Cottagecore GirlIf you’ve been intrigued by the Cottagecore aesthetic sweeping the internet recently, it is time for you to celebrate life’s simple pleasures and create the warm, charming life you’re always dreamt of.
Something positive to come out of years of struggling with a global pandemic is that we understand how important our homes are to us – that they should be a sanctuary of warmth and comfort, not simply somewhere we come home to after a long day at work.
Many people transformed closets into home offices and garages into home gyms, and at the center of all the DIY projects and renovations was the idea that our homes should be inviting space that provides safety from the outside world.
The best way to encapsulate the feeling we now get when we think of home is Cottagecore, an aesthetic where rural life is praised with accessories of fresh flowers, botanical accents, and vintage decor.
As of July 2022, 3.6 million posts have been tagged with #cottagecore on Instagram and 10.4 billion views on TikTok. These numbers show the growing rise in popularity of this trend.
What Is Cottagecore?
Cottagecore, in terms of its overall aesthetic, is a community that embraces the charm of the English countryside and simple living. At its core, the aesthetic attempts to create an idealized representation of farm life through fashion, lifestyle, and interior decoration that extend into a way of life.
However, over the past few years, COVID-19 has prompted those who want to escape modern life and romanticize the simple life to start cultivating a Cottagecore lifestyle. Whether this is through tending a garden (as so many of us did during lockdowns), shopping for fruit and vegetables at our local farmers market, sipping on a hot cup of tea, or perfectly your sourdough recipe among many other seemingly mundane activities.
Cottagecore is heavily related to Farmcore and Countrycore, where the natural beauty of farm life is embraced – and we mean everything from freshly-laid eggs to overgrown gardens filled with fresh vegetables.
It’s important to note that although we are currently obsessed with this aesthetic, it is not new by any means. Instagramer Noemie Sérieux (@CottagecoreBlackFolks) states that the Cottagecore trends are a reminder of her upbringing in St. Lucia.
“Drying clothes in the breeze, chasing chickens and climbing coconut trees were all a part of my childhood. When the trend came to life, it felt more like nostalgia to me than a new trend.”
Noemie Sérieux, Good Housekeeping
This situation has begun to occur in similar aesthetics over the past year, including Grandmacore and Fairycore which were made increasingly popular on TikTok. These trends also pull from their roots to create a nostalgic induced, idealized lifestyle for their communities; offering an escape from the monotonous, technology-driven lives many now lead.
There are now communities worldwide that lean into these aesthetics to create not only a picture-perfect fantasy but a bright and warm lifestyle.
How to have a Cottagecore home
Everyone involved in the Cottagecore trend may have slightly different tastes when it comes to interior design, however, there are several components that will stay consistent: a neutral colour palette (whites, creams, and warm tones), a vintage aesthetic, floral accents, freshly baked goods, crafting necessities (such as knitting needles or embroidery kits), freshly growing herbs, and key decor items such as both fresh and dried flowers, ceramic dishware, houseplants, mood lighting and many, many trinkets (in particular, those that are mushroom themed).
Emily Kent has explained this best in The Little Book of Cottagecore, where it explains the best way to achieve the Cottagecore aesthetic is to put together your baking, gardening, and crafting skills.
