Home & Hearth

Cottagecore Isn’t Just Aesthetic — It’s a Lifestyle for Some Brits

For a new generation, slow living is more than just a hashtag.

Published on 2025-10-05 20:07 by By Janice Allen

For some, it’s an Instagram trend filled with lace dresses and sourdough starters. For others, cottagecore has become a genuine lifestyle — one rooted in intentional living, slow routines, and a deep connection to nature. Across rural and semi-rural Britain, the movement is quietly taking root in everyday life.

It’s not just about decor. Enthusiasts like Amelia Rose, who moved from London to a Derbyshire village, grow their own herbs, sew their own clothes, and keep chickens. 'I wanted my time to feel mine again,' she says. 'Cottagecore helped me reclaim that.'

The term may be new, but the ideals are old. From William Morris to the Good Life generation of the 1970s, Britain has a long tradition of romanticising domestic simplicity. What’s different now is the blend of old-world charm with digital documentation.

Online, #cottagecore has become a sprawling archive of soft-focus gardens, jam jars, and handwritten letters. Offline, it’s leading to lifestyle changes — with more people baking, crafting, gardening, and even taking up skills like weaving and soap-making.

The pandemic accelerated interest, but for many, the appeal stuck. 'It’s not just escapism,' says a Somerset-based blogger. 'It’s a kind of protest against the speed and noise of modern life. It’s saying: I choose this pace, this texture, this way.'

Economics play a role too. While some aspects of the aesthetic are expensive, others are frugal by nature — repairing instead of replacing, cooking from scratch, embracing secondhand. It offers a sense of control amid uncertainty.

Cottagecore has also found resonance in the LGBTQ+ community, where its gender-neutral embrace of softness, self-care, and rural escape offers a rare blend of safety and creativity. For many, it’s not a phase — it’s a homecoming.

As one Scottish homesteader put it, 'It’s not about rejecting modern life completely — it’s about choosing what parts of it you invite in. Cottagecore gives you permission to romanticise survival, and to do it beautifully.'