5 of the Coziest English Country Cottages on Houzz
Ease into the holiday season with this roundup of the best country cottage interiors from Houzz UK
This is the time of year when cozy living rooms, roaring fires and comfy armchairs beckon. Here are five of the best English country cottage interiors featured on Houzz.
Maximizing storage was a must in the small kitchen. The lower kitchen cabinets house a dishwasher and plenty of drawers for pots, as well as a corner cupboard with a pullout rack.
“We wanted to keep it nice and open, so we only installed wall units on one side,” Shore says. Three brass sconces complement the brass hardware.
Limestone flooring was used in both the kitchen and dining area. Here, a seagrass rug from Africa softens the surface.
Kitchen cabinets and sink: Wren
“We wanted to keep it nice and open, so we only installed wall units on one side,” Shore says. Three brass sconces complement the brass hardware.
Limestone flooring was used in both the kitchen and dining area. Here, a seagrass rug from Africa softens the surface.
Kitchen cabinets and sink: Wren
In the master bedroom, the back wall was plastered, so the team built a layer of Cotswolds stone in front of it. “It takes up some space in the room, but creates more character,” Shore says. An upholstered seat was also built into the recessed window.
Brass reading lights can be turned on with a separate switch, while the table lamps can be operated at the wall for more decorative illumination. “The wall had to be immaculately planned for the back boxes and switches,” Shore says.
Read more about this Cotswolds cottage
Brass reading lights can be turned on with a separate switch, while the table lamps can be operated at the wall for more decorative illumination. “The wall had to be immaculately planned for the back boxes and switches,” Shore says.
Read more about this Cotswolds cottage
Photos by Simon Brown
2. 18th-Century Cornish Cottage
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Rock, Cornwall, England
Size: Four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Interior designer: Marion Lichtig
The passage of time was key to the refurbishment of this old Cornish cottage. The two years over which the project took place gave interior designer Marion Lichtig and the owner the opportunity to evolve a comfortable and welcoming look, and create a home full of furniture and accessories with character.
The design process was collaborative. “I was lucky,” Lichtig says. “The owner is very much on my wavelength and we briefed together, bringing the cottage into the 21st century, but with elements of the past.”
Most of the pieces in the home are one-offs sourced by Lichtig or owned by her client, and they’re set against a light and airy backdrop where period features are allowed to shine.
Browse furniture in the Houzz Shop
2. 18th-Century Cornish Cottage
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Rock, Cornwall, England
Size: Four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Interior designer: Marion Lichtig
The passage of time was key to the refurbishment of this old Cornish cottage. The two years over which the project took place gave interior designer Marion Lichtig and the owner the opportunity to evolve a comfortable and welcoming look, and create a home full of furniture and accessories with character.
The design process was collaborative. “I was lucky,” Lichtig says. “The owner is very much on my wavelength and we briefed together, bringing the cottage into the 21st century, but with elements of the past.”
Most of the pieces in the home are one-offs sourced by Lichtig or owned by her client, and they’re set against a light and airy backdrop where period features are allowed to shine.
Browse furniture in the Houzz Shop
A room with twin beds on the first floor of the cottage is simply decorated, with a seagrass rug underfoot and pale stone linen curtains that provide a gentle window dressing. Welsh blankets on the beds introduce a little pattern to the room and the artworks give a nod to the cottage’s coastal location.
“I’d already collected the pressed seaweed prints,” Lichtig says. “Sometimes, you have to buy things in advance if you love them and know they’re going to work somewhere.”
Read more about this Cornish cottage
“I’d already collected the pressed seaweed prints,” Lichtig says. “Sometimes, you have to buy things in advance if you love them and know they’re going to work somewhere.”
Read more about this Cornish cottage
3. 19th-Century Cottage in Norfolk
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Katy Stevenson Bretton and her husband and two children. The family uses the cottage as a vacation home and also rent it out
Location: North Norfolk, England
Size: Two bedrooms, one bathroom
Designer: Katy Stevenson Bretton of Studio Mônty
The beautiful location of interior designer-turned-business coach Katy Stevenson Bretton’s Norfolk cottage was the inspiration for its interior scheme. “I wanted it to be connected to its surroundings. Often, inspiration starts by looking at nature and what’s around,” she says. “I went walking in the nearby Holkham Estate and found shells in blacks, grays and deep blues. These, and the muddy brown landscapes, provided the color palette.”
