In the US, we use the word "cottage" mainly for small vacation dwellings. At least that's what the British think. In reality, Americans are more likely to call those "cabins." We only know the word "cottage" from European fairy tales, British real estate ads, and the cheese our grandmothers eat for lunch. The real estate ads aren't at all illuminating about what the word really means. What is an English cottage?
The designation of a home as a cottage honestly has nothing to do with its architecture. It's the term for a working class home left over from the feudal system, when workers built or were lodged on land that their overlords owned. In other words, a cottage is a home that's not a palace, castle, stately home, nor manor house. Cottages can be any size or style. In fact, cottages come a range of styles like Cotswold, Thatched, Tudor, and more that you can see and read about at Number One London. -via Strange Company
(Image credit: Wayland Smith)
