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Inside story
How lockdown has fuelled our love of frills and florals
Lockdown has left many city-dwellers yearning for an escape to the country. Enter the ‘cottagecore’ trend for filling your home with frills and florals. By Jessica Doyle
Not so long ago, a chintz curtain, ruched blind or floral sofa would have been a symbol of a certain stuffiness; a style that felt out of touch in contrast with the Scandi minimalism that had come to signify interior style. Not any more: antique furniture and traditional-style fabrics have been making a comeback (some, of course, would say they never left), and the past few months have only accelerated their progress.
The lifestyle trend known as ‘cottagecore’ is for an idealised version of country living. It’s recently become more mainstream, partly thanks to social media, but also due to remote working, which became the norm for many when lockdown began – and is, apparently, the shape of things to come. More people realised that perhaps they didn’t need to live in a town or city, and could be living the bucolic dream. In a recent survey by Rightmove, 30 per cent of people looking to buy a home said lockdown had made them want to move to a more rural area, and Savills has reported a 90 per cent increase in demand for country locations compared with the same time last year.
But whether or not you live in (or plan on moving to) the sticks, the country-style aesthetic is one that can bring a feeling of comfort and warmth to any interior, hence its current popularity.
THINK TEA COSIES, WINGBACK ARMCHAIRS AND FOOTSTOOLS
For interior designer Sophie Robinson, who is ‘living the cottagecore life’ in rural East Sussex, the look is deeply connected with her idea of home, which is itself rooted in her childhood. Discussing the trend with interiors writer Kate Watson-smyth on their podcast The Great Indoors, she says: ‘When I had my son Arthur, I had to leave the city. It just totally kicked in; I wanted him to have the childhood that I’d loved so much.’ For Robinson, in design terms, the look is summed up in ‘tea cosies, wingback armchairs, a footstool… It’s all very 1970s Laura Ashley.’
Fashion brands that have branched out into homewares are, more often than not, similarly looking to the past for inspiration – take, for example, Preen’s frilly cushions and satin floral eiderdowns; Tory Burch’s recent collaboration with decorator Robert Kime on a collection of fabrics and wallpapers; and, on the high street, the new collection from H&M Home, which sees the brand diversifying from its usual minimalist style into whimsical floral bedspreads and tablecloths.
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE ULTRA-FEMININE
Although in sartorial terms the cottagecore look is a very feminine one – all smocked frocks and frilly blouses – when it comes to interiors, it’s an aesthetic that is embraced by men too: designers Ben Pentreath and Luke Edward Hall are among those who have advanced it, both in their work and in their own, much-admired country homes.
For interior stylist and writer Emilio Pimentel-reid, who surveyed the homes of numerous creatives for his latest book, Bold British Design (Quadrille, £30), part of the interest is the way the look has captured the imagination of the young, as well as the older generations with which it has previously been associated. ‘I wanted to know, why would a 20-something person want to live in Bruton, surrounded by antiques?’ he says, referring to the interior decorator Jack Laver Brister, one of the book’s subjects. ‘But then, there’s so much tat around, I think the time is right for well-made furniture that lasts.’
CHANNEL A 1970S GRANNY VIBE (WITH A 2020 TWIST)
The illustrator Camilla Perkins, another of the book’s subjects, similarly demonstrates how to style the country look in a modern way: what she describes as a ‘1970s granny vibe’ translates into bold colour on kitchen cabinetry, painted furniture and velvet upholstery.
The point of this version of the aesthetic is that it works for contemporary life, too. ‘It’s not about replicating your grandmother,’ says Pimentel-reid, ‘and it’s not a negation of the century we’re living in. It’s a rediscovery of things that feel right.’