Cottage and cabin kitchens are known for their splendid design. They’re more than a kitchen, they’re a social hub where memories are designed to be made.
Whether you own a cabin, and you’re looking to make the kitchen more homey, or whether you love the cottage look, and want to infuse cottage design into your house — we’ve listed the best design inspiration for homey spaces.
We’ll be looking at everything from materials, lighting, wall colors, to smaller décor details. Our tips will help transform your kitchen into a charming homely space, perfect for cooking delicious meals and making memories.
Let’s get into it!
Create Your Dream Kitchen With These Cabin Kitchen Ideas
What Are Cabin Kitchens Known For?
Below, we go into detail about our great tips for a homely kitchen, let’s reflect on the unique features of a cottage kitchen.
Traditionally, within a cottage kitchen, you will see grand, original features. This can be anything rustic ceiling beams, to stone flagstone floors. It is because most cottages are period properties, meaning their architectural design goes quite a while back.
The key is to bring focus to these unique features, showing the true age and wonder of the property. While doing so, you also have to ensure that the kitchen is practical enough for usage, and it’s a friendly, homely space.
Design Inspiration For Homey Kitchen Spaces
Below, we’ve listed our favorite ideas to create a homely kitchen space for your cabin, cottage, chalet or farmhouse.
1. Rustic Timber Tables
If your cottage has rustic timber beans, then purchasing rustic timber tables will heavily complement the kitchen. If you don’t have beams in your kitchen, adding a rustic timber table can really give it a cottage-style feel.
Rustic wood, or reclaimed wood, is vital when it comes to rustic kitchens. It’s linked with the age of the property, and the nostalgic feel it brings. Moreover, you’re bringing the natural world inside, which will immediately give it a natural, homely feel.
When getting your rustic table, you should also make sure you get rustic chairs. Or, if you would rather, purchase a rustic bench instead. While the latter is charming and very cabin/cottage-like, it’s not always ideal for every household.
If you find the chairs a little uncomfy, just add some cute padded cushions. After all, it’s designed to be a social hub!
Related Article: 13 Cozy cottage decorating ideas
2. Be Mindful Of Your Cabinetry
If you want your cabin to be homely, or you’re striving for the cottage style, then you need to avoid any ultramodern cabinetry.
You’ll want to go with real wood cabinetry. Ideally, you should choose a design like shaker-style cabinetry, because it gives the rustic feel perfectly. Also, while this design is gorgeous, it is very minimalist — meaning it’s perfect for complimenting period features.
If you really want the rustic look, then have white, or neutral colors. You don’t have to go down that lane, though.
Sage green and duck egg blue is a very modern, but homely kitchen color. You could even go with bold colors, just make sure to add neutral colors within your decorating to make a calming space.
3. Consider a Vintage Dresser
Okay, so this piece depends on how large your kitchen is, and whether it fits in with your design.
If you really want the homely, vintage cottage kitchen, then adding a vintage dresser will immediately give this effect. It’s an iconic piece of furniture that has been used in kitchens for centuries.
You can even convert an antique dresser into a country kitchen sink. The photo below shows how a farmhouse sink is used to create the ultimate country/cottage look.
Do not leave the dresser blank, though. You’re going to want to fill it with vintage finds. This could be gorgeous French porcelain bowls, vintage glassware, even books.
If you want to go for a more modern feel, you could opt for bowls and glasses that you genuinely use, and books that you will read, like cookery books. Then, add in a couple of true vintage pieces, whether that be books, signs, or statement bows.
4. Utilize Your Range Cooker, or Get a Gas Stove
If you have a true period cottage, then you might have a range cooker, otherwise known as a traditional cast-iron Aga.
The range cooker is wonderful and has been used for centuries. More than a cooker, it was used to heat up the whole house, very effectively.
Due to its rich history, it immediately gives a homely sense, as it signifies a love of cookery. Even if you do not love cookery, the history behind a range cooker will still give the ‘cooking with the family’ effect.
If you don’t own a range cooker, then buying one probably isn’t going to be economical. They are very expensive and incredibly difficult to purchase nowadays.
You could instead opt for a gorgeous gas stove. A gas stove reflects a very similar feeling, as the flame gives off a very rustic feel. They are also very stunning and can act as a focal point if you lack period features.
5. Vintage Textiles
If you’re trying to get a homely cottage kitchen, then you need to ensure that you’re using vintage textiles.
Now, when we say vintage textiles, they do not have to be true vintage pieces. In fact, it’s probably best that they aren’t, as they can be very easily ruined in the kitchen. No, we are talking about vintage-inspired textiles.
These are just textiles that are influenced by a vintage design. You’ll be wanting any type of botanical, floral, or natural design.
If you’re not into feminine designs, do not assume that you have to skip this step. There’s lots of different type of vintage textiles, and some are much more muted and neutral than others.
6. Freestanding Furniture for Small Spaces
Cottage kitchens vary in size, but quite a lot of them are modest, or small in space. If this is the case for you, then you should consider some freestanding furniture.
This is like a moveable kitchen island, or a small vintage table, that you can move to another side of the kitchen if you need to make room. They’re practical, because they have a purpose, but they’re also versatile, so you can create more space if you have guests coming over.
7. Real Wood Kitchen Worktops
Having a real wood kitchen worktop is a biggie in creating a homely cottage kitchen.
As we’ve already stated, using wood within a cottage kitchen is very powerful. If you live in a period property, adding real timber worktops can complement the kitchen beautifully.
If you do not live in a period property, it will immediately add a rustic and homely charm to your kitchen. Some other wood, that weathers very well, is oak and reclaimed pitch pine. While you will need to periodically oil them, they will last for a longtime, and they look very beautiful.
8. Fresh Flowers
No homely cottage kitchen is perfected until it has a jug of fresh flowers.
Flowers are delightful, and they really reflect a sense of love and care. They are also focal points, so can add extra charm to your kitchen. You can have flowers wherever you would like, but some common places are on top of the table, or near the windowsill.
Plants are another great idea for a homely cottage. They bring forth a sense of light and nature and also symbolize the mutually dependent relationship we share with nature.
Flowers can bring a sense of warmth, calm and relaxation to your kitchen.
Summary
There are lots of ways to make your cottage feel homely. Whether you make your period features a prominent focal point within the kitchen, or you add some reclaimed wooden pieces in your kitchen, they are a sure-fire way to create a homely kitchen.
You can even make smaller steps and just add in a jug of flowers and some quirky plants. While this won’t make your kitchen look like a cottage, it will help to create that darling homely space.
Thank you for sharing your time with us at Today’s Cottage Living!
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