The cottage design aesthetic is cozy and casual. These words, however, do not usually describe the busiest part of the house – the kitchen. But that doesn’t mean creating a cottage-style is impossible; you just need to choose the right design elements. Local kitchen contractor DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Northwest Arkansas looks at common design elements of a cottage style kitchen.
Open Shelves
Instead of traditional upper cabinets with doors, cottage-style kitchens feature open shelves. They make the kitchen look less top-heavy and more spacious. They’re also more practical; without cabinet doors, open shelves make it easier to retrieve cookware, dishes, and utensils. Open shelves also emphasize the need for well-built cabinetry – as well as keeping things organized – as there won’t be cabinet doors to hide flaws and clutter.
Cabinets With Furniture-Style Details
Even with open shelves, you’ll probably want to have doors on your lower cabinets. Or perhaps you’ll decide to buy (or upcycle) traditional freestanding cabinets to augment your wall-mounted ones. In either case, furniture features like ornate cabinet doors, corbels, and bun feet can add an old-time look to your kitchen furniture, if they don’t have these features already. Choose cup-style cabinet pulls instead of knobs to complete the cottage look.
Soft Colors
Cottage-style color palettes consist primarily of soft colors. While white is the most popular color, others like soft yellow, light khaki, or pale turquoise are just as appropriate. Varying shades of one color can create texture if you want to keep a simple color palette. When in doubt, work with your kitchen remodeler in planning your kitchen colors.
Beadboard
Beadboard is yet another recognizable element of cottage-style homes. It’s a wood paneling style that features vertical panels punctuated by raised beads in between. It can be painted, stained, or even distressed to create a lived-in look.
Farmhouse Sinks
A farmhouse sink, also known as an apron-front sink, is a large and elongated sink with a protruding front end (its “apron”). They feature a bowl that’s deeper than most other types of sinks, making them ideal for washing a farmer’s market haul or a holiday dinner’s worth of dirty dishes, or even for bathing a toddler. There are farmhouse sinks that feature more ornate detailing, but the simplest ones are best for capturing the cottage-style look.
Hardwood Floors
You’d be hard-pressed to find a cottage-style home that doesn’t have hardwood flooring. You can have the planks stained and waterproofed to highlight the wood grain or paint to match your planned color palette.
Let’s Start a Conversation!
You don’t have to look up a “kitchen contractor near me” once you get in touch with the experienced design team at DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Northwest Arkansas. We offer a wide range of professional remodeling services, including kitchen, bath, and shower remodeling. To get started with a no-obligation consultation, call us at (479) 315-5253, or contact us online! We serve homeowners in Lowell, Gravette, Bentonville, Rogers, and the nearby communities.
