Country Cottage Decor - how to get the look

Country cottage style is one of those classic interior trends that never goes out of fashion. But alongside traditional country cottage decor (think pretty florals, gingham and farmhouse prints) we’re also now seeing a more modern interpretation of cottage style, which takes its cue from comfort but adds a minimalist twist. In this new modern country style, neutral tones, natural materials and complementary textures come together to create a relaxed, rustic, characterful home.

You can find all the pieces to create both looks in our collection of Country Cottage Decor on Folksy >

Country Cottage Style – how to get the look

Hand-thrown stoneware floral bowl by Karen Easter Ceramics

Pretty Florals

You can’t really do Country Cottage without a few florals, whether that’s as an all-over ditsy print on scatter cushions or a carefully placed decoration on a handmade plate or mug. Florals are just as much part of the modern cottage style as the traditional one, it’s just that the flower is more likely to be architectural, like cow parsley, or a single-colour print.

For country-style floral home furnishings, buy ready-made cushions and lampshades or, if you’re feeling creative, order fabric by the metre and make your own.

Featured: Handmade porcelain floral plate set by Shelly Lee; Spring Flowers block-printed cushion by Hannah Madden; Clematis Alpina fabric by the metre by Lizzie Mabley; Blue Parsley linen cushion by Charlotte Macey

Natural Materials

To embody the country style, fill your home with natural materials that pre-date the era of mass-production and manmade technology. Choose locally sourced materials like timber from UK trees, willow and British wool, and go for handmade whenever you can. Craft skills honed over years of practice and handed down through the generations add heart and soul to your home in a way that no factory-made item ever could – and that sense of texture, warmth and comfort is central to creating an authentic country style.

Featured: Handmade yew and birch side table; Bespoke rustic kitchen island with shelves; Hand-knitted grey wool cushion by JenStarKnits; Rattan heart wreath by BelaFarCrafts; Large willow log basket by StoneWillowCraft; Turned Wood Ash Bowl by SK Woodturning

Ticking & Gingham – checks & stripes

Two fabrics that you’ll see appearing again and again in country cottage interiors are ticking and gingham. Ticking is a striped woven cotton or linen that was traditionally used for bedding or mattresses, as it was thick enough to stop straw or feathers poking out. It originated in the French town of Nîmes, and has since become synonymous with country style, particularly French country style, partly thanks to its humble origins and simple pattern.

Gingham is another example of a fabric where the understated repeating pattern has made it a classic staple of country cottage decor, but here it’s checks rather than stripes that reign (although, weirdly, gingham started out striped and only developed into a check decades later).

Featured: Red and white gingham heart by Heather and Home; Beige and white ticking cushion by White Cottage Soft Furnishings; Gingham hanging hearts by Plum Porridge; Cotton ticking peg bag by Coast and Cloth

Bring the countryside inside

Living in the countryside, you can’t help but be inspired by the creatures who share your land (and sometimes your garden). Maybe that’s why animals like hares and pheasants feature so often in country cottage interiors. Give them centre stage on your walls and always dry the dishes in their company.

Featured: ‘In the Meadow’ hare limited-edition lino print by Sarah Bays; Pheasant tea towel by FoldedForest; Honeybee door stop by JuJani Handmade; Pheasant and Acorn tea towel by Anna Palamar

Earthy materials and tones

One of the reasons country cottage style endures and why it’s so popular (again) with interior designers is that its honest, natural materials help ground us and make us feel more connected to the earth. Surely, there’s no purer expression of this than ceramics, where potters quite literally use mud from the ground and transform it into objects of beauty with their hands.

Handmade ceramics are also an easy way to given the country look a contemporary twist. To nail that modern country aesthetic, go for stoneware pots with simple, transparent or white glazes.

Featured: Stoneware Ceramic Candle with organic hemp wick by Kate Cooke Ceramics; Personalised stoneware mugs by Oldfield Pottery

We’ve put together a collection of more beautiful handmade ceramics, ticking and floral-print cushions, original artwork for your walls, wool blankets, patchwork quilts, willow baskets, turned wood bowls and handmade furniture, all crafted by hand in the UK, to help you recreate the Country Cottage Look in your home.