A rambling farmhouse is always wonderful, and there’s nothing quite like a majestic mountain cabin come fall, but there’s something extra special about cottage-style homes. “Cottages are timeless because they are both attainable and charming,” says historic preservationist and co-host of HGTV’s Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House? Elizabeth Finkelstein. “The small square footage makes maintenance manageable for most people, and the proportions bring an instant ‘cozy’ factor to any gathering. Who doesn't want that?”
If you’re a fellow tiny home aficionado, and are ready to take a deeper dive into this quintessentially country dwelling, then you’ve come to the right place! Read on for our comprehensive guide to cottage-style homes, including their interesting history as well as details on size and scale, then continue on for a save-for-later list of our favorite cottage home tours.
How to make your home feel like a cottage
On the outside, cottage-style homes delight with small details and a rustic, worn-in feel. (Think: folksy gingerbread porch trim, weathered wood siding, and painted window shutters.) Steep shingled roofs and overgrown English-style gardens are also popular accompaniments.
On the inside, cozy and collected are the two predominant themes of cottagecore, a home decor trend that celebrates all things cottage. Start with the foundations of classic country utilitarianism—patinated and oft repurposed wood furniture, patchwork quilts, and hardworking handwoven baskets—then layer in touches of whimsy. Painted floors, patterned wallpaper, and one-of-a-kind antiques all hit the mark.
Ready to venture further into the world of small spaces? Ahead you’ll find a collection of Country Living’s coziest cottage home tours.
Color almost always amps up the charm factor on cottage-style homes. This former schoolhouse-turned-cottage residence of John Locke and Jason Oliver Nixon and design brand Madcap Cottage gets a jolt of cheer courtesy of its striped window awnings and a citron yellow front door.
Half the appeal of a cottage-style home can be its historic authenticity. This three-quarter clapboard Cape Cod-style cottage features much of its original late 1700s architecture, including the original Federal-style fan light above the door. Black shutters, copper gutters, and blooming hydrangeas bring a timeless appeal.
Sometimes, a bit of front porch pizazz is all a cottage needs to feel special. This 1989 Folk Victorian farmhouse cottage of designer Claire Zinnicker makes use of delicate trim in a delightful way.
Small cottages appear larger when you pay extra attention to the front door. On this California cottage, a widened door frame, extended stoop, and a board-and-batten roof gable make a Craftsman-style statement.
A cottage’s front lawn may be on the smaller side, but that doesn’t mean it can’t pack a punch. Take it from this brick mountain cottage set in the Shenandoah: Come fall, groupings of autumnal-hued mums pair wonderfully with pumpkins and stacks of chopped firewood.
Cedar shake siding is one of the telltale signs of a classic Cape Cod-style cottage. Here, an earthy green door helps the weathered texture blend in perfectly with its natural surrounds. Also: How sweet is that white picket fence with the welcoming double gate!?
Vintage finds are a wonderful way to add personality to a more nondescript cottage exterior, and we love the assortment dotting the front porch of this nostalgia-inspired Michigan lake cottage of Joe and Abby Albers. Who’d’ve thought minnow buckets would make for such cute—and weatherproof!—planters?
Cottage-style homes can live larger with a few strategic indoor-outdoor architectural details, such as the 12-foot-wide sliding door that leads to the cozy covered porch on this California beach cottage. (The perfect place for a pair of porch swing!)
Porticos are a brilliant way to add oomph to your cottage entrance. The exposed roof rafter-tails on the one welcoming visitors to this 1949 Georgia lake cottage are just too cute. (Same goes for yellow lab Gabbie!)
No, your eyes do not deceive you...Paul Caddell’s charming Sag Harbor cottage really is off center! It was built that way intentionally, all the way back in 1814, to allow more space for the living room. (Not a bad design idea at all, when you think of it.)
Stucco walls, a red clay tile roof, and painted Periwinkle frames around the arched door and windows give this small Santa Barbara cottage a come-on-in air.
If storybook charm is what you’re after, you’ll definitely want to consider a Tudor style cottage. The overlaying roof gables and stone detailing around the windows and doors on this California cottage feel fresh out of a fairytale.
The rear catslide roof on this three-centuries-old North Fork saltbox cottage owned by Derrick and Jennifer Miller may run the ceilings a little low, but that makes for all the more cozy interior quarters.
Set inside a 40-acre California citrus grove, this tiny (just 970 square feet!) cottage is a Grade-A primer in simple rules that make a small space feel beautiful. Out front is another signature of cottages: lots and lots of roses!
This hall-and-parlor style Folk Victorian may sit small at 635 square feet, but the shiplap walls, old-growth pine floors, and original decorative moldings give the interiors a grand feel.
Sarah Zlotnick is the Lifestyle Director at Country Living, where she covers a little bit of everything—small towns, life in the country, and, her favorite, antiques. A research buff at heart, she loves a deep dive into the history of vintage finds and uncovering the reasons behind old-as-time traditions.
Elizabeth Finkelstein and her husband, Ethan Finkelstein, are the brains behind the popular Instagram and newsletter Cheap Old Houses. Together, they restore historic homes in HGTV’s series Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House? Elizabeth grew up in an 1850s home lovingly restored by her parents, so her love for crown molding and peeling wallpaper runs in her gene pool. She holds a master’s degree in historic preservation and has put in years of professional work restoring old houses. While not filming or nurturing the vast and wonderful @cheapoldhouses community, the couple spends time restoring their own cheap old farmhouse — a little slice of heaven they snagged for a cool $70,000.
Expert consulted: Elizabeth Finkelstein
