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Burrowcore seems to stem from people’s need for a refuge from the stress of everyday life: a comfortable place where you can slow down and feel yourself again.
This new interior design trend involves drawing inspiration from storybooks to create an intimate and peaceful environment, similar to the burrows of the anthropomorphised animals from some of the best-loved children’s literature past and present. Everyone remembers with a hint of nostalgia the burrows described in Beatrix Potter, Jill Barklem and A.A. Milne‘s books: small spaces furnished in a simple yet welcoming way, where the stars of the tales could feel safe and secure.
Burrowcore is more than just a style: it’s a philosophy of life
Burrowcore refers to the humble, genuine and joyously imperfect aesthetic of the burrows of many literary characters: Peter Rabbit and his friends; the mice from the Brambly Hedge series; Mole and Badger, the stars of the children’s classic The Wind in the Willows; and many more.
Unlike cottagecore, which is based on a stricter and more stylised look featuring pale colour palettes and neat environments, burrowcore prioritises more authentic and spontaneous spaces, where a collection of objects acquired over time tells the home’s inhabitants’ story and reflects their personality. Floral carpets and wallpaper, warm earthy hues, shelves full of books and objects, and overlapping textures and fabrics conjure up a warm and lived-in atmosphere.
This new trend goes beyond the simple concept of comfort, also seen in other styles like hygge, and introduces a sprinkling of magic: paintings, prints, vintage or handmade objects and antiques that take you on an imaginary journey, transporting you to the fantasy worlds where the characters you loved as children had their adventures.
The burrowcore spirit overturns the conventions of many interior design trends, including minimalism, order, symmetry and perfect, well-balanced colour pairings, in favour of fuller spaces and brighter hues designed to make you feel at home.
Burrowcore houses have welcoming nooks for conversations or armchairs to sink into with a book, kitchens with a lived-in feel that make you want to bake a cake, and shelves crowded with books and objects. All invite you to embrace a simple and relaxed lifestyle consisting of small rituals that you take your time over, while abandoning the ideals of order and perfection established by other modern furnishing trends.
This approach to life reflects the fact that people increasingly want their home to be a safe and welcoming place to unplug and recover, without having to worry about mess or colour pairings. Rooms take shape gradually, built up from layers of objects that give the environment personality and meaning.
A burrowcore home makes you feel safe and reflects your past and present without any fear of appearing “wrong”.Homes furnished in this style therefore abandon minimalism’s trademark neutrality and become extensions of your identity: somewhere you can feel you truly belong. The burrowcore trend revolves around humans’ need for a sense of belonging, which many other interior design trends seem to have forgotten, and involves building spaces that accurately reflect who you are.
Spaces that spark your imagination and creativity
The burrowcore spirit has another unique feature: it takes inspiration from the literary world and gives rise to spaces where books play a vital role. While in cottagecore environments books are chosen for their photogenic qualities and placed neatly beside a bunch of dried flowers, in burrowcore homes they are everywhere: piled on the floor, lined up on shelves, or resting on the bedside table.
Bookcases ordered by colour or height are replaced by shelves full of volumes arranged according to personal memories, associations and interests rather than aesthetics. Books not only reveal the tastes and passions of the people who live in a home, but also become symbols of the slow and delightfully analogue pace of life that lies at the heart of the burrowcore philosophy.
Flicking through the pages of a book and breathing in the scent of paper, you are free to surrender to the quiet pleasure of reading and let your imagination wander through the fantasy worlds that inspired this trend. This perfectly complements burrowcore’s sensual aesthetic of warm textures, soft shapes and enveloping colours, all designed to transform the home into a refuge from the outside world.
Homes designed in this style encourage you not only to rediscover the sense of wonder you felt as a child listening to stories, but also to reconnect with hands-on activities such as baking, drawing, painting, knitting, embroidery or other creative hobbies that bring calm and contentment.
Indeed, the burrows of Brambly Hedge and the homes of Rien Poortvliet’s gnomes are inhabited by characters who cook, build, mend, grow, harvest and prepare for winter. Their environments celebrate self-sufficiency, creativity and the satisfaction that comes from making things with your own hands.
If you’re looking for inspiration to decorate a corner of your home, or even an entire house, in a burrowcore style, these books provide wonderful visual references:
- Winnie the Pooh – illustrated by E.H. Shepard and later adapted by Disney. Pooh’s home inside a hollow tree embodies simplicity and comfort, with honey-filled shelves, a fireplace, wooden furniture and a welcoming atmosphere.
- Brambly Hedge – the beloved series of illustrated books by Jill Barklem. The mice live in charming homes carved into tree roots and trunks, filled with patchwork quilts, overflowing pantries, bookshelves and handcrafted details that perfectly embody the burrowcore aesthetic.
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame – especially in the beautiful illustrations of Chris Dunn. Mole’s and Badger’s homes are rustic yet comfortable, warmed by fireplaces, colourful rugs, shelves packed with books and ample winter provisions.
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit – in the illustrations of Beatrix Potter, Peter’s burrow is modest but reassuring: a kettle over the fire, herbs hanging from the ceiling, and a family kitchen that radiates warmth and security.
- Mouse’s Wood by Alice Melvin – a beautifully illustrated book featuring enchanting woodland homes decorated with framed pictures, colourful wallpapers, ceramics and handcrafted furnishings.
There are also countless burrowcore interior design ideas on Pinterest and elsewhere on the web, so you can give your home that fairy-tale sprinkling of warm magic.
So, go on: explore the burrowcore style and – if you like it – try to put it into practice!