8 Cottage Style Homes with Gorgeous Exteriors

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Cottage homes come in many different styles and often borrow architectural elements from other home types, such as Tudors and Cape Cods. Additionally, they can be found all throughout the United States and were named the most popular home style in the country in a recent HomeAdvisor powered by Angi study.

While their appearances might vary, cottage style homes have some defining characteristics. For example, they tend to be single-story structures with a smaller footprint and simple layout. These cozy dwellings can often feel straight out of a fairytale and evoke the charm of countryside living. Here, we’ve put together a roundup of some of our favorite cottage style homes — from traditional to modern and everything in between — to inspire you.

Whether you have a cottage style home, a cabin, a lake house, or something else entirely, our team can help you visualize its potential and turn it into your dream dwelling. From paint colors to a new patio, we can help you see your desired changes before you commit to costly renovations. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services. 

Before and after photos of a cottage style home

#1 // Updated 1940s Cottage Style Home

This 1940s cottage style home was full of charm but needed some updating. Our designers achieved that with a fresh coat of paint and some new fixtures. For the paint colors, our team recommended limewash tinted to color match Benjamin Moore’s Manchester Tan on the stone and Benjamin Moore’s Deep Creek on the siding and trim. The entryway also got a refresh with a new front door, a light fixture overhead, and planters on each side.

Before and after photos of a cottage style home

#2 // French Cottage Style Home

This design blends country charm with stylish sophistication to achieve the French cottage style aesthetic the homeowner desired. A light color palette — Benjamin Moore’s Olympic Mountains on the brick, columns, and gable and Cape May Cobblestone on the siding — makes the home feel more welcoming and offers a major curb appeal boost. New shutters and a shaker-style front door add to the country charm of this chic cottage.

A coastal cottage style home

#3 // Coastal Cottage

This coastal cottage style home is bright and beachy. Natural elements like the light stone and wood front porch add to its coastal feel. A lounge area with a firepit helps create a cozy and welcoming vibe.

A virtual rendering of a cottage style home

#4 // Colonial-Inspired Cottage

This unique 1920s cottage has a colonial feel to it with its symmetrical design, centered door, and rectangular shape. This cottage-colonial style is something the homeowner wanted our designers to lean into, rather than taking a more modern approach. The mix of textures on the upper and lower levels of the home creates visual interest, and we especially love the pop of color provided by the shutters that are painted with Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy.

Before and after photos of a coastal home

#5 // Modern Cottage

Here’s another example of a coastal cottage but with a more modern aesthetic. The original home was dark and hidden by large shrubs. We brightened it up with a fresh coat of paint. Plus, our designers helped the owner visualize new landscaping that shows off the updated exterior. The new garage door and Bahama shutters are painted in a beachy blue — Benjamin Moore’s Palladian Blue — and a gorgeous glass front door draws attention to the entryway.

Before and after photos of a cottage

#6 // Light and Bright Cottage

This home’s exterior was underwhelming and lacked curb appeal, but some smart design choices brought it to life. Our designers swapped the stucco on the bottom of the home with brick and painted it — plus the siding and trim — with Benjamin Moore’s Etiquette, a beautiful light beige that looks lovely with the gray-green shutters (rendered in Benjamin Moore’s Sea Haze). Our team also added a wood pergola above the large front windows and a cozy seating area on the porch.

Before and after of a painted brick cottage

#7 // Painted Brick Cottage

Painting your brick is an easy way to transform your home’s exterior — as evidenced by this classic cottage style home. Benjamin Moore’s White Dove is used on this home’s brick, siding, and trim, while the front door and shutters are painted with Palladian Blue. The flagstone walkway, copper gutters, new railing and light fixtures, and wood window boxes also help transform this cottage.

A virtual rendering of a home with an earthy color palette

#8 // Nature-Inspired Cottage

This client wanted her cottage style home to feel like it was one with nature. To achieve this, our designers recommended an earthy color palette — Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee on the brick and Sherwin Williams’ Pewter Green on the shutters — and incorporated plenty of natural elements, like wood columns and a pergola. A seating area in front of the bay window and a loveseat swing offer plenty of room to relax. All of these elements come together to create a tranquil, nature-inspired home exterior.

A ranch home rendered in Dried Thyme with stone and copper accents

Considering updating your cottage style home?

Cottage style homes exude charm and curb appeal. From quaint country to chic coastal, there are many varieties of cottages, too. We hope this roundup of cottage style homes has provided plenty of ideas you can incorporate into your own property. 

Dreaming about updating your cottage style home — or giving your home a cottage-style update? Let us help make your dream home a reality. Start your exterior design project with brick&batten today.

Author

Britteny has worked as a professional writer and editor for more than a decade. She launched her career as a features writer in New York City, covering fashion, food & beverage, and hospitality. She has contributed to a wide range of publications, including International Business Times, Glam, Thirsty Mag, and Cardinal & Pine and has worked with famous faces such as Kate Upton and Nigel Barker throughout her career. Britteny has been covering the exterior home design industry as a writer for brick&batten for almost two years. Britteny splits her time between New York City, her home state of Michigan, and Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast of Belize in Central America. When she’s not writing or editing, Britteny can be found at the beach or in the kitchen testing out vegan recipes.