How to Design a Modern Cottage Home
Country living with a cozy focus.
One of life’s greatest pleasures is creating a cozy home you never want to leave. The modern cottage aesthetic in particular can help you easily create a welcoming feel in your space. Full of natural materials, earthy colors, and vintage vibes, modern cottage style is calming and comfortable. Read on to learn how to achieve this style in your home.
Tip!
Cottagecore is not the same as the modern cottage style. Learn more about cottagecore in our guide: What Is Cottagecore?.
What Makes a Modern Cottage Home?
Modern cottage style is all about using earthy neutral colors and natural materials to create a home that reflects countryside living. This style is more quaint and cozy than the famous farmhouse aesthetic, though both are rooted in country living. Modern cottage style uses dainty and antique-like pieces to establish an environment that’s homey and welcoming. It feels traditional and historical, while also incorporating modern elements like gold finishes and neutral pallets to keep it fresh.
1. Stick With Earthy Neutrals
Modern cottage design follows an earthy neutral palette, and living rooms are the perfect place to play with these hues. When focusing on this aesthetic’s color palette, think beige, white, cream, and light greens. We love using green for a sectional or sofa to create an instant eye-catcher in your home that’s comfortable, stylish, and ties in with the rest of your decor.
Choosing certain materials to create a country cottage atmosphere and embrace cozy living. Using wood in the form of shiplap planks along your walls adds the countryside feel to your home and can be easily added as a DIY project. This is a great way to add texture and depth to your walls anywhere in your home.
When we picture a cottage, we think of a cozy home nestled in the woods, so it makes sense this aesthetic puts a major emphasis on wooden materials. Wooden bathroom vanities are a great way to showcase this. The brown of the grain blends naturally with other colors common to the modern cottage palette, while introducing an earthy texture and long-lasting durability to this room. Soften the rustic look with a floral patterned wallpaper in a sage green or other muted hue.
The modern cottage style focuses on laid-back textures that can come in the form of woven baskets and jute rugs. Wicker baskets sport a handwoven appearance, which is deeply rooted in this aesthetic. These baskets provide functional storage while also adding decorative appeal and natural texture to your home. Jute rugs are also made using handwoven techniques that make them look inviting, making them perfect for a modern cottage home.
One major element of the modern cottage style is focusing on natural materials that are reminiscent of the past. A solid wood table gives your dining room the traditional feel of the modern cottage design and features one of the style's key materials, especially when elevated with Windsor chairs since this type of chair has ties to the 18th century.
When furnishing a modern cottage home, distressed furniture is crucial to achieving the relaxed design and weathered look. Distressed dressers, consoles, and coffee tables can create a rustic feel in most spaces, making them a perfect addition to any modern cottage style room.
Iron beds are a vintage-inspired element that works great in modern cottage interiors. Since this aesthetic features creamy neutrals, the dark finish of the metal provides a balancing contrast that resonates with the historical component of this style. Iron beds add simple cottage charm to any bedroom.
Tip!
For more tips on decorating a bedroom modern cottage style, check out this guide: 16 Ways to Decorate a Cottage Bedroom
8. Display Essentials on Open Shelving
Bring the comfortable living aspect of the modern cottage style into the bathroom by showcasing your linens on open shelving. From the bathroom to the kitchen, open shelving works well with this style by making your home essentials feel more approachable – which creates a warm welcoming vibe for guests and family members alike.
Countryside living and themes of nature go hand-in-hand with cottage home design. Add a few plants to any room to showcase the earthy tones and natural texture of this aesthetic – and highlight what could be growing in your garden. Choose simple green plants – faux or real – that will look great in neutral spaces. Give your cottage decor a boost in the spring and summer by displaying fresh cut garden or wild flowers in simple decorative vases.
Gold and brass are popular modern finishes that certainly have their place in modern cottage interiors. They add a touch of glam to the space, and give fixtures like wall mirrors, decor, and lighting an antiqued look from their slightly weathered finish. Modern cottage style is all about blending old with new, so this is an easy way to get the iconic look.
A big architectural component to modern cottage style is the inclusion of arches for added softness. You can do this with mirrors and door frames. To really up the style, select one with an antiqued gold or brass finish to include the vintage feel. Be sure to embrace and highlight any existing arches or alcoves in your home's architecture, if you’re fortunate enough to have them!
To give your home function when the sun goes down and natural light is gone, opt for dainty French Country chandeliers to make the rooms feel quaint. These chandeliers are eye-catching, yet rustic with natural materials such as wood and iron.
One of our favorite elements of this design style is its lived-in look, such as using your dinnerware as decor. Dinnerware makes excellent modern cottage decor that’s also functional when you display it in a hutch. Simple dinnerware sets make for a homey visual to accessorize your kitchen or dining area for a cute cottage vibe.
