Simple Summer Beach Cottage Kitchen and Garden Home Tour (Part 2)

Have you started decorating for summer yet? Today I’ll take you on a tour of my 1920 beach cottage kitchen and garden and show you how I’ve brightened up my indoor and outdoor spaces just in time for the summer season.

Summer 2022 Home Tour – The Kitchen and Garden

Summer is right around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited about it!

Maybe it’s my favorite time of year because of all the fresh flowers in my house and the cutting garden. Or it could be because we’re outdoors more, enjoying the Puget Sound and the sun.

Summer is also the time of year when life seems a little more relaxed and anything goes when it comes to decorating.

Today I’m going to take you through the cottage kitchen and garden.

CLICK HERE to see my summer tour of our cottage living room.

---

My friend Kelly from The Tattered Pew is hosting the Bloggers’ Best Summer Home Tour this week, featuring 30 home tours to inspire you. Each day this week 6 different bloggers have been sharing their summer home tours and today is my day.

If you’re joining me from Kate of Southern Home and Hospitality‘s blog, welcome! I’m so happy that you took the time to stop by. Didn’t you love Kate’s 15 simple decorating ideas?

Be sure to visit all 30 home tours on the summer tour. You can find every blog link at the end of this post.

Our 102-Year-Old Beach Cottage

If this is your first visit here, welcome to my home. I’m Kim and you can find out a little more about me HERE. Shiplap and Shells is a lifestyle blog where I share my Pacific Northwest home, gardening, our Puget Sound boating adventures, and so much more.

We moved into our “forever home”, a 1920 beach cottage, ten years ago and literally renovated, refurbished, refreshed, and remodeled every inch of the house.

Summer Cottage-Style Kitchen Tour

This is the view from the living room and the front door is to the right of this picture, just out of sight.

As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. My blog contains other affiliate links as well for your convenience. Click here to read my privacy policy.

Our kitchen has been fully remodeled and we couldn’t love the changes we made here more.

Here are the details that were non-negotiable for me when we started thinking of renovating the kitchen…

• subway tile
• white cabinetry
• farm sink
• tongue and groove ceiling

To see what the kitchen looked like when we first moved in CLICK HERE.

As far as kitchens go, this one is pretty small but it works for the two of us.

We don’t have a dining room so this is our only eating space inside the house. Building a window seat really gave us more seating around the table.

Do you see that gorgeous rhododendron bush outside the window? I love it when it blooms here each May.

Creating Storage Space in the Kitchen

Storage space is limited in our beach cottage so we have to be very strategic when finding space to store our kitchen appliances and essentials.

My Favorite Cabinet

Some things are just meant to be. Like this cabinet.

It was the very first vintage piece I ever bought over 20 years ago. It’s been in 6 homes but this is my very favorite spot it’s ever been in.

It fits between the kitchen cabinets and window seat PERFECTLY!

And it gives me so much storage space.

An Island Created from a Dresser

We definitely needed more countertop space in the kitchen but couldn’t really fit a large island in this space.

That’s where this vintage dresser came in.

Our contractor found a piece of butcher block from a local Dunkin Donuts that was going out of business and the rest is history.

Pan Rack

Creating this pan rack helped us store some of the pans we use on a regular basis as well as my favorite vintage pots for displaying.

CLICK HERE to see how we made this pan rack.

Window Seating

Adding drawers to our window seating was brilliant! I store all those kitchen items that I don’t use very often like cookie cutters, the waffle maker, and Christmas decor.

SHOP BLUE AND YELLOW PILLOWS

Adding Summer to the Mix

It’s so easy to decorate the kitchen for summer. I’m looking for a relaxed, bright, and casual feel here.

Blue and White Dishware

I chose blue and white dishware and containers to display in our cottage kitchen during the summer months.

Bright yellow lemons are the perfect compliment.

SHOP THIS LOOK

Fresh Herbs

Not only do I bring in fresh herbs for cooking, but I love how fresh the kitchen smells with them here.

I use basil so much during the summer.

Pots of lavender not only smell amazing but look pretty in a summer kitchen. Rosemary is another plant I bring into the kitchen a lot.

The Perfect Summer Candle

I love a fresh-smelling house.

I either have the diffuser on or a candle burning no matter what time of year, changing the fragrances each season.

CLICK HERE to shop my favorite candles.

Coastal Styling

Aren’t these starfish dishes the cutest?

There are so many fun options when it comes to bringing some coastal vibes to your summer kitchen. Fish plates, shell napkin holders, and beachy dish towels are all great decor options.

SHOP THIS LOOK

Open Shelving

There are some serious opinions when it comes to open shelving.

