Cozy kitchen ideas – 11 stylish and intimate spaces
As the winter weather approaches, there’s nothing like returning home to a warm and welcoming kitchen, so now is the time to consider adding cozy kitchen ideas to be ready.
Today’s kitchens are more than just places to prepare food; they are social spaces at the core of family life where meals are shared, schoolwork is finished, and creative ideas are formed, so they must be pleasant, cozy people like being in.
While you can make plenty of fast improvements to make a kitchen cozier instantly, there’s frequently more to designing intimate, welcome kitchen ideas than meets the eye, and fundamental design factors like layout, materials, and lighting may play a significant role part.
Whether you want to make the most of a small kitchen or make a huge kitchen feel more private, these warm room ideas for kitchens and professional recommendations are sure to inspire.
COZY KITCHEN IDEAS
There are numerous ways to incorporate comfortable kitchen ideas, ranging from kitchen color schemes to quick improvements, such as adding window coverings, burning candles, and cozy areas.
If you’re starting from scratch, consider kitchen layout ideas carefully, as how your space is organized will have a massive impact on how you use it and how it feels. Consider communal spaces and seating areas, and avoid furnishing too sparingly, as this will leave the space cold and echoey. Combining freestanding kitchen equipment with fitted cabinetry is an excellent approach to achieving a calm and pleasant atmosphere.
‘My main goal is to turn this room into a really lovely supplementary living area.’ ‘Fun lighting, curtains, antiques, and rugs contribute to making this a lovely area in which to spend time,’ explains Henriette von Stockhausen, founder of VSP Interiors.
1. ADD A RUG OR RUNNER
Rigid materials such as stone, porcelain tile, and engineered wood are popular kitchen flooring options because they are durable, easy to clean, and can be utilized with underfloor heating, but they can leave areas feeling cold. A kitchen rug or runner is a quick and easy method to make kitchens feel homier instantly, and they can also help insulate sound.
Consider flatweave patterns and low-pile rugs, which are easier to clean and provide less tripping danger. When installing a rug in a kitchen, it is critical to use an underlay to keep it from slipping.
2. INCORPORATE SOCIAL SPACES
It’s a great idea to incorporate seating places for gatherings into your kitchen design if there’s room for them.
‘I like kitchens that you can live in,’ says Louisa Eggleston, creative director at Humphrey Munson. ‘They should have cozy nooks that create a spot for the children to sit and do their homework, where you can grab a quiet 5 minutes with a coffee or have a glass of fizz with friends on a Friday night.
As one user put it, “Upholstered banquette seating provides this so simply in a kitchen,” adding that it “softens the area and makes it feel more homey and friendly.”
3. LAYER AMBIENT LIGHTING
When planning kitchen lighting, it’s easy to get caught up in thinking about task lighting, but remembering to include more ambient light sources, like low-level pendants, table lamps, and kitchen wall lighting, will help set the mood for intimate dinners and of course, nothing beats the warm flicker of candlelight for a finishing touch.
‘We use our kitchens so much these days and for so many other functions outside cooking that it needs to be a room for family gatherings; parties, beverages, and homework, so lighting is vital. Henriette von Stockhausen, the founder of VSP Interiors, recommends using wall lights to create dramatic lighting because of the warm glow they provide.
4. PAINT WALLS AND CABINETS IN RICH, EARTHY COLORS
Gray kitchens were popular for a long time, but now homeowners are gravitating toward brown and other warmer tones for their painted kitchens to bring the comforting and calming effects of nature within.
Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene, states, “Chocolate browns are ideal for creating tranquil living spaces that bring comfort to the home and surround a place.”Chocolate browns, with their earthy tones, are a subtle homage to nature and compliment wonderfully with natural materials like wicker, rattan, and stone finishes, all extremely trendy as we continue to look to embrace the beauty of the natural world inside our homes.
5. DON’T BE AFRAID TO EMBRACE DARK COLORS
Don’t be afraid to use dark colors when considering kitchen cabinet paint ideas; doing so will help to pull the walls closer together and create a more intimate atmosphere. Helen Parker, creative director of deVOL, says, “A little kitchen loaded with dramatic colors, textures, and quirky furnishings may become enormous in personality, which can also visually create the impression of a spacious room.”
6. EMBRACE THE WARMTH OF WOOD
Natural wood brings warmth to each room it’s utilized in, whether for flooring, cupboards, or worktops.
