This week in thoughts: what the heck do I mean by "modern cottage"?

And how will I achieve it?

When I shared that we would be selling our house and relocating on my instagram stories back in December of last year, I also discussed my need to experiment with interior styles. Our old home was very much known for it’s scandi-rustic style which I think suited the Georgian architecture, but I knew when we moved in to our cottage that it wouldn’t work as well. There’s more of a distinct feel to our new home; the lower ceilings and beams, hiddledy-piggledyness for example, means it needs a different type of treatment.

Thing is, at heart, I’m just not a traditional girlie. Don’t get me wrong, I adore elements of traditional interior deign but I think at my core I lean more towards the eclectic. I updated our old home many many times until I settled on it’s last incarnation. I think I did it well but I was always learning. I am more confident now and also have a more trained eye from practice. I love to push myself to be more experimental in my designing and to really trust my gut when it comes to certain aspects of a room. For example when we decorated harlow’s bedroom recently, I knew I wanted to really tap into that cottage core aesthetic whilst keep it feeling very ‘now’. I could’ve really gone down the more classic cottage route; however I just love modern design pieces too much!

Harlow’s room is the first space we have completed. I mixed very traditional, vintage pieces; such as the bed and desk/chair with more unexpected elements such as the art, celling light and the colour way.

Modern Cottage.

Sounds like an oxymoron right? Think of a cottage and I see something cosy, charming and possibly a bit rustic. Definitely beams, maybe stone or brick work, accompanied by uneven floors and teeny, rickety staircases that are a health hazard to anyone who dares go near them. I also envision lots of soft furnishings, mis-matched cushions and blankets in eclectic prints, a tonne of books (some dusty) and a quaint wholesomeness to it that you cant quite replicate in bugger homes. There’s antiques and vintage finds galore. There is a deep sense of history and it beguiles with its bohemian loveliness.

Modernity on the other hand is something very different right? It’s clean and crisp and functional. Its sleek and sophisticated and might make us feel more grown up. I think (and I could be wrong) that really anything with unfussy lines and a simplicity could be viewed as modern but i’m not an expert so you should definitely not pay any attention to me…

So when I say I’m going for a modern cottage vibe in our new home-which coincidently is a cottage (and built around 1870 and therefore Victorian if you want to get specific.) I essentially mean combining these two very distinct styles but also not necessarily paying attention to the time period in which it was built.

For example, I love a mid-century light. Something about lighting from this era just does it to me and I don’t know why. I think there’s a sense of playfulness; the materials used, the unusual shapes- my fave being the flying saucer-esqe style ceiling light by Louis Poulsen.

I love this image I found on Pinterest which combines these two styles expertly in my opinion. The traditional Sandberg wallpaper, beams and artwork combine with the century style bedside tables and of course, that speculator light. The headboard and wallpaper clash, but in the right way and even though it shouldn’t work, it SO DOES. It feels fresh and a little unexpected; but still appropriate. I think it’s the juxtaposition that captures my heart.

Image Credit Unknown (taken from Pinterest.)

The thing I love about interior design is that you can really let loose. It’s such an involved art form-one that you enter with everything you are. It pushes you to be brave, and it can be so liberating. In my opinion there is no right or wrong and it’s incredibly personal. Of course there are little things that you can do to elevate your rooms; tricks and tips that can help it feel more pulled together; but it also really irks me when people say that certain tings should be avoided or that particular styles are less than. But anyway I digress!

So modern cottage is the way forward for us. I’m taking my lead from Harlow’s room, and mixing and matching the two styles throughout our new home. Here’s some easy ways that I (and you) can achieve that:

• Use cottage/ vintage print wallpapers and layer with a modern gallery wall.

• Add ‘clean’ lighting (simple, fuss free shapes) in a vibrant pop of colour to an otherwise traditional room.

• Mix furniture styles- a classic sofa with a mid-century or Scandi style accent chair. Clash fabrics and legs/ feet.

• Layer vintage books with a modern vase/ decorative pieces on a console or coffee table.

• Mix textiles prints-for example, a liberty print with a bold, bright stripe.

• Mix materials for intrigue; wood, metal, marble, paper and fabric (as many as you can think of.)

  See you soon!

  Nina x