Back in spring I finally finished my cabin in the garden. Here are 3 quick ways to create cottage core interiors featuring my summerhouse-turned-cabin.
But before showing you the new interiors, take a look at the previous decor in my cabin which used to be decorated in black here! Yes I went through a black era and then it got colourful before finally settling on pastel.
Our cabin is a small 8 ft x 10 ft Mercia summerhouse that we put together ourselves. When it arrived in sections, we realised it wouldn’t fit through our very narrow Victorian hallway so my husband had to cut the main piece into two! We then proceeded to build it in our back garden ourselves. We insulated it to ensure we can use it all year round. The walls and ceiling are now fully insulated and the floor is covered in foam and rugs for extra comfort and warmth. We use it a a guest room when needed – even in the winter.
This year I am so pleased that we finally finished kitting it out. So without further ado, here are my 3 quick ways in creating cottage core interiors featuring my cabin / summerhouse.
3 Quick Ways to Create Cottage Core Interiors
1. Floral pastel wallpaper
I fell in love with Little Greene’s Hencroft Blue Primula. It just seemed the perfect colour and just the right cottage core vibe for my cabin. Paired with Little Greene’s Grey Stone I set about painting and papering the cabin.
At first I left the ceiling just painted – you can see the painted ceiling on the photo on the right above. Something felt missing. I then papered the ceiling and voila, the difference it made was incredible. You can see the fully papered cabin ceiling on the left photo above. Papering the ceiling transformed the entire cabin giving it a fresh welcoming, cocooning feel. It also looks finished and complete. So never forget that fifth wall!
You can see a video snippet of the transformation here on my Insta feed.
2. Vintage floral pictures / prints
The photo above was before I put up two vintage floral prints I had bought from a vintage fair a few years ago. The space still looked nice and finished with the wallpaper being the main wall decor. It’s a lovely pattern of re-imagined cowslips and the colour is soothing. All well and good.
But when I added the two vintage floral prints on the wall above the sofa, it really elevated the space to a new level. It’s difficult to photograph this angle without reflections on the frames as the doors are literally where I was standing with the camera and light fills in from there. But I think the difference is immediately noticeable. They break up the repetitive pattern and not in a jarring way being floral prints themselves.
3. Classic stripes
The cabin came with 4 windows: 2 on the front and 2 on the sides. It has 2 doors with windows so altogether that makes 6 sources of daylight. Blinds were essential to keep the light out in the evenings especially during long summer nights. I opted for Blinds 2Go Albany Ice roman blinds as I loved their classic stripes look.
I was absolutely delighted when they came. They are a perfect fit as they were made to measure and the of high quality. The pull strings work so smoothly. Best of all installation was a breeze with their slide and lick mechanism. These blinds have thermal lining to keep warmth in during the cold season.
Use cushions and throws to incorporate more stripes in your interiors for that cottage core look and feel. I added a stripe bolster cushion and a knitted blanket with striped edges.
Bonus
If the above 3 quick ways to create cottage core interiors are not enough here is another tip.
Mix floral patterns
Don’t be too bothered about matching florals. I just threw in various floral cushions in an array of colours. One of my favourites is this Clarke and Clarke Golden Parrot cushion which is made of the softest ever velvet. It looks and feels stunning, the softest cushion to the touch. I absolutely love it!
The lack of “matchy-matchy” is a good thing as it creates a homely, lived-in space with a history. It becomes a soulful space with character and whose story you want to find out more.
I added two more floral cushions with patterns inspired by the mingling of East and West. These are artist-designer’s Amanda West’s shimmer velvet cushions in her signature vibrant colours and exotic florals.
I hope you enjoyed this post on 3 Quick Ways to Create Cottage Core Interiors and found it useful. If you have any questions, message me on Instagram and I’d be happy to help if I can. Don’t forget to download my free resources that will help you design your own interiors and grow your Instagram account! Let’s chat on Instagram Layered.Home and together get inspired!
This post is not a sponsored post but contains previously declared sponsorships with Little Greene, Blinds 2Go, Clarke and Clarke, Amanda West.
