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in Home Decor

10 Ways to Create a Charming Cottage-Style Kitchen

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There are so many reasons to love cottage-style home decor. This comfy, cozy, relaxed, “anything goes” way of living is easy to achieve using these 10 easy ways to create a charming cottage-style kitchen.

lilac on farm table in kitchen

What is cottage style to you?

To me, a cottage is comfortable, charming, and meant to be lived in. When it comes to cottage style, pretty much anything goes.

Nothing has to match.

lilacs on kitchen island

Flea market finds are always in view. Some vintage items can be repurposed. You’ll see that with my kitchen island that used to be a dresser in its old life.

Some of my posts contain affiliate links for your convenience. Read my full disclosure here.


cottage kitchen with blue cabinet

1. Cottage Colors

Pops of Color

Living in a cottage on the beach, sea-inspired colors like soft blues and sandy beiges are a must. And let’s not forget all the white.

cottage kitchen

White as a Background

I’ve painted my kitchen a total of 4 times since living here. In the past, I always chose bright colors on the walls, so they would pop against the white trim, tile, and cabinets.

But when I painted my walls white, I was pleasantly surprised! The colors from my pillows, fresh flowers, and other pieces around the kitchen, actually popped more! They were no longer fighting each other.


open shelving with greens

2. Open Shelving

Options

We originally had a glass front cabinet put in during the original remodel. However, I decided to take it out and replace it with open shelving. Either vintage brackets or corbels will give the perfect cottage feel. Removing doors on existing cabinets is a great alternative to adding shelving. This will give you time to live with the look for a while, to see if you like it, without spending additional money.

Showing Off

Many people use their open shelving for everyday use. I actually use this space to show off my vintage vignettes and collections. Because I don’t use these dishes very often, and they are more for display, I don’t need to spend a lot of time cleaning and dusting before use.


cottage style kitchen eating area

3. Comfy Seating

Comfortable cushioned seating and pillows are sure to keep your family and friends happy at any gathering. We added this window seating once the wall between the living room and kitchen was removed. This provided more space for entertaining, with even more comfort.


kitchen island

4. Kitchen Islands

There are so many different options when it comes to kitchen islands. We used a vintage dresser as our island choice. By attaching a butcher block top, (which we found at a Dunkin Doughnuts that was going out of business) we added even more cottage charm to our kitchen. It not only takes up very little room in our small kitchen, but it was a more inexpensive option for us.


winter kitchen

5. Wood Flooring

Wood flooring gives warmth and texture to a cottage-style kitchen. Add cottage-style rugs.

cottage kitchen

6. Adding Character

Wood – Trim, Ceilings, Walls, and Farm tables

Woodwork is an important detail in a cottage-style kitchen. We installed tongue and groove ceiling planks for more interest. Beadboard would be another cottage-style option. Over-sized baseboards and moldings make a huge impact. We love how our farm table, built with reclaimed barn wood, looks in this cottage-style setting.

water view in cottage kitchen eating area

Lighting

There are so many lighting options for a cottage-style kitchen. We looked for a more retro and vintage-inspired feel when picking out our lighting. We went with low-hanging pendant lights and schoolhouse lighting.


hydrangeas in farm sink

7. Vintage Details and Nostalgic Charm

This farm sink was bought before we even decided how we were going to renovate our kitchen. We actually built our kitchen around this charming vintage sink. Retro-looking fixtures completed the look. Vintage pieces such as hutches, buffets, and bar stools are a perfect way to mix old with new.

open shelving with vintage itmes

wicker basket

8. Wicker

Whether you’re using it for storage, or for seating, wicker gives a great texture element and interest to any cottage-style kitchen.


summer cottage style kitchen

9. Timeless Elements

Subway tile has been around for over 100 years, which is a big reason why we chose it for our kitchen. It’s perfect for keeping with the time period the house was built in.


fresh cut flowers

10. Small Details Go A Long Way

Small details such as glass-front cabinets, bin-style drawer pulls and fresh flowers are great additions to a cottage kitchen.


Do you have a specific style preference when it comes to your kitchen? Leave me a comment.

