We are in the depths of full-on cottage styling here these days. Yes, there is a vegetable garden that needs to be weeded. Yes, the flower beds could use an extra layer of mulch. The pig pasture is currently only halfway done being fenced, I'm sure the chicken coop could use a cleaning, and lets face it – laundry is never done. But so what! We're reviving our 1909 cottage to pure cottage style glory.
Farmhouse Cottage Chic
And with these easy ways to get farmhouse cottage style, you can do it too, no matter what type of house you live in.
I've been scouring the internet and old magazines seeking inspiration for the ‘big picture' of what I want our farmhouse cottage to feel like when we're done. Farmhouse cottages have a feel. They're not meant to be cookie-cutter, perfectly square, homogenized homes. Cottage style is about being quirky, rusty, and layered. Cottage style tells a story. It accepts imperfections and builds a comfort that reminds you you're home.
I remember preparing for the c-section of our first child. Hunched over the operating table, preparing to get my epidural, the anesthesiologist told me to “go to my happy place”. You know where I went? I went to the cottage featured in the movie Babe. That's exactly the cozy, rustic, European, farm-esque comfort I want to bring to this ‘ol house.
I'm in full on cottage style mode. Watch me fly!
Ways To Get Farmhouse Cottage Style
Flower Beds: Dare I say, it's impossible to have a cottage without flower beds. Rarely do you see one without hollyhocks growing up along it's borders. Cottage gardens are typically a bit wild – a bit unstructured. Almost as if you just plucked a chunk of the earth up – wild flowers, mosses, and rocks fit in perfectly. Cottage gardens are noted for their large variety of colors, textures, and height. When I was a floral designer, there's nothing I loved more than making an arrangement that resembled a little piece of a cottage garden – snap dragons would peak at the top, sunflowers would give a strong focal point, veronica would add some funky flair, and mosses and greens would provide a colorful and textural base. Think black eyed susans lining an old iron fence. Think patches of poppies and raspberries creeping alongside the echinacea. I won't say the flower beds make the cottage… but… well…
My beds are all new, seeing as just moved into the cottage in January. I'm anxious for the years to come when they're fleshed out and full!
Shutters: What is it about shutters? The cottages that I'm drawn to always boast some style of shutter, typically a very simplistic version made from a few 1×4 boards. One think they all have in common? Color! Old European cottages typically flaunt a bright, almost primary, color – royal blue, emerald green, and ruby red are very common. Robins egg blue and varying shades of celery also hold their ground well when it comes to enhancing the overall cottagey feel of a home. We've added three new windows into the kitchen during the remodel and they're screaming for shutters. I'm leaning towards an emerald green or ruby red. Make no mistake. This is a cottage!
Stone: Get it wherever you can! As much as you can! Many old cottages were made almost entirely from stone and the depth and texture simply can't be replicated! I'm not talking about a faux stone veneer. I'm talking about the real deal. Our house is stucco, but we're incorporating stone into walls, borders, and even the framing of our arched doorway. Stone says old. Stone says history. Stone says I'm of the land. At the very least, use stone to line your garden beds and pathways – no cookie-cutter pavers allowed.
Pea gravel: Pea graaaaavel! I love you so much. Not sure what to do with that ugly pathway? Cover it in pea gravel. Got a spot of land nothing will grow in? Get to shoveling that pea gravel, man. I'm not talking about gravel… I'm talking about pea gravel. It's (get this!) the size of peas and has a smooth, round surface. Like a pea. Pea gravel. Get it? It should go everywhere because it's amazing. It's easy to keep freshened up with some easy raking, works as a mulch, and adds a rustic but polished look.
Call your gravel or rock supplier and get you some.
Rusty metal: Cottages are noted for having long histories, so it's no surprise that rusty metal would be a perfect fit for a cottage. Because after metal ages, it rusts. Adding this element to you home makes it feel as if it has a history as well. Seriously – what metal doesn't look better rusted? This can be incorporated in a variety of ways – we have rusted iron fence panels and light posts in our potager, rusted brackets in our kitchen, too many rusted tables and knick-knacks to count, and are currently purposefully rusting the brackets and bolts that will go onto our new door. Rusting s-hooks, screws, and nails can be a great way to keep that cottage look rockin' in new projects.
Quirky architecture: Back in the day, homes didn't have to fit that one-size-fits-all idea that we hold today. Any design or home buying show will quickly remind you that almost all home buyers want a ton of bedrooms, a zillion bathrooms, walk in closets, huge game rooms, seventeen pantries, four laundry rooms, and a twelve car garage. That isn't, and won't ever be, a cottage. Cottages have misaligned doorways and quirky ceiling heights. Their floors are rustic and have gaps in between the boards. Maybe the rooms don't even have closets and be prepared for some seriously small and funky-shaped bathrooms. That's okay! That's part of it. My husband and I share a closet the size of a telephone booth and there's barely more than 2-feet around the perimeter of our queen sized bed in the entire master “suite”. But that's okay! As silly as it sounds, quirky architecture adds to the charm of the home for me. It tells me that the home was built in a different time – obviously at a time when people were shorter, had less stuff to store, and all men went to the bathroom outside.
