Cottagecore vs. Maximalism: What's the difference? (And what the heck is Goblincore?) : Annie Elliott Design

I have a confession, Gentle Readers. Until the article in the Washington Post last week, I wasn’t really aware of Cottagecore as an interior design trend.

Sunny cottage style porch — Cottagecore reading room

Cottagey bedroom — An adaptation of Cottagecore

I knew that, thanks to the pandemic, some people were adopting a Little House On the Prairie meets Laura Ashley back-to-the-land-as-long-as-we-have-internet lifestyle, complete with peasant dresses and the occasional chicken.

woman in peasant dress holding chicken — Brwak brawk

Charmingly cluttered kitchen — There’s a LOT going on here

So I made a little TikTok about Cottagecore and pushed it aside.

Rustic cottage-style bedroom with layered rugs and plants — A bedroom loosely interpreted in Cottagecore style. Photo by Sara McDaniel

But I got to thinking: if the hallmarks of Cottagecore are vintage furniture, bright colors and patterns, layers of materials, and nostalgia, then what’s the difference between it and Maximalism?

Lavish Maximalist green room by designer Tony Duquette — Maximalism is synonymous with designer Tony Duquette

Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but I believe it comes down to 2 things: dirt and money.

Maximalist room in orange and green by Ben Pentreath — By Ben Pentreath. I love him

Maximalism is a celebration of excess. An explosion of color and pattern, and yes, even clutter — a crossover characteristic of the 2 styles — combined with antique furniture, richly patterned rugs, and, if you’re me, a brass Martini table from West Elm. (They REALLY should be paying me.)

Blue Maximalist library by Nick Olsen — By Nick Olsen

But while the rug might be from your great-aunt and the furniture is old, chances are good that the fabrics of Maximalism are fresh and new. The colors are saturated jewel tones, not muddy earth tones. City house, not country house. And Maximalism generally looks expensive, even if it isn’t.

Luxurious maximalist room by Alessandra Branca — Alessandra Branca’s Maximalist style

Cottagecore, on the other hand, is musty. It’s more vintage than antique. American frontier, not English manor. The floral patterns might be faded, the painted furniture mismatched, and the inhabitants’ feet bare. It’s rustic. And Cottagecore can look, well, a bit unclean, even if it isn’t.

Living room with light green floral wallpaper and shabby ripped velvet tufted sofa — Almost shabby, right?

This is not to say that I find Cottagecore devoid of charm. Au contraire, mon frère! The style can be EXTREMELY charming, especially when it comes to kitchens, with their open hutches of chipped teacups and sun-bleached rose-print café curtains.

Cottage dining room with open hutch — Cottagecore dining room. Photo by Kasia Fiszer

Oh, and what IS “Goblincore,” you ask?

Goblincore - or Cottagecore - style room: rustic interior with plants and wooden plank floor — Riiiiiggghttt on the edge of Goblincore…

Goblincore is the seamy underbelly of the Cottagecore fairy tale.

dining room outside Goblincore — …and there it is

It’s the forest creeping through your windows. Address: Hobbiton, The Shire.

There you have it, Gentle Readers. Never again will you mistake Cottagecore for Maximalism, or vice-versa. WHEW.

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, DC, with offices in St. Michaels, Maryland and Middlebury, Vermont. Annie’s design work and insights have appeared in numerous local and national publications, including HGTV Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine. Annie recently appeared on NBC4 for a story about author Jason Reynolds’ Kingman Park home.

Cottagecore vs. Maximalism: What’s the difference? (And what the heck is Goblincore?)