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.