Cottage | Real Homes

flowers and plants in front of pretty brick cottage with plants growing up the building - one of the best ideas for cottage gardens

12 cottage garden ideas that will help you create a dreamy and delightful space

Cottage garden ideas are full of life and color. We explore how to create the perfect scheme with flower and decor advice, plus curated highly-rated picks

Real home: a Grade II listed cottage renovation

Taking a bit of a risk, Judy and Stuart Meeke bought a listed cottage without knowing if they would be able to alter it to make it lighter and brighter. The results speak for themselves

By Janet McMeekin Published 1 September 20
Real homes: take a tour around this characterful Cotswold home

Revisiting design ideas first imagined more than two decades ago, Joolz and Jonathan Abbs-Woodd have transformed their Oxfordshire family home

By Ann Broad Published 28 August 20

Real home: be inspired by this beautiful Grade II-listed Welsh longhouse

Christine and Neville Brown’s cottage in Wales has a long and fascinating history that has shaped the character of their unusual period home

By Heather Dixon Published 23 August 20
Cottagecore ideas: 9 ways to get the look at home

These dreamy English homes have all the cottage core inspiration you'll ever need!

By Pippa Blenkinsop Published 14 August 20
Real home: centuries old cottage full of vintage finds and timeless, rustic style

When January Grundy swapped a new-build house for a historic cottage she couldn't wait to maximise its character with antique finds and vintage curios

By Annabelle Grundy Published 20 May 20

Christmas house: a restored Georgian stone cottage in Cornwall

Salvaged, vintage, upcycled and handmade: every piece in Kerry Knight’s Cornish cottage tells a story – especially at Christmas

By Katherine Sorrell Last updated 31 October 19
Real home: a tiny thatched cottage full of light and space

Fringed with a heavy thatch and with a walled garden full of country flowers, this peaceful cottage is the perfect place for Sam Pullen-Campbell and her family to spend their free time

By Karen Darlow Published 23 July 19
Real home: a pretty farm cottage sees an Arts & Crafts inspired restoration

Built from the ancient stones of a ruined abbey, this pretty farm cottage has been given a new lease of life

By Karen Darlow Published 1 July 19

Real garden: an award winning cottage garden

Brimming with frothy blooms, this pretty cottage garden of a Grade II listed stationmaster's house won best garden in the Period Living Awards

By Heather Dixon Published 25 March 19
Real home: a modern two-storey extension

Eily Roe and Connor Kennedy added a double-height extension to the rear of their country cottage without the need of planning permission. Taking advantage of their sloping garden, the couple created an open-plan lower ground floor

By Barbera Egan Published 8 January 19
Real home: renovating a Victorian cottage

Overhauling a dated, dark and cold Victorian cottage, Julia Sinclair has extended her home, remodelled the layout and completed the transformation with a fresh and vibrant interior

By Pat Garratt Published 4 January 19

Real home: a contemporary renovation of a farm cottage

Natural light, modern design and open spaces transform this18th-century stone cottage into a contemporary home

By Mandi Miller Published 2 January 19
Christmas house: a renovated Cotswold stone cottage

Christian and Jessica Fleming worked hard to make the Cotswold stone house they inherited their own, creating light, spacious interiors

By Karen Darlow Published 24 December 18
Christmas house: a renovated Tudor cottage

Buying a pocket-size thatched cottage in need of major repairs was a brave move for Alison and Carl Cooper, but one they’ve turned into a big success

By Karen Darlow Published 14 December 18

Real home: a cottage annexe creates more space

Cheryl and Ciaran Maher turned a dilapidated cottage in the garden into a contemporary annexe that meets their family’s needs

By Lucy Searle Published 29 June 15
Christmas house: an Edwardian cottage gets a spacious loft extension

Jo and Simon Rutt updated their family home and converted the loft to create a spacious master suite

By Natalie Flaum Published 19 November 14