21 Cozy Cottage-Style Homes That Charm from All Angles
Step this way for straight-out-of-a-storybook exteriors.
Expert consulted: Elizabeth FinkelsteinA rambling farmhouse is always wonderful, and there’s nothing quite like a majestic mountain cabin come fall, but there’s something extra special about cottage-style homes. “Cottages are timeless because they are both attainable and charming,” says historic preservationist and co-host of HGTV’s Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House? Elizabeth Finkelstein. “The small square footage makes maintenance manageable for most people, and the proportions bring an instant ‘cozy’ factor to any gathering. Who doesn't want that?”
If you’re a fellow tiny home aficionado, and are ready to take a deeper dive into this quintessentially country dwelling, then you’ve come to the right place! Read on for our comprehensive guide to cottage-style homes, including their interesting history as well as details on size and scale, then continue on for a save-for-later list of our favorite cottage home tours.
How to make your home feel like a cottage
On the outside, cottage-style homes delight with small details and a rustic, worn-in feel. (Think: folksy gingerbread porch trim, weathered wood siding, and painted window shutters.) Steep shingled roofs and overgrown English-style gardens are also popular accompaniments.
On the inside, cozy and collected are the two predominant themes of cottagecore, a home decor trend that celebrates all things cottage. Start with the foundations of classic country utilitarianism—patinated and oft repurposed wood furniture, patchwork quilts, and hardworking handwoven baskets—then layer in touches of whimsy. Painted floors, patterned wallpaper, and one-of-a-kind antiques all hit the mark.
Ready to venture further into the world of small spaces? Ahead you’ll find a collection of Country Living’s coziest cottage home tours.
For More Home Style Know-How:
A Clapboard Cape Cod Cottage
Half the appeal of a cottage-style home can be its historic authenticity. This three-quarter clapboard Cape Cod-style cottage features much of its original late 1700s architecture, including the original Federal-style fan light above the door. Black shutters, copper gutters, and blooming hydrangeas bring a timeless appeal.
Get the Look:
Exterior Paint Color: Cloud White by Benjamin Moore
Shutter and Door Paint Color: Black by Benjamin Moore
A Sweet Cedar Shake Cottage
Cedar shake siding is one of the telltale signs of a classic Cape Cod-style cottage. Here, an earthy green door helps the weathered texture blend in perfectly with its natural surrounds. Also: How sweet is that white picket fence with the welcoming double gate!?
Get the Look:
Front Door Paint Color: Chopped Dill by Benjamin Moore
RELATED: Our Favorite Green Paint Colors
A Charming Cashiers Cottage
We’re honestly not sure what’s more charming about this North Carolina cottage: the farmhouse-wide front porch or the cutting garden out front.
California-Cool Beach Cottage
Cottage-style homes can live larger with a few strategic indoor-outdoor architectural details, such as the 12-foot-wide sliding door that leads to the cozy covered porch on this California beach cottage. (The perfect place for a pair of porch swing!)
A Centuries-Old Saltbox Cottage
The rear catslide roof on this three-centuries-old North Fork saltbox cottage owned by Derrick and Jennifer Miller may run the ceilings a little low, but that makes for all the more cozy interior quarters.
RELATED: Why is it Called a Saltbox Home?
Too-Cute Tudor Style Cottage
If storybook charm is what you’re after, you’ll definitely want to consider a Tudor style cottage. The overlaying roof gables and stone detailing around the windows and doors on this California cottage feel fresh out of a fairytale.
Off-Center Hamptons Cottage
No, your eyes do not deceive you...Paul Caddell’s charming Sag Harbor cottage really is off center! It was built that way intentionally, all the way back in 1814, to allow more space for the living room. (Not a bad design idea at all, when you think of it.)
Sarah Zlotnick is the Lifestyle Director at Country Living, where she has run point on travel, rural lifestyles, and all things vintage and antiques since 2021. Previously a lifestyle editor at Washingtonian and Philadelphia magazines, she has been championing small businesses and regional destinations for 15 years. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Georgetown University, a major her younger self would be quite surprised to learn has come so in handy. First and foremost a service journalism enthusiast, she loves an in-depth explainer on an everyday topic or a deep dive into the history of vintage objects. When she’s not editing and writing, you’ll find her needling her husband to pull off the highway so they can explore a new small town or cozying up with a juicy murder mystery.
Elizabeth Finkelstein and her husband, Ethan Finkelstein, are the brains behind the popular Instagram and newsletter Cheap Old Houses. Together, they restore historic homes in HGTV’s series Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House? Elizabeth grew up in an 1850s home lovingly restored by her parents, so her love for crown molding and peeling wallpaper runs in her gene pool. She holds a master’s degree in historic preservation and has put in years of professional work restoring old houses. While not filming or nurturing the vast and wonderful @cheapoldhouses community, the couple spends time restoring their own cheap old farmhouse — a little slice of heaven they snagged for a cool $70,000.
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