Cottagecore Is Trending and It Makes So Much Sense for 2020

You might have noticed the term "cottagecore" floating around your timeline recently. It's a trending internet aesthetic especially popular among a subsection of young people seeking refuge from a cold and unforgiving world—aka TikTok teens. It's a form of escapism and refers to a kind of fantasy world far removed from pandemic, climate crisis, and the more oppressive corners of technology that tether us to a world in chaos.

The origins of cottagecore can be traced back to 2018. The trend first appeared on Tumblr, then Reddit, Facebook, and, in late 2019, TikTok, where it found new relevance among the queer community and continues to enjoy relevance today. On TikTok, #cottagecore has 3.1 billion views, and even the New York Times has written about its cultural significance.

@jesca.her

Slow down and take in the sunshine ☀️ ##aesthetic ##cottagecore ##cottage ##manifestation ##fyp ##xyzbca

♬ Dear Katara - L.Dre

Generally speaking, cottagecore is a whimsical visual aesthetic that celebrates nature and an idea of simple living. Cottagecore seeks to siphon the essence of an imagined life in the countryside to help make real environments more habitable than they sometimes feel, whether literally through home décor and personal style or figuratively through mindset.

@fantasyfawn

Baby’s first homemade candle ☺️🍄✨ ##cottagecore ##candlemaking ##fyp ##ShaveItOff

♬ 오리지널 사운드 - y.na__

Cottagecore looks like the countryside. It's warm, inviting, and cosy. Things that are explicitly cottagecore: herb gardens, needlepoint, dried flowers, floral prints, homemade bread, ceramic figurines, plaid blankets, treehouses, DIY recipes, foraging for mushrooms, fairy tales, true love, writing only in lower-case (see: Taylor Swift's folklore), and cottages (obviously).

@hellowhatareyou7

I'm gonna fill this book with flowers and leaves and draw a bunch of plants :) ##bookbinding ##cottagecore ##goblincore ##art

♬ flowers by in love with a ghost - moth.mom

To bring a little cottagecore into your home décor, look for natural fibres, warm colours, symmetrical patterns such as tartan, plant life and other organic objects, and wood. Don't go overboard or your home will end up feeling like a cottagecore-themed movie set, which is unlikely to reflect your unique sensibility or meet your individual needs.

Look to the Byron Bay home of Courtney Adamo for an example of chic yet accessible country-inspired décor. Muted, warm tones harmonise with accents of green and indoor plants, and ample light offers constant connection to the outdoors.

For more DIY-inspired décor ideas, get educated on bricolage – the anti-trend trend that will help you save money and the planet all at once.