Climbing vines and window boxes: If you've just moved into your cottage, for the love of all things, plant something vining, like, yesterday. Get it going! Because we all know that one of the foundational ways to add cottage charm to your home is to cover it in something alive. Climbing roses, honey suckle, ivy – whatever tickles your fancy. Just get something growing and train it up the side of your chimney or trellis it around windows and doors. We were lucky enough to have some climbing roses right at the base of our chimney – a beautiful soft pink variety that's probably been there for a few decades. We had to drape the entire chimney in chicken wire (can you imagine how that went down?) and tie the unruly roses up, but I'm confident in a few years time they'll learn the general idea of what's expected of them. Climb, roses, climb! On that same note, window boxes are an instant way to add cottage charm to your home. Plant them with some bright annuals during the spring and summer and stuff them with greenery during the fall and winter. They don't need to be fancy, they just need to be.
Texture: Texture is foundational to the cottage. We've talked about the texture of pea gravel and stone, but really, the textural element is applicable anywhere. Instead of smooth lumber, opt for a more textural hand cut cedar post. Add mosses and ground cover thyme to borders. Use flat stone for pathways. Incorporate coarse linens, twead, and burlap. Straw. Thatching. Corroded metal. Wicker. Anywhere you incorporate texture, bring it.
Rough up the edges: Nothing in a cottage is clean cut. There are few straight lines and even fewer manicured lawns. Rather, cottages are shaped from the ebbs and flows of life… worn down pathways through grassy fields… rubbed off stain where the door is always opened… chipped paint… overgrown flowers… mishapen layers of potted pants strewn about. Let it be uneven. Let it be rough around the edges.
Add comfort: Life at a cottage is supposed to be a life that is comfortable and warm. Think hammocks strewn between the tree branches and an open bottle of wine on the iron table in the garden. Extra throw pillows strewn about, wool blankets over the arms of vintage couches, garden tools leaned against the side of the house and baskets of muddy boots by the front door. Let it be lived in. Let it be comfortable. Let it be a home.
Cottage life is the good life. Clean lines, manicured gardens, and shiny metals be damned.
And Amen.
AmyR
Oh, I just love this post! Your last comment made me laugh out loud. I am in the process of turning our 1950’s Itty bitty house into a rustic farmhouse haven. It is a slow process, but that’s okay. I think so much of the satisfaction comes from searching for the just right, quirky, beautiful pieces to make it just so. Recently started following your blog and am enjoying it immensely 🙂
Shaye Elliott
Glad you’re here, Amy!
char
That was fun, Thanks!
Angela, Parisienne Farmgirl
STOP IT.
We have the same cow copper.
Do you have the pig one? Would you believe I got mine years ago and I stupidly wasn’t “into pigs” and so I didn’t buy it… it was three dollars…. right next to the cow one. Loser. I’d kill for it these days.
AND…
You are spot on. You KNOW how obsessed I am with design and the list you’ve made here of how to incorporate the look is PERFECT! Your farm looks so wonderful. You’ve done is six months what would take mere mortals three years.
Pour a glass of wine and toast yourself.
Shaye Elliott
I wish I had the pig one… blast.
Jordan
Great post! We’re building a house right now and I cannot wait to get to the point where I can start adding more personal touches. I love all of your ideas. Things that are unique are beautiful. Except I don’t share your passion for pea gravel. The last house I lived in the previous owner had put it over a huge area that I wanted to turn into a garden so I had to shovel it all up. I guess I’m a little biased haha.
Shaye Elliott
Ha! Yes, no wonder you’re a bit biased.
Ali
Did you include photos in this post? If so, it looks like all the photos were replaced with ads.
jessica
are you on mobile? sometimes on mobile it does that. i’m on my work computer and didn’t see a single ad.
Shaye Elliott
Yes – lots of photos! Can you still not see them?
Amee
Can I come tour farm? I love this!
Shaye Elliott
Perhaps when the kitchen is not torn to bits? 😉
Meagan
I love this post, Shaye! We’ve lived in our home for three years now, and we are still working on making it feel the way we want. We’re way up in the mountains so I’m going for a rustic cottage feel. Lots of distressed wood, neutral colors, vintage pieces, so on and so forth. I love the layering and texture tips. I’ll definitely keep that in mind when I working on future interior projects. We’re working on outdoor things lately so your flower bed tips are just want I needed. I really stink at this whole landscaping thing. Thanks!
Shaye Elliott
I do too! It takes time and practice… Your home sounds beautiful!
Angie
Love what you have done!! I would love to see photos of your kitchen and living room. You have a unique style that I appreciate. I was wondering where you purchase your fabrics from they have a wonderful vintage feel. Thanks for sharing!
Shaye Elliott
I get them off of Etsy typically… they are all vintage.
Mike
Do you put any kind of weed barrier under your pea gravel? I love the look but haven’t used it before and would like to. Since we moved into our place a few years ago, pretty much every bad has gone under a deep mulch to try and be one part of rejuvenating our compacted clay.
Shaye Elliott
That would be smart! But I didn’t…
Rachael
Great post!
This is exactly how I would describe our house and style as well. Though I am still working on the flower beds. They are lacking the summer color. Lots of beautiful spring color, but all green in the summer. Totally next years project.
Miley D.
I am right there with you Shaye! I want the same thing for my little farmhouse! Neat rustic items – colors everywhere… Thanks for some new ideas!
shellie strugnell
Love the photos and love how you wrote this! I laughed out loud several times, and just swooned at other times……what a gift you have for creating a life giving place!