I am a fashion writer and I have adopted the Cottagecore trend for these 5 reasons!
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A beautiful living room that smells of essential pine oil, a thick throw casually draped over a plush sofa, flowers and candles adorning weathered wooden furniture… we are not in a setting from Little House on the Prairie, but rather in an apartment in a major European capital. The term cottagecore comes from the English word “cottage,” which can be translated as “country house”, and the adjective “core,” which derives from hardcore.
The cottagecore trend is much more than a passing trend. It is a true lifestyle that is here to stay.
Why are the most urban among us (including Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski) suddenly copying Laura Ingalls? Let’s decode the hottest hashtag of the moment and why it’s so good for your morale to adopt the cottagecore trend!
The Soft World of Cottagecore
If you’ve scrolled even a little on your social networks, you’ve noticed they are flooded with photos featuring the nostalgic aesthetics of the countryside.
The cottagecore trend emerged among celebrities and younger people on TikTok around the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. A time when a return to rural life was seen as a solid refuge, as city dwellers despaired in their small apartments.
Think about it for a moment, have you considered rearranging your home’s interior to make it a bit cozier? You might be cottagecoring (no, that’s not a real verb) without even realizing it. I realized a few days ago that I had completely redecorated my apartment in the cottagecore trend. Result? I feel much better in it. So here are five reasons to get started yourself!
1. To Find Comfort When the World Is Unwell
Who doesn’t want a little softness at home to shield themselves from an outside world that isn’t doing very well?
The news can be quite anxiety-inducing these days, and while we may be grateful to live in a peaceful environment, it doesn’t prevent us from having a natural instinct to build a serene cocoon at home. The cottagecore trend perfectly embodies the dream home where we are supposed to thrive and shield ourselves from the outside.
My tip: Decorate your entryway with a pretty rug and a bouquet of flowers to instantly feel good as soon as you walk through the door.
2. Because We Learned to Love Our Interiors
Thanks to COVID, we had to learn to consider our homes as an extension of ourselves during lockdown. From this not-so-joyful experience, a true underlying trend emerged. Our environment is important and influences our mood.
Beyond having a clean and tidy home, we want it to be warm and comforting.
My tip: Play a YouTube video of music with snow and a fireplace on your living room TV (type something like “cozy jazz bedroom winter fireplace” and you’ll find it)
3. Because Natural Materials Are Our Best Allies
Wood, bricks, linen, and wool. The aesthetic materials highlighted in the cottagecore trend are sturdy and represent a stable and warm environment.
Far from plastic, which is cold and harmful to our health, natural materials are highly represented in cottagecore. If, like me, you want to work on your home’s decor, focus on local craftsmanship to smartly embrace the trend.
My tip: prioritize wood and natural colors for a cottagecore look, adding touches of color sparingly.
A lovely living room filled with the scent of essential pine oil, a thick throw casually draped over a plush sofa, flowers and candles adorning weathered wood furniture… we are not in the decor of Little House on the Prairie, but in an apartment in a great European capital. The term cottage core comes from the English word “cottage,” which translates to “country house,” and the adjective “core,” derived from hardcore.The cottage core trend is much more than a passing fad. It represents a true way of life that is here to stay.
Why are the most urban among us (including Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski) suddenly emulating Laura Ingalls? Let’s decode the hottest hashtag of the moment and explore why embracing the cottage core trend is so good for morale!
The Soft Universe of Cottage Core
If you’ve scrolled through your social media at all, you’ve noticed it’s flooded with photos exuding a nostalgic countryside aesthetic.
The cottage core trend emerged among celebrities and younger audiences on TikTok towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a time when a return to rural life was seen as a solid refuge, especially as city dwellers felt down in their small apartments.
Think about it: have you considered redecorating your home to make it a bit cozier? You might be cottagecoring (no, it’s not a real verb) without even realizing it. Just a few days ago, I realized I had completely redecorated my apartment in the cottage core style. The result? I feel much better here. So, here are five reasons for you to jump on the bandwagon too!
1. To Find Comfort When the World is Troubling
Who doesn’t want a little softness at home to shield against a world that isn’t going very well?
The news is quite anxiety-inducing these days, and while we can be grateful to live in a peaceful environment, it doesn’t stop us from having a natural instinct to build a serene cocoon at home. The cottage core trend embodies the dream home where we are meant to thrive and protect ourselves from the outside.
My tip: Arrange your entryway with a lovely rug and a bouquet of flowers to instantly feel good as soon as you step inside your home.
2. Because We’ve Learned to Love Our Interiors
Thanks to COVID, we had to learn to view our home as an extension of ourselves during lockdown. From this not-so-joyful experience, a genuine underlying trend emerged. Our environment matters and influences our mood.
Beyond having a clean and tidy home, we want it to be warm and comforting.
My tip: Play a YouTube video of cozy music with snow and a fireplace on your living room TV (search for something like “jazz cozy bedroom winter fireplace,” and you’ll find plenty).
3. Because Natural Materials Are Our Best Allies
Wood, bricks, linen, and wool. The aesthetic materials highlighted in the cottage core trend are durable and represent a stable and warm environment.
Far from the cold, harmful plastic, natural materials are heavily featured in cottage core. If, like me, you want to enhance your home’s decor, invest in local craftsmanship to smartly embrace the trend.
My tip: Favor wood and the natural colors of wood or textiles for a cottage core look, adding pops of color sparingly.
4. Because We Can Build Things Ourselves
Knitting coming back into style, making homemade bread, taking up pottery? To be trendy, adopt hobbies of old! I’m joking, but we’re not far from that cliché. We rediscover that spending time making things with our hands is much more rewarding than endless scrolling. Recently, I took up knitting and started working with wool, a warm and highly durable natural material. I who thought I had two left hands, realize that DIY is incredibly rewarding.
My tip: Start knitting or make your own wool blanket. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube, and the satisfaction of mastering a new skill is amazing.
5. Because We Can Live Well with What We Already Have
The cottage core trend is a return to simplicity that aligns with the slow life movement. Let’s not kid ourselves, life in the countryside is a bit romanticized on social media; we are very far from a burdensome rural daily life.
Just like traveling by train to discover beautiful spots near us, cottage core allows us to appreciate the beauty of nature, enjoying simple pleasures like walking through a field or having breakfast on the terrace.
My tip: Embrace second-hand shopping and upcycling to repair your furniture and clothing.
Outside, is it already snowing or starting to get a bit chilly where you are? Go back to playing Animal Crossing under the covers or continue preparing your homemade soup for dinner; you are on trend!
Image credit ©unsplash
