Guide to Cottage-Style Homes: How to Recognize a Cottage

A cottage is a type of small house that can fit any number of architectural styles and house designs. The definition of a cottage varies among cultures, but a cottage tends to be a small, cozy home in the countryside—often a summer home or vacation home. Most cottage-style houses are single-story, but multi-story houses can also be referred to as cottages, depending on the context. Cottages are not necessarily confined to rural areas. Small, simple home plans in cities can look remarkably similar to country cottages, and they serve the same modest residential function.

The word "cottage" traces back to the Middle Ages, where it was adapted from the Latin word cotagium. An old English cottage was the home of a cotter, a person who lived on the property of a nobleman's manor. These old English cottages tended to have a thatched roof and stone or wood walls. Thatched-roof cottages were built throughout many eras of English architecture, including the Tudor and Victorian eras.

Similar cottage house plan styles developed in Norway (the Norwegian word for such buildings is hytte), Finland (the Finnish word is mökki), and Sweden (the Swedish word is stuga), and little cottages also dot the landscapes of nations such as South Africa, Chile, Russia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Nearly all modern cottage floor plans feature traditional home living spaces including a master bedroom, a living room, a dining room (or a cottage kitchen with a dining area), and bathrooms. Cottage design can also vary depending on location and the period in which it was built.

1. 1. English cottages: Cottages on the English countryside often have thatched roofs, which were built as an economical form of weatherproofing. These English structures often feature cottage gardens that grow up against the buildings.
2. 2. Nordic cottages: In Nordic countries, cottages tend to be built from wood and are often painted red, which helps them stand out from the summer greens and winter whites of the surrounding countryside. These cottages often serve as holiday getaways for Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian families.
3. 3. Canadian cottages: Many Canadian cottages have two stories and are small vacation home designs built near a body of water.
4. 4. American cottages: American cottages on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket often feature wood shingles that turn gray in the salty air.
5. 5. South African cottages: In South Africa, langhuis (Afrikaans for "long cottage") are built with stucco walls and a thatched roof.

The word “cottage” can refer to any type of small house regardless of style. By contrast, a bungalow is a specific architectural style that evolved in the Bengal region of India. By definition, small bungalows can be cottages, but not all cottages are bungalows. Bungalows tend to be characterized by sloping roofs, dormer windows on the second floor, overhanging porches, and a large first floor and smaller second floor.

The square footage and external appearance of bungalows can vary from region to region. For instance, Craftsman-style bungalows are often built in a post-and-beam style with exposed framing and overhanging eaves. By contrast, the Chicago bungalow style features brick exteriors and second story gables parallel to the street.

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