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Like many people during the pandemic, she became obsessed with cottagecore design — a romantic trend that celebrates an idealized version of country living and evokes a simpler time.

Cottagecore appeals to her, she says, because it reminds her of her childhood dreams.

Brown has found that adhering to her vintage and cottagecore aesthetic allows her flexibility “as long as the treasures and art I choose to display stay within that,” she says.

Traditional elements, like a faux fireplace and a tiny trove of potted plants outside her front door, add to her cottagecore aesthetic.

While the term underconsumption has roots in economic theory, underconsumption-core ironically adopts the naming style of trends like “cottagecore” and “gorp-core,” which typically encourage shoppers to buy more things to emulate the latest trendy aesthetic.