Wood kitchen flooring is a favorite among the British Standard by the Plain English design team for its unrivaled warmth and character. You can pick from a wide variety of wood colors and species. Due to its exceptional durability and natural appearance, Ash is a popular option. Adrain Bergman, design manager at British Standard by Plain English, says, “Rather than fret about this, we advise clients to enjoy the rich character that this offers since all wood acquires a natural patina over time.”
Helen Parker, creative director at deVOL, believes that wood is often overlooked while looking for new ideas for kitchen countertops. To paraphrase an old proverb, “I have never understood the worry with wood,” it is because “for me it is warm and tactile, it is easy to keep supple and nourished with a little regular care and in exchange, it offers you an ever-changing patina that becomes better and better with time.”
7. INCORPORATE VINTAGE FINDS
Combining fitted cabinetry with freestanding antiques found at flea markets, yard sales, or online auctions is a great way to give a kitchen personality and a casual air.
Cottages aren’t complete without a vintage kitchen table and chairs at which to have afternoon tea and the ever-present jug of wildflowers. Helen Parker suggests a charming wall cupboard painted with chippy, shabby colors and filled with your favorite hand-thrown mugs to create the ideal “Holiday” retreat.
8. TRY TERRACOTTA FLOOR TILES
Kitchen floor tiles can be utilized with underfloor heating, are easy to clean, and give character and charm to the kitchen. Traditional kitchens would feel right at the kitchen with terracotta tiles because of their organic quality and the delightful warmth they bring. A simple square tile in a diamond pattern or a hexagonal tile for something a bit different would work, but both would need to be sealed, says Adrian Bergman, design manager at British Standard by Plain English.
We always advise our clients to think about underfloor heating in the early stages of the design process. Due to the potential for food spoilage and damage to the joinery, it must be installed above the floor cabinets.
9. DECORATE WITH FABRICS
Fabrics, whether in the form of a sink skirt or lovely seat pads, may be a quick and easy way to bring instant coziness and charm to a kitchen, particularly one transformed into a cottage kitchen.
Helen Parker suggests hanging some clean white French linen at the windows and covering the table with a vintage liberty tablecloth for special occasions to create the ideal cottage atmosphere.
10. ADD WINDOW BLINDS
Kitchen window ideas typically include shutters or Venetian blinds due to low maintenance and quick cleanup. Fabric window blinds are a great way to soften the look of a room, regulate the amount of light coming in, and add a dash of color or pattern if you can keep them out of the way of water. Sarah Vanrenen says of the kitchen blind fabric, “We chose this striped fabric because the colors were so wonderful; it’s also not a regimented stripe making it much softer.”
11. EMBRACE WARM METALLICS
Burnished metals are a great way to incorporate the current kitchen trend toward texture and materials while adding warmth to the space. If you want something eye-catching but understated, try a copper countertop or brass fittings.
Helen Parker explains that copper’s rising popularity can be attributed to its antibacterial properties: “Copper is shiny and has a wonderfully fluid, ever-changing patina, it appears rare and valuable,” she says.
“Hardware in brass or nickel always looks amazing against a darker hue,” explains Louisa Eggleston, creative director of Humphrey Munson.
HOW CAN I MAKE MY KITCHEN FEEL COZY?
You can easily make your kitchen feel more inviting by installing window treatments to prevent drafts, laying a rug on the hard flooring, or placing a comfortable recliner in a corner.
When planning a brand new kitchen, it’s an excellent design to incorporate rich, warm colors on the walls and cabinetry, as well as natural materials like wood for cabinets, worktops, and flooring. Incorporate ideas for window seats or dining rooms with banquette seating conducive to socializing and relaxing, such as lots of cushions.
HOW DO YOU MAKE A SMALL KITCHEN FEEL COZY?
To create a cozy and inviting atmosphere in a kitchen of any size, it is essential to make the most of the available wall space by installing open shelves to the ceiling.
If you want to make a big impression and add a touch of refinement to a modest room, don’t be afraid to embrace rich, dark colors. Helen Parker, creative director of deVOL, says, “Dark cabinets are always utilized to generate mood and drama, so tiny or big, you will accomplish this appearance with dark cupboards.” There’s a preconceived notion that more space is preferable, yet a little kitchen decked out in luxurious hues might be more inviting than its larger counterpart. To be small is to be cozy, elegant, and diminutive; these adjectives evoke images of something quite wonderful, so don’t let them fool you into thinking you’ll be disappointed.