“The dining table was from a local vintage store, and the chairs belonged to my husband’s granny,” Stevenson Bretton says. “I had cushions made in hardwearing fabric that can easily be scrubbed clean.”
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Katy Stevenson Bretton and her husband and two children. The family uses the cottage as a vacation home and also rent it out
Location: North Norfolk, England
Size: Two bedrooms, one bathroom
Designer: Katy Stevenson Bretton of Studio Mônty
The beautiful location of interior designer-turned-business coach Katy Stevenson Bretton’s Norfolk cottage was the inspiration for its interior scheme. “I wanted it to be connected to its surroundings. Often, inspiration starts by looking at nature and what’s around,” she says. “I went walking in the nearby Holkham Estate and found shells in blacks, grays and deep blues. These, and the muddy brown landscapes, provided the color palette.”
“The dining table was from a local vintage store, and the chairs belonged to my husband’s granny,” Stevenson Bretton says. “I had cushions made in hardwearing fabric that can easily be scrubbed clean.”
The living area is directly opposite and open to the kitchen, with stairs on the right that lead to the next floor. The bottom stair was originally very shallow, so the built it out to provide a safer route.
“Many things in the house are reclaimed and repurposed,” Stevenson Bretton says. “I found this butcher’s block, for example, in a reclamation yard and asked if they could add legs to turn it into a coffee table.”
She also found a vintage armchair and had it reupholstered. An old theater lamp is positioned on the left wall, while a ship’s bulkhead light illuminates the right wall.
Read more about this Norfolk cottage
“Many things in the house are reclaimed and repurposed,” Stevenson Bretton says. “I found this butcher’s block, for example, in a reclamation yard and asked if they could add legs to turn it into a coffee table.”
She also found a vintage armchair and had it reupholstered. An old theater lamp is positioned on the left wall, while a ship’s bulkhead light illuminates the right wall.
Read more about this Norfolk cottage
Photos by Mark Watts and Unique Home Stays
4. Stone Cottage in Cornwall
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Phil and Patricia Smith
Location: Near St. Breward, Cornwall, England
Size: One bedroom, one bathroom
Interior designer: Paul Hervey of PHI Concepts
This cottage is located in a little wooded valley at the edge of Bodmin Moor and near the fishing villages of the north Cornwall coast. It was formerly the village reading room, but it had been empty for about three years. “It just wanted to be loved again,” interior designer Paul Hervey says.
Hervey had to overcome some surprising practical challenges before the decorating could start. “There was an underground river going through the kitchen,” he says. Old paneling was stripped out and the room was tanked to make it watertight.
As it isn’t naturally light-filled, the owners “wanted muted, chalky colors to get the space as well lit as possible,” Hervey says. The living-dining room was zoned to keep it feeling uncluttered. The back of the sofa divides the dining table and chairs from the seating area. Above the dining table, a cupboard constructed from scaffold boards conceals internet and electrical fixtures.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
4. Stone Cottage in Cornwall
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Phil and Patricia Smith
Location: Near St. Breward, Cornwall, England
Size: One bedroom, one bathroom
Interior designer: Paul Hervey of PHI Concepts
This cottage is located in a little wooded valley at the edge of Bodmin Moor and near the fishing villages of the north Cornwall coast. It was formerly the village reading room, but it had been empty for about three years. “It just wanted to be loved again,” interior designer Paul Hervey says.
Hervey had to overcome some surprising practical challenges before the decorating could start. “There was an underground river going through the kitchen,” he says. Old paneling was stripped out and the room was tanked to make it watertight.
As it isn’t naturally light-filled, the owners “wanted muted, chalky colors to get the space as well lit as possible,” Hervey says. The living-dining room was zoned to keep it feeling uncluttered. The back of the sofa divides the dining table and chairs from the seating area. Above the dining table, a cupboard constructed from scaffold boards conceals internet and electrical fixtures.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
With both granite and slate predominant in the house, softening the rooms with alternative textures was essential to make the interior feel comfortable.
In the bedroom upstairs, Hervey opted for a bed made from vintage wood palettes and bedside tables in reclaimed fir to help create depth and character. As elsewhere in the cottage, the window is simply dressed — here it’s with a linen blind — to avoid robbing the room of daylight.
