My cottagecore inspired kitchen shelving has been the most fun space in my home lately and I’m really excited to share with you my process for decorating them today! I’m absolutely in love with this warm, inviting look and I think you will love it too!

I have fallen head over heels with the cottagecore look! Especially in the kitchen. To me, the kitchen is the perfect place to start with this look, because so much of the cottagecore aesthetic revolves around the kitchen.

In my living spaces I generally prefere a more minimal approach to cottagecore. I have an open concept home, so I can see everything in one swoop and It quickly looks cluttered.

However, the kitchen is different. It is a rather closed off space in our home, so it can be it’s own in many ways. This is the space in which i love to embrace to cottagecore look in all it’s cozy, collected glory!

See my post all about how to create the cottagecore style aesthetic here. I teach you all about what the cottagecore aesthetic actually is and how to create it in your home.

Brief Overview of the Cottagecore Design Style

Cottagecore embraces a simpler, sustainable way of life that is harmonious with nature. Think old world cottage in the woods, surrounded by gardens. Think all things rustic, handmade, and old fashioned.

This style very much opposes the sterile feel of minimalism and embraces the coziness of a curated and collected maximalism. Think collections of precious heirlooms on display, shelving filled with vintage books, antique hutches filled with vintage dishes, and plants gathered together or hanging from the ceiling.

Couches filled with pillows and throw blankets. The fireplace hearth gathered with practical goods. Wall galleries full of vintage art.

And color! We see more color and pattern in cottagecore then we see in modern styles. Muted blues and greens, but also saturated jewel tones. We see more wallpaper and it strays from the white trim only modern farmhouse vibe. Trim and moldings are painted warm beiges and grays, or even muted blues or greens.

There is much emphasis on the kitchen space in cottagecore. Baking and cooking from scratch is one of the main past times in the cottagecore aesthetic.

The cottagecore kitchen is filled with vintage dishes, baskets, aprons, and tools, which fortunately are readily available when thirfting. (Yay!)

Styling cottagecore inspired kitchen shelving is absolutely the best and most affordable way to get started with the cottagecore look!

Why The Cottagecore Design Style is Perfect for Small Kitchens

Do you have a small kitchen like me and love vintage style?

Then the cottagecore style design in your kitchen might be the perfect solution for you!

In my mind, a cottage kitchen is small and cozy. It’s a work space, made beautiful by the kitchen tools and produce on display and at the ready. It is not sterile or minimal.

The cottage kitchen is warm and inviting.

Collected and cozy.

Filled with precious pieces and someone working to feed their precious people.

The cottage kitchen is allowed to feel more cluttered and collected because this is place where creation happens.

Cooking tools and supplies are out and at the ready on counters and open shelving.

I almost feel like the smaller the kitchen, to more cottagey it feels.

How to Style Cottagecore Inspired Kitchen Shelving

Step by Step Photo Guide

Step One

• Start be clearing your shelves completely. This will give you fresh eyes to see the space.

Step 2

• Next, gather your collections. This could be stacks of dishes, platters, cutting boards, wooden spoons, cookbooks, or vintage measuring cups. Use your most beautiful, yet practical items for this display space.

 

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Step 3

• Then, select a few larger items to help anchor the space. This could be a basket, soup tureen, a large ironstone pitcher, or a vintage scale.

 

Typically when anchoring shelving with larger items you would do this at the bottom. However, I want everything that is easily within reach on the bottom shelf to be practical items that I use daily, so larger items will be on top in this instance.

I set the soup tureen on top of stacked cookbooks to give it some height. Now I have my items on this shelf at three different heights. This keeps the eye moving and keeps the space interesting and balanced.

Step 4

• Place items of the same color or texture in a staggered zigzag pattern. This will help maintain a balanced feel on the shelves.

I started by using 3 larger white items and staggered them on the two shelves at varied heights.

 

Step 5

• Then I added my galvanized metal items and zig-zagged them across the shelves. At the same time, I also created groups of three items on either side of the bottom shelf. Keeping items grouped in odd numbers is what will be most pleasing to the eye. I also took this time to layer some of my pieces. Such as placing the metal flour sifter behind the gravy boat and having one stack of measuring cups pulled a little more forward than the other stack. Layering keeps things feeling cozy and nestled.

