Buying Guide
Contemporary cottagecore: Turn your English summer garden into a romantic oasis
In this expert guide, we’ll show you how to weave a little cottagecore magic into your outdoor space whilst retaining a contemporary feel.
Wild, rustic and effortlessly dreamy. Bring a contemporary twist to cottagecore with our modern English countryside garden ideas.
Have you always dreamed of a whimsical cottagecore garden? The kind of outdoor space that encourages slow, outdoor living and romanticises countryside charm? Think rambling, overgrown paths that lead to secret, cosy seating and wild blooms of all your favourite flowers. It’s easy to see why so many of us yearn for a garden that feels straight out of a fairytale.
But capturing the essence of a quaint English countryside garden can be tricky, especially if you’re working with a neat, modern garden. And with busy lifestyles, maintaining a cottage-inspired garden can feel a little out of reach. That’s where we can help.
In this expert guide, we’ll show you how to weave a little cottagecore magic into your outdoor space, whilst retaining a contemporary feel. We’ll cover everything from choosing the right blossoming flowers to styling charming outdoor furniture that looks like it’s always belonged there.
What does ‘cottagecore’ mean?
The cottagecore aesthetic is all about capturing the essence of a quiet, countryside cottage. It romanticises the art of moving slowly, appreciating natural beauty, and curating a home that feels rich in nostalgia and cosiness. Indoors, you’d expect to see lots of soft furnishings, eclectic furniture, and clashing patterns, like stripes, gingham and, of course, florals!
Why cottagecore works in outdoor spaces
Cottagecore works beautifully for outdoor spaces. It celebrates nature in its purest form, allowing your garden to grow wildly and organically, just like any picturesque English cottage garden in the countryside. It has a calm yet curated feel. Overall, a cottagecore garden should feel rustic, relaxed, and incredibly homey.
How to create a contemporary cottagecore garden
Now, let’s explore some practical tips on how to bring the cottagecore feel to your contemporary garden.
Create a romantic, winding path
A lot of modern gardens feature hard, clean edges, and whilst this can look super chic, it’s not quite right for the cottagecore aesthetic. Instead, look at softening any hard edges in your garden.
If you have a lawn, you could create your very own rambling garden path, a staple of any cottage garden. Simply dig up the soil and lay down gravel or bark in your desired shape (we’d recommend wiggly for a truly whimsical feel). You could even add larger paving to create clear stepping stones and plant moss in between the stones that grow and creep along your path over time - just like a scene in a fairy book.
Swap cool tones for warm neutrals
Colour choice is an extremely important factor when designing your dream cottagecore garden. Swap out any cold tones for a soft neutral colour palette, such as warm stone or sandy tones. This is an easy way to warm up your space and create a calm ambience.
If you want to see a pop of colour in your garden, look to sweet pastel shades, such as lilacs, dusty pinks, baby blues and butter yellows. You could weave in these tones through contemporary garden furniture or with your planting - which we’ll get onto later.
Lean into organic materials
“Where possible, choose organic materials that are timeless yet durable, such as rattan weave, rope effect detailing or powder-coated aluminium.”
- Kris Manalo, Head of Design at Atkin and Thyme
Since this aesthetic is all about embracing the natural world, opt for organic textures where possible. Think natural materials like wood, rattan, bamboo, and stone, for an authentic feel.
We adore rattan furniture, such as our luxuriously stylish Olivia 6 Seat Dining Set in Terracotta in cottagecore gardens. Featuring a round glass-top table and four curved rattan armchairs, the Karla set strikes the perfect balance between rustic and contemporary. Plus, there’s plenty of space for the whole family to get around and share alfresco dinners and memories together.
Best materials for the warm minimalism trend
Let your flowerbeds grow wildly
One of the easiest ways to create a cottagecore effect in your modern garden is by planting wildflowers and watching your flowerbeds bloom. Make sure to mix up your colours, heights, and flower species for an eclectic, colourful explosion of florals. They’re great for our pollinator friends, the bees, and for us to look at! Win-win.
And the good news is, even if you’re a gardening novice, a simple packet of mixed wildflower seeds will do the trick. Just wait for them to grow to see what flowers pop up! You’ll have your very own cottage meadow in no time.
Top tip: No flowerbed? No problem. You can create exactly the same effect with plant pots, instead. Perfect for modern patios and terraces, or even a balcony! A little creativity goes a long way.
Best cottagecore garden plants:
- Foxgloves.
- Roses.
- Delphiniums.
- Geraniums.
- Field poppies.
- Oxeye daisies.
- Sweet peas.
- Hydrangeas.
Soften hard infrastructure with trailing vines
Here at Atkin and Thyme, we love a modern pergola. They’re great for bringing structure and creating a cosy, enclosed space in your garden. However, these large, contemporary pieces don’t quite lend themselves to the cottagecore aesthetic. To soften the edges, we’d recommend hanging some beautiful climbers and trailing vines, such as jasmine and ivy, to create a gorgeous green canopy. Not only do these plants help to blend your pergola in with the rest of your garden, but they add extra whimsy to your cottage garden.
To add some extra magic, hang some twinkly fairy lights, like our Outdoor Cascade Lights, 6 Cluster Drops, in between the vines for endless romantic al fresco evenings under your pergola.
Add a shady seating area
Tea for two? Every cottagecore-inspired garden needs a luxury bistro table and chair set. These elegant pieces are so charming, and compact enough to slot into the smallest of outdoor spaces. Once you’ve decided where to position your bistro set, style it with some comfy seat cushions and add a beautiful parasol to create a sun-dappled corner. Now, you have a shady seating area that’s straight out of a Nancy Meyers romcom.
Shop our full collection of elegant bistro tables and chairs for two.
Who knew creating a cottagecore garden in a contemporary outdoor space was so easy? With the right garden furniture, and some intentional gardening tricks, you can create a beautiful, cottage-inspired garden that celebrates the very best of slow living in a modern world.
Looking for more garden inspiration? Check out our expert guide on how to make a sunlounger work in your outdoor space for endless summer lounging.
