14 Cottages to Suit Every Character

Can you dream about living in a magical stone cottage, a saltbox on the shore or a comfy vintage cottage with loads of personality? Whatever the style you would like, there is bound to be a cottage that appeals to you — and here at , homeowners, architects, designers and builders have shared many inspirational examples of cottage living. These 14 cottages are packed with ideas to take away as inspiration for your next home project.

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

1. Renewed. This cottage was once in such disrepair that many who watched it would have insisted on tearing it down and starting over, but homeowners Ian McLeod and Kerry Johnson watched their perfect escape. Following a major overhaul, the cottage, situated on Mayne Island, off Vancouver, today exudes warmth and fashion.

Watch the tour Creative Design Moves Rescue an Island Cottage

Gatling Layout

2. Retirement Friendly

The couple who have this 1932 cottage added on without putting in another floor, so they will have the ability to live out their retirement years here. They kept the facade almost untouched but fully rebuilt the interior (and added 600 square feet) with lots of personal touches, like the Craftsman design bookcases revealed below.

Gatling Layout

Watch the tour: Updates Honor a 1930s Cottage’s History

Texas Construction Company

3. Fresh Modern

The owners of the adorable cottage in Austin, Texas, had help refreshing their distance from Pam Chandler of Fab Architecture. They removed a wall separating the kitchen and dining rooms to make a single open space, painted the flooring chartreuse and added a spacious backyard.

Texas Construction Company

Texas Construction Company

Watch the tour: Modern Cottage in Texas

Cynthia Lynn Photography

Cynthia Lynn Photography

4. English

You would never guess by looking at this stunning English-style cottage it’s a new construct in a Chicago suburb — and that is how homeowners Tim and Dona Lawler wanted it. Working carefully with their architect, contractor and interior designer, they created a home rich with real details, like the rounded-top front door and box-beam ceiling shown here.

View the tour: English Cottage Style Graces a Home Bathed in Light

Murphy & Co.. Layout

Murphy & Co.. Layout

5. Storybook Stone

The design for this cozy cottage in Minnesota was based on historical English rock cottages. Jeff Murphy of Murphy & Co.. Design used a bevvy of reclaimed materials — brick, stone, slate and timber — to provide the house its naturally aged look.

Watch the tour: Fairy Tale Gatehouse in Minnesota

Tess Bethune Interiors

6. Family Friendly

This sweet little Venice, California, cottage was built to serve as a temporary mat for the homeowners while they save up to embark on the significant project: getting the main home, situated on the exact same property, ready for fulltime dwelling. Designer Tess Bethune opened up space in the home by adding windows and removing walls. The cheerful, functional space houses the family of four for today, and down the road it will end up a guesthouse for visiting relatives.

Tess Bethune Interiors

Watch the tour: Sunlight and Family Friendliness for a California Cottage

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

7. Tiny

The Tour of the 540-square-foot house on Sauvie Island, Oregon, is among the hottest on , and with good reason! Interior designer Jessica Helgerson and her loved ones have been able to produce this postage-stamp-size cottage feel spacious, light and completely charming. Actually, it felt so right that instead of utilizing it as a weekend escape, as they had intended, the family ended up making it their own fulltime residence.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

Watch the tour: A Household of 4 Unwinds in 540 Square Feet

Shannon Malone

8. Thrifted

full of classic paintings and natural curiosities, the Santa Cruz, California, cottage of interior designer Scarlett Fiona Reed manages to pack a great deal of personal design into 500 square feet. If you want to understand what to do with each one of those flea market finds, you’re sure to spy a notion within this miniature home.

Shannon Malone

Watch the tour: 500-Square-Foot Charmer in Santa Cruz

Ryan Nelson Photography

9. Green

This meticulously constructed Arts and Crafts–inspired cottage is nestled into a gorgeous woodland in British Columbia. The residence is packed with green attributes, such as locally harvested timber, in-slab heating along with also a rainwater cistern, and is surrounded by landscaping designed by homeowner Carol Page, who once worked for the Devonian Botanic Garden at the University of Alberta.

Ryan Nelson Photography

Watch the tour: Green Home Tucked in a Canadian Forest

10. Woodsy

Perched at the edge of a spruce woods, overlooking a lobstering harbor, this cottage is classic Maine. Owned by the exact same family for generations, it has been upgraded, but with a very light touch. The house still has the rustic personality that made it such a distinctive place to start with.

Watch the tour: Maine Cottage on the Point

Jeanette Lunde

Jeanette Lunde

11. Scandinavian

This fresh, pretty cottage in southern Norway is what graphic designer Jeanette Lund and her loved ones call home. Bright white walls and light floors maximize light year-round — a feature particularly valued throughout Norway’s long, dark winters. Pops of colour provide a cheerful touch.

View the tour: A Joyous Home in Norway

Louise Lakier

12. Classy

Eclectic and comfy, with a glowing, bold exterior, this house (known The Salsa House) on Vashon Island, Washington, is big on personality. Each paint colour was separately mixed for the perfect colour. The lawn holds a vintage Airstream camper where visitors can stay, plus fruit and vegetable gardens, beehives and a chicken coop.

Louise Lakier

View the tour: Little, Vivid Island Home in Washington

Becki Peckham

Becki Peckham

13. Coastal

This rustic saltbox cottage in the historic fishing village of Trinity, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, has been built in 2001 and fits seamlessly in the landscape. Whitewashed walls expand the distance, while hardwood ceilings and beams help provide the cottage a warm, comfy feel.

Watch the tour Saltbox Charm in a Heritage Fishing Community

Kate Jackson Design

Kate Jackson Design

14. Beachy

Interior designer Kate Jackson went with a fun, young aesthetic when pulling together this beach cottage in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. While filled with lots of classic cottage accents, like beadboard and white walls, in addition, it has some stylish surprises, like a fluffy faux-fur rug, printed pillows and a bamboo bar cart.

Watch the tour: Beach Cottage Chic in Rhode Island

Inform us Which cottage is your favorite?

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