Until next time,


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Other Posts You May Enjoy…

  • Simple Spring Home Tour
  • Last Year’s Home Renovations
  • Simple Summer Kitchen Tour

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Filed Under: Home Decor Tagged With: cottage style, cottage style kitchen, creating a cottage kitchen, how to create a cottage style kitchen

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Comments

  1. CoCo says

    06/10/2020 at 12:59 pm

    There are so many gorgeous ideas in this post, Kim! I love, love, love all the vintage pieces you have and how you’ve styled your shelves too. I can only imagine the heavenly smells that must come out of this space and I love how you use your garden flowers so freely. It’s all gorgeous! Hugs, CoCo

    Reply
    • Kim says

      06/11/2020 at 7:29 pm

      Thank you for the kind words CoCo! I really appreciate it my friend. Your kindness means so much in a time that we all need it most. I hope you are having a good week.

      Reply
  2. Beverly says

    05/26/2020 at 7:33 pm

    Kim,
    I adore your kitchen. I want to move in. Congratulations, you are being featured at Thursday Favorite Things. I hope you stop by. https://www.eclecticredbarn.com/2020/05/thursday-favorite-things_27.html
    Hugs,
    Bev

    Reply
    • Kim says

      05/27/2020 at 12:36 am

      Thank you so much for the feature Bev! I am so excited to visit on Thursday, and to see your other amazing features. Thank you so much for hosting!

      Reply
  3. Julie Briones says

    05/25/2020 at 8:12 pm

    Love your tips and your coastal cottage style kitchen! I just keep sighing at the photos! 😉 Question… What camera and lens do you use to get your ‘larger’ room shots? I pinned to two boards, and look forward to you being one of my features tomorrow at Tuesday Turn About!

    Reply
    • Kim says

      05/26/2020 at 1:02 am

      Thank you so much Julie! I really appreciate it! I am embarrassed to say that I use my android phone only. Funny, right? I’m looking forward to your party tomorrow. Thank you so much for the feature!

      Reply
  4. Molly says

    05/21/2020 at 5:54 pm

    I love your cozy kitchen, Kim!

    Reply
    • Kim says

      05/23/2020 at 10:33 am

      Thank you for the sweet compliment Molly, and thank you for visiting!

      Reply
  5. Rachel Harper says

    05/21/2020 at 7:30 am

    I love the beautiful tips and photos Kim.
    Rachel

    Reply
    • Kim says

      05/21/2020 at 12:56 pm

      You are just the sweetest Rachel! I love your blog my friend!

      Reply
  6. Jeff says

    05/20/2020 at 9:54 pm

    Your cottage kitchen is so cool! Love how you repurposed the old dresser and made it a kitchen island… What an awesome idea! Love it!!

    Reply
    • Kim says

      05/21/2020 at 12:50 pm

      Thank you! I loved it before, but really fell in love when we added the butcher block to it!

      Reply
  7. Barbara at Mantel and Table says

    05/20/2020 at 5:16 pm

    Oh I love your kitchen Kim – it’s absolutely perfect! Thanks so much for the lovely tour! 💗

    Reply
    • Kim says

      05/21/2020 at 12:50 pm

      Thank you Barbara! I appreciate you checking it out! Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend coming up!

      Reply
  8. Darlene says

    05/20/2020 at 4:06 pm

    I love your kitchen, so cozy and warm. Well done

    Reply
    • Kim says

      05/20/2020 at 4:46 pm

      I really appreciate that Darlene! Thank you so much for the sweet words! Hope you are having a good week!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tuesday Turn About #50 Coastal Summer - my wee abode says:
    06/01/2020 at 10:46 pm

    […] Isn’t this kitchen lovely? Kim from Shiplap and Shells shows us how to create a lovely coastal cottage style kitchen with 10 easy tips! […]

    Reply
  2. Charming Homes & Gardens Link Party 8 - Shiplap and Shells says:
    05/29/2020 at 8:43 pm

    […] A GREENHOUSE FOR EVERY SEASON […]

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  3. Charming Homes & Gardens Link Party 7 - Shiplap and Shells says:
    05/20/2020 at 5:08 am

    […] WAYS TO CREATE A CHARMING COTTAGE-STYLE KITCHEN […]

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Meet Kim

Hi! I'm Kim. Welcome to my home & garden blog, Shiplap and Shells. We live in a small 1920 beach cottage in the Pacific Northwest and have spent the last 10 years renovating, reinventing, and adding character to our forever home. Read More…

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