The room has a built-in wardrobe, but hooks were attached to reclaimed timber to create extra hanging space. The shallow shape of the pendant light is space-saving and the shade has an industrial look that complements the cottage’s simple materials.
Read more about this Cornish cottage
In the bedroom upstairs, Hervey opted for a bed made from vintage wood palettes and bedside tables in reclaimed fir to help create depth and character. As elsewhere in the cottage, the window is simply dressed — here it’s with a linen blind — to avoid robbing the room of daylight.
The room has a built-in wardrobe, but hooks were attached to reclaimed timber to create extra hanging space. The shallow shape of the pendant light is space-saving and the shade has an industrial look that complements the cottage’s simple materials.
Read more about this Cornish cottage
Photos by Lobster and Swan
5. Cozy Cottage in the Lake District
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family using it as a vacation home
Location: The Lake District, Cumbria, England
Size: Four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a wet room
Designers: Jessica Gibbons and Kat Turner of Field Day Studio
The renovation of this old stone cottage in the heart of the Lake District was a labor of love for designers Jessica Gibbons and Kat Turner of Field Day Studio. The clever bit? It almost looks as if it hasn’t been “designed” at all.
“We always establish the concept of a project right at the start, and the concept for this design was based on the surrounding landscape and connecting with the view,” Gibbons says. “The owners also wanted it to look as if the new design had been there forever, and didn’t want to lose the charm of the home.”
The ground floor is laid with reclaimed planks throughout and decorated comfortably and simply. An existing wood-burning stove in the living room was lifted slightly higher, so it can be seen from anywhere in the room. It’s surrounded by comfy armchairs and a deep sofa. The original stone wall still contains an old spice cupboard, which can be seen to the right of the fireplace.
5. Cozy Cottage in the Lake District
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family using it as a vacation home
Location: The Lake District, Cumbria, England
Size: Four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a wet room
Designers: Jessica Gibbons and Kat Turner of Field Day Studio
The renovation of this old stone cottage in the heart of the Lake District was a labor of love for designers Jessica Gibbons and Kat Turner of Field Day Studio. The clever bit? It almost looks as if it hasn’t been “designed” at all.
“We always establish the concept of a project right at the start, and the concept for this design was based on the surrounding landscape and connecting with the view,” Gibbons says. “The owners also wanted it to look as if the new design had been there forever, and didn’t want to lose the charm of the home.”
The ground floor is laid with reclaimed planks throughout and decorated comfortably and simply. An existing wood-burning stove in the living room was lifted slightly higher, so it can be seen from anywhere in the room. It’s surrounded by comfy armchairs and a deep sofa. The original stone wall still contains an old spice cupboard, which can be seen to the right of the fireplace.
The upstairs was entirely rebuilt, but has been cleverly made to look like the original building. “We based the bedrooms on local poets and artists,” Gibbons says.
The Wordsworth bedroom, shown here, has a bucolic feel, with pale blue walls and yellow curtains. “The brass bed was already there, so we bought some antique lace to make it soft and pretty,” she says.
Read more about this Lake District cottage
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The Wordsworth bedroom, shown here, has a bucolic feel, with pale blue walls and yellow curtains. “The brass bed was already there, so we bought some antique lace to make it soft and pretty,” she says.
Read more about this Lake District cottage
More on Houzz
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Shop for home products
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1. 18th-Century Cotswolds Cottage
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: The Cotswolds, England
Size: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designer: Jo Shore
This cozy 18th-century property needed quite a lot of work to bring back its character and create a roomier living space for the couple who live here. “They worked with architects to design an extension, and we completely updated the bones of the building, including wiring, plumbing and reinstating stone walls,” interior designer Jo Shore says.
To give this tiny cottage a more spacious feel, the wall that separated two small living rooms was removed to create a larger space. Shore extended the hearth beneath the wood-burning stove by sourcing the same dark limestone as the existing surface. The mantelpiece beam was stripped back and made good, and an alcove was created to store the wood.
The ceiling beams were originally stained a dark color, so Shore painted them white to give a fresh look to the room. She hung a cozy herringbone wool curtain over the front door at the side of the space for added insulation.
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