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How to Create a Cottage Kitchen Feeling Without Renovating Your Home

The phrase "Cottage Kitchen" has come and gone and come back again in popularity (it's having a big moment right now!), but what it really speaks to is a timeless and comfortable hearth rooted in everything we love here at Quittner: historical forms, natural materials, and warm finishes. What a Cottage Kitchen doesn't need to be — don't hate us Pinterest — is a lot of what is actually pushed on social media. Dried florals hangings from your ceiling are, in fact, not mandatory. A bowl of eggs is, remarkably, optional. Throws and knit pillows on each chair around your kitchen table is, unsurprisingly, impractical. And robin's egg blue is not the only color option for your kitchen cabinets. 

What does matter are the overall layout, materials, lighting, and color theme, as they all contribute to your end result. However, this can be easy to achieve when decorating your home and kitchen if you choose to use items that stand out in their quality and character.

When we think cottage kitchen, we're drawn to natural wood, soft linen, and brass finishes that will patina with time. A few small details like a stack of cloth napkins, a new old light fixture or lamp, or a simple set of breakfast boards for your morning toast are often all it takes to bring the cozy warmth of a cottage kitchen into your home.

Below are a few of our favorite pieces for inspiration... 

Vintage Green Enamel Pendant Light
Vintage Green Enamel Pendant Light 
A vintage green enamel pendant over your sink or breakfast nook speaks to rustic farmhouse living back when making tea meant running to the water pump. 
Breakfast Boards
Breakfast Boards
Our maple breakfast boards hang on a brass and marble stand, ready to pile with slices of cheese, fresh fruit, and thick sourdough bread for a hearty breakfast (or lunch...or dinner).
Antique primitive caddy
Antique Primitive Caddy
A large caddy does double duty as an ambiance enhancer while also offering storage for napkins and mason jars of flatware. 
 Linen napkins in black stripe
Rustic Linen Napkins, Black Stripe
Cloth napkins aren't just for special occasions. We use our linen napkins every meal, every day. To avoid constant washing, we each have a napkin ring with our initials for storing napkins clean enough to use again. 
Small Surface Lamp
Small Surface Lamp, White Linen Shade
Putting a small lamp on your kitchen counter immediately increases charm. If it's brass, linen, and porcelain — all the better. Remember to put it on the side that's not going to get splashed by a bubbling pot of tomato sauce, though, unless an impromptu Pollack is your jam. 
Accomplishing the cottage kitchen look is all about created a relaxed comfort that connects with the past without becoming a pastiche of it. Instead of doom scrolling for inspiration, focus on finding a few core pieces that resonate with who you are, how you live, and how you want to feel in the heart of your home. 
research and writing contributed by Nina Bellino

 

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