With its rolling hills, quiet shaded woodlands and iconic honey-coloured houses, the Cotswolds is a very picturesque part of the world. Covering around 800 square miles and spilling across five different counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire), finding one of those coveted Cotswolds cottages can be quite the task.

Nobody knows the region better than renowned property buying agent Katy Campbell, who relocated to the Cotswolds with her family and set about renovating her country home. Her experience sparked her dream of helping others to make the same move, and she now has 69,000 followers on her Instagram account, @katy_campbell_house_hunter, which is full of glorious photos of Cotswolds cottages.

The Cottagecore bible

These glorious homes will no longer be behind closed doors, as Katy’s new book, At Home in the Cotswolds: Secrets of English Country House Style (Abrams, £45) dips into some of the area’s most stunning houses, offering some serious cottagecore inspo. Celebrating beautiful Cotswolds homes and their interiors, Katy has teamed up with photographer Mark Nicholson to take the reader on a tour of some of the loveliest villages and towns in the region.

Quintessential Cotswolds cottages

With a foreword by the Duchess of Marlborough, the book tours the full gamut of quintessential Cotswolds cottages, from a beautiful old rectory to a manor house, stately home, Georgian Farmhouse and chocolate box cottage.

Interiors inspo

The private homes and gardens were not just chosen for their incredible architecture showing off the famous regional style, but also for the owners’ unique characters, interior style and interesting stories. If you’re looking for Cotswold cottage interiors ideas, there’s plenty be inspired by in this beautiful coffee table book.

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At Home in the Cotswolds: Secrets of English Country House Style by Katy Campbell and Mark Nicholson (Abrams, £45) is out 27 October 2022.

Click here to pre-order from WHSmith (this is an affiliate link, which means we will earn a small commission if you make a purchase).

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Cotswolds cottages: Get the look

1. Overstuffed armchair

A cosy nook is an absolute given in your Cotswolds cottage and Oka have a fine line to get you started. Try their sink-into Coleridge range (from £450). Pattern here is a must and even better if you dress it with clashing print cushions and throws. With old flagstone flooring, Cotswolds cottages can get cold, so add a wood burner to your cosy nook, and a deep pile rug. A cup of tea and a good book will make it the dream way to spend an afternoon.

2. Textured accessories

Neutral tones like Farrow and Ball’s Pink Ground or heritage colours from Little Greene’s palette of Colours of England are a stalwart in Cotswolds style. They also mean that the accessories have to work hard. Think playful shapes like this beautiful bobbin mirror from Rose & Grey (£175). Mix it up with rough textured lamp bases on wooden surfaces. Dried flowers with sprigs of wheat make a nice touch. The more texture the better.

3. A welly rack

Cotswolds living means a lot of muddy walks, cue needing a pair of decent wellingtons and, of course a welly rack to keep them on. Garden Trading’s Hambledon welly stand in oak (£75), has space for six pairs. It looks great paired with rattan baskets and if you’ve got a boot room, even better.

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