed with a wood-burning stove in our cottagecore living room, you can recreate the inviting warmth and old-world charm with a classic fireplace or mantel. It’s also a great moment to channel some natural inspiration with a stone façade or to upgrade with an electric fireplace for modern comfort. Plus, your mantel offers another canvas for displaying your various tchotchkes and mementos that lend your living room a more personal air.

Vintage decor

Turn back the clock with your decor for a truly cottagecore living room. The desired overall effect is that you hand-picked and thrifted each piece, leading to a harmoniously retro yet mismatched array of decor. Look for pieces that have a more vintage feel like wrought-iron and ceramic pieces, lamps with lampshades, and gilded picture frames. To really commit to the aesthetic of a bygone era, you can even swap out digital clocks for analog wall clocks, opt for a vintage-looking record player or blue tooth speaker, and hide or disguise your television behind a frame or entertainment center.

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