The everyday hustle of busy city life eventually takes a toll on us. With the ever-topping state of physical and mental health, cutting off from the real world is one thing we all feel the need for every once in a while. But alas, taking a break and going for a vacation is not the most viable option for all of us! So why not make your own home, your nirvana of loosening up?
Whenever we think of disconnecting from the commotion of urban life, our mind takes us to the peaceful and calming landscapes of the countryside. The calm and composed atmosphere with little noise and joy, the real essence of countryside life resides in the small, cosy cottage houses.
So in this blog, Homelane brings you 12 exclusive cottage designs and decor ideas to revamp your house into a comfortable, cosy countryside cottage house in no time.
Cottage Style House Plans and Design Ideas For The Vintage English Feels
Check out these super simple and practical cottage designs and decor tips for turning your home into a tranquil, rustic cottage house:
1. Go for Warm, Earthy Tones
The trademark of every cottage house ever? Let’s guess – packed and cosy spaces with muted, dark tones.
There’s something about the deep, earthy colour palette that the modern, light colour tones will never be able to justify. As soon as you step inside a room donned in pastoral colours of greens and rust, your senses land into a state of trance, taking you back to the old times. So if you also want your little abode to ooze out the same warmth and vibe, start your cottage house design by painting all your walls in warm, earthy tones. Our pick? Olive green walls with a touch of white.
2. Wooden Flooring Brings Everything to Life
What’s even a cottage house if it doesn’t have wooden flooring?
Traditional English cottage house design is set apart from the rest by its striking, posh interior design. And although it may get tough for a layperson to pick out the element that contributes the most to it, experts know – a cottage house borrows its beauty from the wooden flooring. Contrasting with the muted tones of white walls and terracotta art pieces, wooden flooring is a must-have to bring out the best of countryside life. And don’t worry, it isn’t just all looks. Top-quality hardwood floors are known to be stronger and more durable than your flimsy, modern tiles.
3. Bricked Wall Designs for Bedroom
Now, let’s come to a vital aspect of every house – the bedroom.
Typically, vintage cottage-style homes are all about wood – from the flooring to the wall panelling. So well, even the bedroom design looks pretty much the same as the rest of the house. But if you want to cut off this recurrent monotony, choose the classic brick layout for your bedroom walls. These rustic red walls do not only look mystically comforting, but they also largely add to the overall cottage house design. If you do not have the budget to go for a full-fledged bedroom refurbishing, you can even choose to go for 3D brick wallpaper.
The same look, the same feel, but on a budget.
4. Vintage Kitchen Design and Furniture
If there’s an area in the house capable of making or breaking any look, it’s the kitchen. So you must pay full attention to its design.
Modern kitchen layouts are focused on keeping the space clear and minimal. But the classic kitchen cottage house design contradicts this rule. A cottage house kitchen is anything but minimal: old-school wooden cupboards and furniture swamped with crockery and cutlery. So if you want your kitchen to emit the same easy-going energy, go crazy with the furniture. No marble countertops or MDF cabinets are galloping from every nook and corner. Choose classic wooden furniture pieces and see the magic unfold.
5. Rustic Living Room Furnishings
The living room is the capital of any house. But more significantly – this area binds the aesthetics of the whole home together.
Creating an old-fashioned cottage house design in the living room doesn’t need a lot of refurbishing. In fact, it doesn’t need refurbishing from scratch at all. You only need to focus on the prime element of your entire living room interior design – the furniture. And safe to say, it’s a fun thing to do. Sofa, centre table, side tables – pick all the furniture pieces in contrasting shades of wood. Don’t just stop there. Pay attention to the design of the furniture, too – the more the antique, the better the end result!
6. Create a Cozy Corner
Another patent feature of every countryside cottage house? They all have that one small, snuggish corner, perfect for daytime reverie.
If you want to recreate small cottage house plans with a similar aura in your modern house, start by choosing the right spot. First off, make sure the corner you choose to be your “cosy space” is well-lit with natural light. Then, move on to furniture additions. Most importantly, don’t miss out on installing a cute little wooden bookshelf to add that mellow touch of calmness to the design. For the final touch, throw in a few cushions and install full-length curtains to make the spot radiate pleasant, chill vibes. And you’re done!
7. Pick Neutral Upholstery
Choosing the correct upholstery may seem like a petite task. But it’s actually a highly contributing factor in making your cottage plans come alive.
