Close your eyes and imagine for a moment a cottage out in the middle of a field, the sweet smell of nature wafting in through the open windows and the sound of crickets and birds. This might be a far cry from your home if you live in a busy city or bustling neighborhood, but you can still get the feeling of relaxation in your own home no matter where you live!
When we think about cottages, we think about cozy floor plans, natural materials, and tranquility. This style is hard-pressed for competition when it comes to the feeling of home. Whether you are all-in on the cottage style or looking to add a few details to warm up your new custom home, these features are timeless as well as beautiful and comfortable!
External Cottage Features:
The design feel of a home starts on the outside. This is the first impression the house makes, so what does your house say about what can be expected inside? For the cottage style, homes are typically created with natural materials, asymmetrical structure, and a cozy covered front entrance. Cottage homes are a little deceiving. The outside makes the home look quaint, but once inside, they often open up to wide floor plans and bright, airy family rooms.
- Natural sidings like stone or brick
- A prominent roofline and picturesque dormersAsymmetrical
- Covered entrance
- Half-rounded or arched doorways
Internal Cottage Features:
The inside of a cottage home is often best described as shabby chic. The design goal is to feel comfortable, homey, and rustic. There are no real set rules when it comes to designing cottage home interiors. It should reflect your personal style, layout needs, and design aesthetics. With that being said, natural materials are typically carried through the indoors of the home and natural rustic materials are used to create a sense of age. A combination of surfaces and sheens coexist casually, such as a piece of glazed pottery paired with a weathered tin planter.
Fine Details
The fine details of a cottage home often evoke the 1920s, when a typical cottage would have a generous front porch, with a second story typically tucked into the attic. Cottage homes are closely related to Craftsman homes but look a little less refined or polished. Other details that really set a cottage home apart can be found in the list below:
- Exterior materials often tied to local landscape or region
- Unpretentious interiors, often with a fireplace
- Often easy to live in and to maintain
- Typically have a small footprint, and often fit on narrow lots
- Found in both rural and urban settings
- Tend to be well-crafted, and have interesting exterior detailing
- Rarely have vinyl siding, tending toward natural materials
If the cottage home sounds like a great fit for your dream custom home, let the Hamilton Homes design team know which features resonate with you most and we can create the look and feel of cottage living in a brand new home designed just for you! We’re standing by to hear all your ideas, let’s get started!