Home Improvement Ideas Home Exteriors Curb Appeal Ideas, Makeovers and Photos 15 Cottage-Style Homes with Cozy Charm By Jessica Bennett Jessica Bennett Instagram Jessica Bennett is an editor, writer, and former digital assistant home editor at BHG. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on December 17, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Kim Cornelison Cottage-style homes are distinguished by their cozy, welcoming appearance. Typically smaller than many other types of homes, these dwellings prioritize comfort and charm over grandeur. Use these gorgeous cottage homes to inspire your own quaint retreat. 01 of 15 Cottage-Style Home Entrance Ed Gohlich Colorful blooms and a pretty front gate on a picket fence create a welcoming entrance to this cottage-style home. Planted containers flank the swinging gate, reinforcing the symmetry created by dual sets of bay windows and shutters around the front door. Brick accents on the cottage home exterior and pathway add charming texture and contrast. 02 of 15 Modern Cottage-Style Home Edmund Barr Interpret cottage style on a modern home with a crisp exterior color scheme and elegant details. A swinging gate and curved stone path lead up to this home's wide front porch. The bright front door and colorful patio furniture pop against a slate-blue exterior that's neatly defined by white trim. 03 of 15 Cottage-Style Characteristics Anthony Masterson Cottages can vary widely in style, but there are a few characteristics that distinguish this architectural aesthetic. Their diminutive size is one key characteristic, and chimneys often feature prominently in cottage house plans. On this small white cottage, a brick chimney and two small dormer windows add interest to the roofline. 04 of 15 Cottage Home Styles Laura Moss Cottage homes often borrow architectural elements from other house styles but showcase them on a smaller scale. For example, this home features Craftsman-style details, including the tapered square columns and brick accents, but the modest porch and colorful landscaping set a distinctive cottage tone. Other popular home styles often seen on cottages include Victorian, Tudor, Cape Cod, and rustic cabin designs. 05 of 15 Spacious Cottage-Style Homes Brian McWeeney Cottages aren't always limited to small floor plans. Larger cottage-style homes rely on distinctive elements, such as the wraparound porch and ornamental brackets pictured here, to play up the charm. Although this house is much bigger than most cottages, the white picket fence and low front porch offer an approachable look from the curb. 06 of 15 Colorful Cottage Home Kim Cornelison Simple updates that don't cost a lot can pay off big on cottage-style homes. Here, those include window boxes at both lower and second-story windows, as well as a trellis pattern repeated around the front door and on the containers. The bright pink front door features a marbled design for another charming exterior element. 07 of 15 Cottage-Style Curb Appeal Brie Williams Little details make the difference in enhancing curb appeal for cottage-style home exteriors. Here, that starts with a picket fence painted white to accent the home's creamy neutral color. Time-worn bricks keep the walkway casual, which complements the simple front porch railing and rocking chairs. 08 of 15 Cottage Exteriors Richard Leo Johnson A screened-in porch can be one of the signature details of a cottage-style home, and the extra details on this exterior make it all the more charming. Those include cross-hatch mullions on the lower section as well as a cheery red door, which provides a striking color contrast to the pastel exterior. A flagstone walkway also keeps things casual and welcoming. 09 of 15 Garden Ideas for Cottage-Style Homes Andre' Baranowski Cottage-style gardens often feature exuberant displays of flowers and a relaxed, informal look. Dress up a cottage home with these same ideas to play up a cozy, rural look. On this two-story home, trellises break up the height from the sidewalk to roof trim and bring bursts of color to the shake-shingled facade. 10 of 15 Small Cottage Home Kim Cornelison Small cottage homes can offer tons of charm within a limited footprint. Colorful siding and trim, bay windows, carefree landscaping, and a low wood fence define this quaint home. For cottages that lack a front porch, a front yard can also provide a seating spot and a welcome opportunity to interact with the street life of a neighborhood. 11 of 15 Cottage-Style Landscaping Bob Stefko Many cottage-style homes are defined by lovely landscaping designs. Here, a casual, overflowing collection of colorful blooms lends a storybook feeling to this wood-shingled cottage. A delicately detailed fence adds definition to the flower bed to keep it from looking too out-of-control. 12 of 15 Traditional-Style Cottage Home Tria Giovan An equal mix of traditional style and quaint cottage, this classic home exhibits powerful symmetry and a steeply peaked roofline. The restrained landscaping design keeps the focus on the cozy cottage exterior. Matching window boxes soften the low hedge border, while the inset pavers add a more casual element to the otherwise staid palette and details. 13 of 15 Cozy Cottage Home Emily Followill This cottage-style home was designed for relaxation. Matching swings on either end of the porch offer spots to enjoy a variety of views. Outdoor ceiling fans keep homeowners and guests cool while kicking back. Along the roofline, two chimneys hint at cozy fireplaces within. 14 of 15 Beach Cottage Ideas James Carriere Depending on its location, a cottage-style home might have influencing aesthetics that help determine some of its details. For this beach cottage, the homeowners chose to dress up the beach wall with details that mimic the home, including white walls and an orange-red brick accent. Black shutters and window shades help ground the white palette, while green house numbers add a subtle touch of color. 15 of 15 English-Inspired Cottage Carol Freeman Plucked from the pages of a storybook, this quaint cottage-style home uses architecture and landscaping to create casually beautiful curb appeal. A tall stone fence and wide wooden gate provide entry into the midst of a growing collection of flowers and shrubs. The stone facade and the roof's curvy shingles appear pulled directly from the English cottages of old. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit