Cottagecore

Escape into cottagecore

Owning your own safe private piece of property to escape the pressures and complications of modern life is part of the American dream. While home ownership in urban areas offers the excitement of living in a vibrant community of art and culture with countless opportunities of alluring and intellectually enriching events to attend, dreaming of the peaceful rural idyllic lifestyle of our 19th century ancestors is a tempting escape from recent uncertain times. So much time spent at home in quarantine with no definite timeline in place to return to normal can cause a person to crave changes in their living arrangements and reimagine their general way of life. Because of this change of perspective and desire for escape there's been an increase of interest an aesthetic called cottagecore.

Jayne Dowle at Housebeautiful.com writes "Cottagecore is a cultural movement which idolises the concept of a simple, self-sufficient life. Capturing a yearning for a life that is more rural and idyllic, it taps into a desire to be at one with nature, and to live in a world outside of the one currently inhabited." Cottagecore is most popular among younger generations and consists of aspects of rural 19th century life like baking bread, tending gardens, sewing and other fiber arts while still enjoying modern conveniences like public utilities and wi-fi. Living a simpler life with the feeling of having more control over life's circumstances can be comforting in a time of pandemic and economic upheaval.

Leaving the city and buying a cabin in the woods, a cottage on the beach or a home in a pastoral setting is a dream of those drawn to the cottagecore aesthetic. While a cabin in a wooded grove or a small farm fulfill fantasies of serenity, seclusion and simpler living, property along the shoreline can also offer opportunities for simpler living with hand-made fishing lures cast from homefront beaches and hand-made lobster pots stacked along private piers.

If purchasing a home isn't possible at this time, redecorating present living space can help to create the atmosphere of country living in a bygone era and achieve the emotional comfort gained from personal resiliency and self-sufficiency. Fatigue from spending the majority of time at home can be lessened by completely changing the style of the décor to one that promotes serenity and simplicity.

One way to create a calm cottagecore atmosphere at home is to learn a new hand craft like sewing, knitting or woodworking to create something that will be useful and to achieve a feeling of self-sufficiency and purpose. Jessica Bennett, writing for bhg.com says, "Tap into the nostalgia of the cottagecore trend with traditional crafts, such as embroidery, knitting, and crocheting. These relaxing activities can help reduce stress while you create something beautiful."

Another way is to explore the attic, basement, garage or any other storage area for a piece of furniture or other home good that can be cleaned up and repurposed for use in the living area of the house. Sometimes a small act of repurposing can result in feelings of creativity, self-reliance and success.

Additionally, displaying a vintage piece of pottery, decoration or linen will lend to the cottagcore atmosphere in the home. For those who don't already possess any vintage items, vintage items can be found at thrift stores, yard sales and consignment shops. Writing for Lifesavvy.com, Elyse Hauser suggests, "Vintage trinkets are very cottagecore, and so are collections.

For example, ceramic animals, decorative vases, or seashells all make for pretty collections that are easy to display."

Spending time in the kitchen baking is another cottagecore activity that can bring about warm feelings of personal satisfaction. Creating healthy sustenance for self and loved ones is satisfying as well as productive. Try out rarely or unused appliances and otherwise ignored oven settings while filling the home with aromas of baking bread, pastry and other baked goods. Canning produce from the garden and making jelly and jam are also popular cottagecore activities that provide positive feelings of self-confidence and self-reliance.

Whether buying a quiet home in the country or along the shore or redecorating your present home to resemble one, cottagecore is an aesthetic that allows those drawn to it the opportunity to experience a serene lifestyle that trades the complicated uncertainty of our modern lifestyle for a simpler, self-resourceful lifestyle that samples cozy, soothing aspects of a peaceful country home of a bygone era.