Take a kitchen down memory lane

This week we look at down to earth dining rooms and, in this article, we focus on cottage kitchens.

 

ABOVE: A vintage French worktable is used as an island in the tiled kitchen. Open shelves display a collection of porcelain.

Sustainable design is giving everyone food for thought and even I, the eternal minimalist, am beginning to look at things in a different way. Where once I yearned for the latest in design, now I am thinking of going back to the past and a more simpler way of decorating a home.

A cottage kitchen can include the latest in appliances combined with furniture and fittings that are practical and beautiful. Restored cabinets, an antique table as a countertop island, open shelves - these are all elements of a kitchen that is wonderfully reminiscent of a time when life was slower and more relaxed - yes please!

Cottage decorating - even in the kitchen - is and always has been a favoured design style. You don't need to be an interior designer to recreate this casual style and you don't need a big budget. In cottage decor, pieces are often adapted from one use to another. For example, a garden bench can be repurposed for seating at a dining table, an old armoire can serve as a pantry, and so on. 

You'll be amazed what finds you make when you shop for budget decor items. A small budget doesn't mean you can't find some wonderful pieces of furniture and decorative pieces. There are plenty of sources for decorative bargains and it can be lots of fun to search for, and find, the items that will make your house a home - and fun to give them a new life as well!

ABOVE: Previously a galley kitchen from the 1930s, the room was transformed into an airy space. The setting includes a vintage French marble-top pastry table, restored antique chairs and floor tiles of unfinished limestone.

An antique or secondhand chandelier looks just a good in a cottage/country kitchen as it does anywhere else in a home. You need to put on your thinking cap when looking for unusual light fittings and accessories. Collectibles can easily be adapted into lighting fixtures by installing inexpensive lamp parts. Turn an old jug, vase, or tin into a one-of-a-kind lamp.

Any odd thing can serve as an accessory - so be on the lookout wherever you go and definitely pop into secondhand shops when you get the opportunity. Charming plates, old hats, musical instruments, interesting frames and heirloom samplers become the centre of attention in a comfortable cottage room.

ABOVE:A mixture of antique French dining table and cabinet, an Italian chandelier, and a Viking range with a floor paved with flagstones.

Floors in a cottage kitchen are often informal and even imperfect. Bare wood floors and natural stone are a good option. New wood can be made to look old and painted floors can have patterns stencilled on, either to add interest or define areas. Covering any type of flooring with vintage area rugs is another way to get the cottage look.

Cottage kitchens include a wonderful mix of the old and the new in every aspect of decor. If you love sturdy antique furniture and mismatched pieces just because you can't bear to part with them, don't fret; your kitchen can accommodate the weathered items and the new ones too.

ABOVE: Milk-glass light fixtures are suspended over vintage chairs and a stone-top table. The double concrete sink was custom made.

Elements of cottage or country kitchens

• While any type of lighting is suitable, pendant lighting over the kitchen sink or island is ideal for allowing ample light over workspaces. If you discover a secondhand fixture or crafty lighting idea you'd like to use, take it to your local electrician and he should be able to help you bring it back to life.
• Plate racks in place of enclosed cabinets lend themselves to a cottage kitchen.
• Painted wood plank floors are authentically classic and easily maintained. Salvage yards are the best place to look for removed floors and planks.
• Purchased braided rugs or make your own to add coziness to your kitchen.
• Decorative trim and moulding on walls or on the fronts of cabinets add charm and beauty to any kitchen.
• Use atypical furniture pieces in your cottage kitchen; a dresser in place of a floor cabinet, a hutch as a secretary, or salvaged pieces from the secondhand store for the island or storage cabinet. You can age and antique pieces quite easily with paint.
• Butcher-block counters are popular with this style kitchen. They're functional and develop a beautiful golden appearance over the years.
• Furniture need not match, it just needs to be sturdy, functional and comfortable.
• Window treatments are easily sewn from lace or sheer fabric. If you desire more privacy, add a simple, light-coloured shade that can be lifted during the day.
• Recycle bottles, cans and tins covered with fabric that coordinates with your colour scheme or spray-painted and then use to store kitchen utensils or odds and ends.

janice anderssen - images: elle decor