21 Cottage Kitchen Design and Decorating Ideas

Timeless Materials Add Vintage Appeal

Surfaces that suggest age exemplify the relaxed look and touchable textures of an easy-care cottage kitchen. Your favorite counter stools mix with marble countertops, while gray subway tiles suggest age and timeworn character.

Opt for Fresh Features

An all-white cottage kitchen is classic, but pretty painted base cabinets in pastel blue make a room shine bright. Cork floor tile installed in a chevron display and a DIY range hood add modern interest to this room’s otherwise traditional cottage design elements.

Add Character to New Spaces

New house? No problem. Use cottage icons such as beaded board, moldings, schoolhouse lights, and an apron-front sink to create almost-instant architecture and a sense of history. Install pieces in stages as your budget allows.

Paint It Pretty

Pastel accents, such as a mint-green beaded-board and soft yellow wall color, join traditional white cabinetry to create this charming cottage kitchen. Crystal pendants sparkle above the T-shape island, while Edwardian-style faucets, turned legs, and shapely hardware add feminine touches.

Try an Unfitted Design

For a kitchen that looks like it has evolved over time, loosen up the wall-to-wall cabinetry and opt for an unfitted design. Shop for refurbished appliances or new ones with a retro look. Think about omitting upper cabinetry or replacing some closed cabinets with shelves. Add an antique table and seating to give the room a lived-in feel.

Elements of Cottage Style

Discover how to add loads of charming cottage style to your kitchen.

Go For Gray

A breezy open layout and soothing gray color palette keep this kitchen calm and collected. Antique silverware adorns the steel base of a distinctive light fixture, balancing the cottage feel of travertine flooring and horizontal wall paneling.

Comfy Seating

Help people feel at home in your kitchen. Add a comfy place to sit and visit. Partner a table with curvy wicker chairs and a padded banquette to create a cozy spot for dining and conversation.

Showcase French Flair

Open shelving, a skirted sink cabinet, and a shimmering chandelier provide Parisian charm in this cottage kitchen. A black hutch-style cabinet with plenty of patina gains added function with chalkboard paint.

Cottage Kitchens with Blue

Blue is a quintessential color for cottage-style. See how to use the color in your cottage kitchen.

Lighten Up

Avoid a mass of solid white cabinetry by retrofitting recessed cabinet doors with glass. A sleek industrial island contrasts basket storage for a fresh and functional workspace.

Embrace Black and White

This spacious kitchen gains an heirloom attitude from muntin windows topped with transoms, beaded-board paneling above the range, and wrought-iron cabinet hardware. Display shelves and cup hooks keep everyday dishes in full view as an invitation to socialize.

Combine Cottage Elements

Cottage style is many things. In this kitchen, it's the white custom cabinetry with brushed door pulls and bin-style cup pulls that give it a vintage feel. It's the apron-front sink, honed granite counters, and subway tile. It's also adding simple homey touches like the striped rug and the antique step stool with chipped paint.

Vary Wood Finishes

Blend painted wood with natural finishes. White is a classic cottage color choice that works well with a number of wood tones such as unfinished, whitewash, or dark. When choosing materials for your cottage kitchen, create a storyboard of your materials to see how they will look together before buying.

Add Furniture-Style Details

Furniture-style cabinets with feet and simple crown molding add to a cottage design. Create the look of vintage built-ins from a bygone era with glass-front cabinetry and brackets, beaded board, and a contrasting countertop material made from wood or stone.

• See how to incorporate more furniture-style details into your kitchen.

Go Beyond White

Cottage-style color schemes often consist of white and soft pastels. But don't be afraid to punch it up with a bit of bright color: An island painted a warm tomato-red brings this room to life.

• Want to see more cottage kitchen ideas? Browse our Gallery NOW!

Use Accessories to Accent Style

This refrigerator and freezer disguises its modern function with paneled doors and old-world hinges and handles. The soft blue-green finish breaks up the expanse of white and introduces a classic cottage color into the scheme.

Install Beaded Board

Feel free to use beaded board liberally in a cottage kitchen. It looks great on walls, ceilings, islands, and on cabinet doors. To add an unexpected twist, install beaded board horizontally or on the diagonal.

• Tour this sweet lakeside cottage kitchen.

Glass-Front Cabinets

A glass-front hutch is a great place to create and curate a vignette of items both useful and beautiful. Add details like beaded board to the back of the cabinet and use cupboard latches to turn up the cottage charm.

• There are many kinds of glass-front cabinets. See some of our favorites here.

Display Collections

Show your stuff. Whether it's everyday dishes or found treasures, open shelves (or open cabinets without doors) let you display what you use and collect.

A Chameleon Style

Ask four people to define “cottage,” and you’ll likely get four different descriptions. Spanning locales, eras, and lifestyles, cottage is all about personal style. For example, a pale blue oven and green cabinetry might lend itself to a beach-cottage look. But pair them with exposed rustic ceiling beams, wall paneling, and dark wood floors, and this versatile kitchen will look fresh in many locales.