Yes, I’ve heard the negative comments where I am questioned on how clean my dishes really are. And that’s ok. I get it.

But I LOVE displaying my favorite seasonal dishes and decor on my shelving. I usually always have ironstone pieces up here throughout the year but they’re dishes I don’t use very often and always wash before using.

It’s harder to tell behind the glass, but this cabinet is a great place for displaying my favorite things as well. I added mostly blue and white here in the kitchen for summer.

A View of the Puget Sound

There is so much for me to love about my cottage kitchen.

But the view is the best…hands down.

I stare longingly out the window, taking in the pretty Puget Sound water view, the boats that are anchored in the bay, and my sweet little greenhouse.

You can see the deck out the kitchen window which is where we eat most meals during the summer months.

An Open Concept

I shared my summer living room home tour last week but wanted to include these pictures of the living room view seen from the kitchen.

We now have an open concept after taking the wall between the kitchen and living room a few years ago. It has changed the way we live.

The stairs go up to my office-studio space and guest room.

The Eating Space

I know I’ve already shared the eating area with you, but here’s a closer look.

• pendants – Barn Light USA.
• farm table – Dutch Crafters
• dining chairs – Pier 1

Summer Cottage Garden Tour

The garden is at its very best in the months of July and August.

I can’t tell you how beautiful my cut flower garden looks during those months.

This has been a most peculiar June though.

We have had temperatures in the 60s and a lot of rain the last couple of months.

Flowers that are usually blooming are having a tough time this year.

So as much as I wanted to show off my beautiful (almost) summer garden, I am finding myself sharing the container garden instead.

To bring color to the garden right now I went and bought more annuals and herbs to plant while we were waiting for the perennials to do their thing.

Lavender, alliums, Jupiter’s Beard, and peonies are blooming right now.

I did get a self-seeding foxglove to grow over by the patio area.

Do you remember my bug shopping spree for foxglove last year? I found plants at the grocery store for $5.99 each and wiped them out!

This year was a different story. By the time I got home from my 3-week trip to Europe, I couldn’t find a single foxglove anywhere.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to see some daisies here in a couple of weeks.

The roses should have started blooming but the deer had a little feast while we were vacationing.

What to Expect from the Summer Garden

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the summer garden from last year.

So many things to look forward to!

MY SUMMER GARDEN BLOG POSTS YOU MAY ENJOY…

• How My Pacific Northwest Cottage Garden Grew Through the Summer Season
• What’s Blooming in My Early Summer Cottage Garden
• My Seasonal Garden Year in Review
• An Enchanted Evening Summer Stroll Through the Cottage Garden

Here are my beautiful dahlias.

The hydrangeas and phlox are 2 of the most stunning flowers I grow in the cottage garden.

The purple and pink shades are so extreme.

And of course, the daisies will brighten up the garden soon.

We usually have them blooming by the 4th of July but that could change this year. We can only wait and see.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the summer home tour of my beach cottage kitchen and garden. I loved having you along and hope to see you again soon.

Leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you.

Next up on the tour is Heidi from Eleanor Rose Home. You are absolutely going to love her summer tour.

Be sure to check out the other blogger’s home tours below.

Until next time,

Happy Decorating!

Bloggers’ Best Summer Home Tours

This week I am joining some of my blogging friends for the Bloggers’ Best Summer Home Tours. Thirty talented and creative women will be opening their homes up for you to tour all week long. You can visit each summer home tour by clicking the links below.

Monday’s Tours

The Tattered Pew / Cottage On Bunker Hill / She Gave It A Go

Cottage In The Mitten / Stonegable / My Wee Abode

Tuesday’s Tours

Thistle Key Lane / Midwest Life & Style / White Lilac Farmhouse

My Thrift Store Addiction / Willow Bloom Home Blog / Dabbling and Decorating

Wednesday’s Tours

Bricks ‘n Blooms /Amy Sadler Designs / Peacock Ridge Farm

White Arrows Home / Pasha Is Home / The Ponds Farmhouse

Thursday’s Tours

Simply2Moms / Country Peony / Southern Home and Hospitality

Shiplap and Shells / Eleanor Rose Home / Cloches and Lavender

Friday’s Tours

Le Cultivateur / Lora Bloomquist Create & Ponder / Noting Grace

My Family Thyme / Vintage and Grace Living / County Road 407

PIN AND SAVE ON PINTEREST

If you’ve enjoyed this blog post, please pin and share this on Pinterest.

Let’s Connect on Social Media

• Follow me @shiplapandshells on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook
• Join my Facebook Gardening Tips & Tricks Group.