A recent Cedral survey revealed that the majority of us hanker after country cottage style homes, with a nostalgic eye on the past and a pull towards nature. Almost a third of our respondents said they favoured the cottage look, beating luxury modern homes and traditional Georgian/Victorian style properties into second and third places respectively.
Next on the wish list for those questioned were unique Grand Design style homes, villas like those seen in Love Islands, Bridgerton-esque stately homes and, last on the list, the type of New York apartment buildings seen on Friends. It seems most of us would rather potter around Miss Marple style in a cottage than discover our inner Monicas and Chandlers in a high rise.
But a cottage doesn’t have to mean acres of countryside, a thatched roof and roses tumbling around the door. Read on to find out how to give the traditional country cottage look a very contemporary edge, mixing in traditional materials with modern facades and making the most of the landscape. Take inspiration from the real-life homes below.
Riverside retreat in the Lake District
This beautiful riverside home was given a stylish – and very practical – makeover with the addition of a Cedral Lap fibre cement facade. The stylish white cladding sits beautifully in the countryside setting, perfectly offset by the surrounding natural stone walls and foliage.
Located in the Lake District, the original house on the site had to be demolished due to damage caused by flooding. Cedral facades was the perfect choice for the rebuild with its resistance to the elements and minimum life expectancy of 50 years.
Contemporary country cottage in West Malling
Soft white Cedral weatherboards laid horizontally on the upper half of this countryside home are the perfect complement to the rustic red bricks underneath. The look is beautifully brought together by attractive red roofing tiles.
Lots of green planting, shrubs, hedges and foliage soften the geometric lines of the bricks and cladding, while design touches like the eye-catching lantern draw the eye to stylish details.
Up-to-the-minute style in Suffolk
Combining traditional New England style cladding with bricks also gives Buckfield House its contemporary charm – and choosing Cedral weatherboards in dramatic black created a very striking and eye-catching exterior. The self-build family home in Suffolk also fits beautifully into its surroundings, with cladding a popular trend for properties in the area.
“Cedral Lap is the ideal option for selfbuilders as not only is it cost effective, it also meets the individual requirements of the build,” says owner Gerry Fincham. “We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the project, we have been able to create a truly standout home that we know will look great in years to come.”
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