Step aside cottage-core, a fairytale awaits

The interior design trend you’re about to see everywhere

Once upon a time...Audrey Gelmen built The Wing. It had pink furniture, the bookshelves were color-coordinated, the doorways were arched, and the bathrooms were stocked with Chanel moisturizer. It was Millennial-core at its finest – the interior companion for the aesthetic uniform of any mid-2010s girl boss (think Glossier pink, “Doing Things” with Outdoor Voices, and 5am SoulCycle).

Now, nearly six years later, Gelman’s newest project The Six Bells Inn, is a quintessential example of another design ethos¹. The Inn expands the Cobble Hill shop (with the same name), where lace doilies and gingham cloths adorn antique tables, and framed quilts are illuminated by lamps with names like “Wildflower Meadow.” Frankly, we’d never taken interest in the store.

Turns out that store was just laying the groundwork for her foray into hospitality: an inn, whose design sensibilities transcend the universe of the country kitsch shop. We’re calling this new style storybook-core (trade mark pending ;)).

The fundamental definition of storybook-core owes itself to a patchwork of influences where irregular geometries, pleated edges, mystical motifs, hand-painted cornices, and fresh flowers coexist with structural austerity. This contrast plays out in everything from the surrounding landscape to the bones of a building and the (custom and costly) furniture. The result is a setting that’s rooted in reality, but is simultaneously slightly out of step with current time, as if it were something remembered or dreamt.

Now, we can’t stop noticing renditions of this style everywhere we look:

Storybook core has an heir of sophistication, defined by the interplay of styles and craftsmanship that span borders, eras, and histories. On its surface, storybook-core may read as cottage-core, an aesthetic movement hearkening back to agricultural life and sustainable-conscious lifestyles involving gardening, baking, crafting, etc. Where cottage-core specifically draws inspiration from the countryside and is largely targeted toward female demographics (re: trad-wife), storybook-core differentiates itself through the pleasant tension between decor and architecture; contemporary tastes and traditional craftsmanship. The result? A fictional world, made tangible. Ari Heckman, the co-founder of ASH Hotels (a Circle Back favorite) and their creative director, Xavier Donnelly do this exceptionally well. At its peak, Ace Hotels did too.

The Six Bells Inn is a mesh of American folk, British vernacular, Swiss chalet, Victorian ornament, and Hudson Valley regionalism. But, like every good story, there has to be an unexpected twist; something sinister hiding in the walls. Perhaps it’s the haunting of the antique armoire or the strange juxtaposition between the VC-backed property and Rosendale, teetering on the edge of an economic rebirth. Or, maybe it’s the don’t-think-about-it-too-hard fact that the hotel rooms are completely shoppable (including the mattresses) that might make the hairs on our arm stand.

Although Gelman didn’t invent this design trend (nor did she do so for “Millenial-core), she seems to be, once again, at the (very Instagrammable) head of the curve. In any case, we haven’t come to a final conclusion on the future of storybook-core but if we’ve learned anything, it’s that we should probably trust Gelman… she’s usually on to something. And if you’re listening, we’ll happily take a gratis night to investigate ourselves…

---

TREASURE TROVE
Pieces that will make you believe in happily ever after.

1. The Fernanda Scrunchie by Tomasa makes us think of court jesters, clowns, acrobats, and magicians.

2. This antique French needlepoint pillow with a big Ox would look so good with other animal friends in a reading nook.

3. Egg cups by Studio Formbat that could double as a teeny catch-all. Comes as a Breakfast Set.

4. The foundation to any good room (or story), the Nisi area rug designed by perennial cool girl Lucy Williams references classical architecture, greek mythology, and folk art.

5. Made from a single block of Douglas Fir, 448 Series Table Lamp, a collaboration between Post Company and Idaho Wood is an ode to nature, material, and tradition across time and place.

6. Wonderfully ruched, Bolster 40 from Fredricks and Mae adds the right amount of texture and whimsey. (Thank you devoted reader, Ian, for the recommendation!)

7. The Trigger Mug from Bennington Potters may look (and sound) intimidating, but trust us, the finger holes make drinking tea so much better.

8. With oak doweling construction, wood buttons, and an intriguing buckle, this pair of 1950s french chairs are a story in themselves.

9. Sana Violet Candleholder from Laura Gonzalez looks like it could dance across the table after the lights go out.

10. Checkerboard Shirt Curtain by Sarah Espeute is a poetic exploration in dressing with references to Damask diamond motifs, European clotheslines, and reflective nostalgia.

---

Reference images, from left to right: Draped Mirror No. 1, Steph Trowbridge; DRY KISS chair, Caleb Engstrom, Rest Energy; Library Steps Lamp, on view at On a Comfortable Sofa Dreamed, Superhouse gallery curated by Studio AHEAD; Heirloom Bell Chair, Studio Sam Klemick; Esme Sofa, Anne Greene Studio; Brazed Lattice in Slate, The Perfect Nothing with Wallpaper Projects; No Dogs in the Garden, Fren x After Midnight; Batlló Chair, Antoni Gaudí released by Casa Valle, BD Barcelona; Conservatory Sun Lounger, Lemon Furniture; Interiors by Claves: Hôtel particulier Guignier (Paris), Villa Junot (Montmartre), Le Chalet de l’Inconnu, (Megěve); Brooklyn Townhouse, David Lucido; The Elysian Bar, Peter and Paul, Ash Hotels; Dancer Lamp, Coco Flip; Dries Van Noten’s new NYC flagship

1.