The Best (and Cheapest) Ways to Add a Little ‘Cottagecore’ Style to Your Home

Simple, charming, and romantic cottagecore style is a design aesthetic that embraces country living on a sustainable scale. Advocates of the style purport that it’s not just a style, but a way of life. Embracing handcrafted decor and giving a nod to traditional looks, cottagecore interior design lends itself easily to DIY projects because of its quaint, vintage sensibilities. Here are some ways you can add some cottagecore appeal to your space without breaking the bank.

Swap out your hardware

Changing out hardware on cabinets and furniture can add just the right touch if you’re leaning into a style, and cottagecore is no exception. Adding new knobs with enamel or porcelain details, floral or natural elements, or traditional metallic designs can give you a taste of cottagecore style without costing you more than $10 per drawer or cabinet door. Make sure to measure the size of your existing drawer pulls before choosing new ones to make sure you won’t need to drill new holes to fit your new pulls.

Swap out your light fixtures

Lighting fixtures can also update the look of your room without needing to spend a ton of money on renovations. Since most light fixtures are simple to install yourself, you can save some money on installation too. Swapping out your light fixture for one with natural materials, one with a simple traditional motif or pattern, or one that incorporates a natural or botanical shape can add some simple, traditional charm for around $40. If you’re inspired to tackle a more challenging DIY light fixture project, you can also choose to refinish an old chandelier in a brass or wrought iron-look; paint or swap out the shades on an existing fixture to incorporate a more cottagecore look without needing to replace the whole fixture. Doing an update on an existing fixture is in keeping with the cottagecore style, incorporating hand-crafted and DIY items.

Swap out your plumbing fixtures

You might not realize it, but plumbing fixtures in a sink, bathtub or shower can affect the overall feel of a room significantly. Choose a faucet with criss-cross knobs, ceramic elements, or burnished, antique metal finish to add a more cozy feel to your room for around $60. That’s much cheaper than replacing sinks and tubs entirely, while still adding a bit of cottagecore charm. You will be able to install most fixtures yourself with some simple tools and materials so this update can save you on labor costs as well. Make sure you know what kind of hardware your current sink will accept before you decide on a fixture to make sure everything will fit.

Refinish woodwork

If you want to add some charm to your space, you can also opt to refinish woodwork and furniture. If you’re redoing woodwork on furniture or cabinets, whitewash or natural stain will help you get the simple, elegant look of cottagecore design for between $8 and $40, depending on the size of your project. You can also choose to varnish over old, chipped paint to preserve the distressed look of a surface. Make sure not to do this with woodwork that might have lead, as lead needs to be mitigated by a professional.

Add natural wall color

Adding natural tones to paint colors is another good way to incorporate cottagecore aesthetics into your design style. Using soft green, muted rose, and earthy red tones in paint colors can help invoke the sense of simple calm that cottagecore strives for—for around $16 a gallon. Many cottagecore spaces also have wallpaper, so choosing one with a botanical theme, a raised, traditional pattern, or a monochromatic, nature-inspired motif will help you to add some antique-inspired country charm to your space. You can find wallpaper for between $10 and $40 per roll, making it a good choice for a dramatic update on a budget.