In an age where the world feels increasingly fractured and digital, there’s a growing yearning among millennials to return to a simpler, more analog way of life. Enter cottagecore – an aesthetic and lifestyle movement that romanticizes rural living, traditional decor, and domestic skills. Popularized by celebrity devotees like David Beckham, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift, cottagecore has become a balm for the soul in turbulent times.
The Appeal of Nostalgic Decor
One hallmark of the cottagecore trend is a revival of old-fashioned decor elements. Teapots are having a moment, along with dado rails, ottomans, butter dishes, tablecloths, and water jugs. Even stacks of firewood are gaining cache as chic home accessories. There’s a sense that surrounding oneself with these comforting, timeless objects can provide an escape from the pressures of modern life.
“The resurgence of the retro farmhouse aesthetic reflects a desire for comfort and timeless design in our homes. With the kitchen often being the central place for socialising and entertaining, many of our customers want to ensure it reflects their personalities and is welcoming to guests.”
– Tori Summers, B&Q’s kitchen showrooms director
Mastering Homesteading Skills
Millennials drawn to cottagecore aren’t just changing their decor – they’re also seeking to master traditional homesteading skills. According to a B&Q survey of 2000 adults aged 29-44, there’s renewed interest in learning how to cook from scratch, make sauces, bake, and even sew.
It seems this generation wants to have their homemade Victoria sponge and eat it too, with eco-friendly doilies to match. Of course, they’re not entirely abandoning modern conveniences – air fryers, USB plugs, and milk frothers remain must-haves.
An Antidote to Hustle Culture
At its heart, the cottagecore movement represents a rejection of the “rise and grind” mentality that’s dominated millennial work culture. Amidst epidemic burnout, there’s a growing recognition that the relentless pursuit of productivity is unsustainable and unfulfilling.
“Cottagecore attempts to assuage burnout with a languid enjoyment of life’s mundane tasks. It is an obvious backlash to the hustle culture embodied by Fiverr ads.”
– The New York Times
By romanticizing domestic labor and a slower pace of living, cottagecore offers millennials permission to opt out of the rat race. Baking bread, tending a garden, or embroidering by the hearth becomes a quietly radical act of self-care.
A Desire to Reconnect with Nature
The cottagecore aesthetic is also tied to a growing desire to reconnect with the natural world. In a time of climate anxiety and pandemic restrictions, pastoral landscapes hold an undeniable allure.
“People want to be closer to nature. The biggest trend in interior design is bringing the outdoors indoors.”
– Kai Chow, creative director at the Doneger Group
From frolicking in wildflower meadows to thatched roof cottages covered in roses, cottagecore imagery evokes a fantastical escape to a world where the rhythms of life are dictated by the seasons, not iPhone notifications. Even if most millennials can’t actually abandon city life for greener pastures, incorporating nature-inspired elements into their homes provides a comforting simulacrum.
A Trend for Troubled Times
Ultimately, cottagecore’s appeal lies in its promise of sanctuary from an increasingly dystopian world. With pandemics, climate disasters, political unrest, and economic instability as the backdrop to millennial adulthood, embracing the domestic and the nostalgic starts to make a lot of sense.
By playfully LARPing an agrarian lifestyle – even if only through decor choices and domestic hobbies – millennials are reclaiming a sense of agency and opting into a quieter, more comforting narrative. In a world where so much feels out of control, the alchemy of turning flour, sugar, and eggs into a perfect Victoria sponge offers the satisfaction of small, tangible pleasures.
So let us raise a mismatched floral teacup to the cottagecore movement – may it be a safe harbor and source of solace for millennials charting a course through an uncertain future. In a time where so much is in flux, coming home to the smell of freshly baked bread and a cozy armchair by the fire is a timeless comfort.