Most cottage houses are painted in earthy colours of green and brown. In fact, the depth of their interior gets all the more intensified with dark-coloured furniture additions. So naturally, upholstery plays a big role in neutralizing the walls’ darkness and the house’s furniture. This means you do not want to experiment a lot in this zone – just go for simple, white upholstery for your furniture. If you feel it looks too bland, try embroidered mesh ones. But stick to a specific colour palette. Generally, muted tones of whites and off-whites work the best.
8. Botanical Print Wallpapers for the kitchen
Wallpapers for the kitchen are always a good choice, especially if you want to create a tranquil cottage house design on a budget. But the question is, which type to go for? Well, here’s your answer.
Classic cottage house kitchens are known for being sylvan and old-school. So in order to make your kitchen give out the same feel, you should go for detailed, printed wallpapers. Specifically, if you are able to get your hands on archaic ones with botanical prints in the shades of bright orange or teal, then it’s a total thumbs up. How so? Well, these bright shades of floral patterns on your kitchen walls will pop out, brilliantly complementing the dark, earthy wall colours and wooden furniture elements of the rest of your house.
9. Get a Few 
Whether a house is urban or rural, its decor is grossly incomplete, sans a few accent pieces and artefacts.
So to bring your cottage house plans to life, you’ll need to add in a few home decor items to your list. And what better than homespun, eccentric pieces? More than anything, pay attention to the material of the decor piece you choose to make sure it does not defy the vintage ambience of the house. To put it simply, do not go for art pieces that are too flashy or colourful – that’s a big no. Stick to terracotta earthenware items or handicraft stuff. Suggested colour options? The cottage house is classic – warm shades of brown.
10. Patterned Textile Everywhere
Textiles are a gravely underrated home decor element that often goes unattended. But not this time.
Earthy tones, dark furniture, plain upholstery – so far, most of the elements of our small cottage house plan follow a simple, strict design rule. So to balance it off, play with the textiles. Especially the three essentials – curtains, rugs, and blankets – should be anything but dull and boring. Choose bright, vivid shades, go for bold, geometric patterns, or pick patchwork items. The only rule you need to follow for your cottage house textile is no rules.
11. Pay Attention to the Lighting
Now, let’s come to yet another essential – the lights of your house.
When creating the vintage cottage house effect, getting the right kind of light is essential. The lighting not only puts everything in place but also enhances the aesthetics of other decor elements. Typical countryside cottage houses are dim-lit, with their main source of light being sunrays, lanterns, or firelight. What’s common between all of these? Well, they all emit a natural, warm yellow tone of light. So go along the same lines. Light bulbs, nightlights, lamps, or arc lights – no matter what kind of light you pick, go for shades of yellow.
12. Add Pots and Pots of Lush Plants
Finally, to amplify the comfort and serenity level of your modern cottage house, add a touch of green to it.
Generally, a cottage house isn’t big on indoor plants. But well, why deny the pleasure of it? From the living room to the kitchen and especially the bathroom, flood these spaces with pots and plants. But be wary of the placement. Choose large plant varieties like Areca Palms or Monstera for the areas with large spaces like the living room. On the other hand, for the modestly roomy places of the house, go for small, handy indoor plants like the succulent Jade or the blossoming Peace Lily. Let the comfort dwell in the air!
Wrapping Up
Far from the urban rush, the countryside cottage house life translates to peace and pleasure. But as we said – with a little effort, you can bring the same energy to your home too.
With a list of practical design and decor ideas, we hope this blog inspired you to get started on revamping your modern residence into an old and cosy cottage house. So don’t wait – take your first steps today!
For more innovative and simple design ideas for your home, check out Homelane or book a free session with our designer.
FAQs
1. What makes a cottage-style home?
Cottage-style homes have many appealing features and characteristics. For instance, the chocolate box entrance and the lovely landscape. But most noticeably, they are distinguished from the rest of the house styles by their evident warm and cosy ambience, without any hustle-bustle or rush. Cottage-style homes are preferred because of their comforting, positive aura.
2. What is a modern cottage house?
A modern cottage can be best described as a non-orthodox cottage style home that includes the essence of contemporary culture too. For instance, a fusion of dark, archaic aesthetics with contemporary elements like bright walls and art pieces makes a modern cottage house.
3. What are the types of cottages?
Cottages are of many types. But popularly, they are classified into six different styles – the Vintage style cottage house, the French style cottage house, the English style cottage house, the Country style cottage house, the Coastal style cottage house, and the Southern style cottage house. Out of all these, the English-style cottage house is the most prevalent and celebrated type.
