Simplicity Warms the Cottage Kitchen

Cottage style implies light and airy, charming and casual. It is no longer relegated only to summer homes, but chosen for year-round decorating.

• Cottages evoke vacations at the beach or cabins tucked in the woods. The mood is relaxed and casual.

   

• Early cottage design was very basic since craftsmen rather than architects were doing the designing and building. The walls might have no insulation, only studs; shelving might simply be a board between two studs; and the ceiling was open to the rafters and beams above since there probably was no second floor.

   

• Simplification is the mainstay of cottage design: use a monochromatic color scheme (traditionally white), leave the shelving open and accessible, and use flat panel doors and cabinetry with minimal detailing.

   

• Beadboard was frequently used on walls as wainscoting and as backing for open shelving.

   

• White is the most often used cottage color, but other choices might include darker colors that have an aged patina.

   

• Period style and muted metals like brushed nickel or oiled bronze are appropriate choices to complement a farm-style porcelain sink. Likewise, honed rather than polished finishes for counters and hardware are appropriate.

   

• Free-standing furniture pieces can be used for storage in a cottage style kitchen.

   

• Because they are often small, many cottage kitchens have open-style floor plans.