Step 6

• I then added in some height with my small collection of tall, skinny cutting boards. I added one on each shelf in the center area, but I staggered them to keep the eye moving.

Step 7

• Next, I added a stack of beautiful vintage platters, serving bowls, and our bowls that I use often for our oatmeal in the morning. I felt that space needed to be filled with a larger item for the eye to rest upon and this stack was perfect. I also noticed that I had two blue and white items already on the shelf so I added a third with this darling blue and white pitcher right next to the stack of dishes. See the next step for the blue and white zig-zag visual.

Step 8

• Also, I added these copper molds to the wall and as you can see zig-zagged their placement as well. This photo also gives you a visual for how the blue and white items are working together.

Step 9

• Don’t forget to decorate underneath the shelving as well! Here, I continued the copper zig-zag. I also used a collection of cutting boards and layered them, leaning them against the wall. I was careful to stagger the group of cutting boards with the other cutting boards on the shelves so none of them are perfectly lined up with each other. The stand mixer, cutting boards, and cooper colander worked perfectly as large items that anchored the space.

Step 10

• Finally, throw perfectionism out the window! Use my process as a guide, but the whole point of cottagecore design is that it’s a lived in look that will break the design rules sometimes. This is your kitchen! The most important thing is that you love it!

How Do I Decorate Cottagecore Inspired Kitchen Shelving?

Written Guide

1. Start by clearing your shelving completely. This is help give you fresh eyes to see the space.
2. Next, gather your collections. This could be stacks of dishes, platters, cutting boards, wooden spoons, cookbooks, or vintage measuring cups. Reserve your most beautiful, yet practical items for this display space.
3. Also, select a few larger items to help anchor the space. This could be a basket, soup tureen, a large ironstone pitcher, or a vintage scale would all look beautiful.
4. Place items of the same color or texture in a staggered zigzag pattern. This will help keep a balanced feel on the shelves.
5. Stack dishes and cookbooks to create varying heights on your cottagecore inspired kitchen shelving. You could also place wooden cooking utensils in a beautiful crock to create height.
6. Balance your taller items by zig-zagging them as well as the eye moves down the shelving. This is known in the design world as the rule of threes.
7. Layer the look. Create purposeful dimension by pulling some items forward and leaving others slightly tucked behind.
8. Don’t forget to accessorize underneath the shelves as well!
9. Finally, throw perfectionism out the window! Use my process as a guide, but the whole point of cottagecore is that it’s a lived-in look that is going to break the design rules sometimes. This is your kitchen! The most important thing is that you love it!

What Should I Thrift for When Decorating Cottagecore Inspired Kitchen Shelving?

• Vintage Dishes
• Baskets
• Vintage Silverware
• Worn looking wooden spoons
• Cutting boards in all different shapes and sizes
• Pitchers
• Soup tureens
• Cookbooks in the colors you love. Be sure to also peek under the dust jacket and see if you like the color you see there!
• Tin or copper measuring cups and spoons
• Neutral crocks
• Candlestick holders
• Copper! Anything copper! The molds you see on my wall are the easiest to find cheap while thrifting and add that beautiful copper hue.
• Vintage looking dish towels and linens

Items for Cottagecore Inspired Kitchen Shelving on Amazon

Copper measuring cups

Copper measuring spoons

Tall cutting board

Primitive style cutting board set of 3

Candlestick holder set of 2

White soup tureen

White pitcher

Copper colander

Neutral cooking utensil crock

Old fashioned tin flour sifter

Vintage style brass weight scale

White vintage kitchen scale/clock

Copper molds

• Bunt cake mold
• Crimped oval mold
• Heart mold

I sincerely hope this was helpful and encouraging to you if you are looking to create a cottagecore inspired feel on your kitchen shelving!

I have had the most fun with his particular space and I feel like it’s ever evolving. It’s easy to switch things around if I have a new find that i’m excited to display.

Moreover, the cottagecore inspired kitchen shelving sets a vintage tone in my modern kitchen with a modern stove and standard builder’s grade sink, and I love that! I need that, because it will be a long time before we will ever get to a kitchen redo in this house, If ever.

The big makeovers are not always possible, and so that’s why I’m always striving to harness the art of decorating. It can cover a multitude of modern, 90’s style design sins and set a beautiful, cozy tone for the home.

Do you feel the same?

Thank you so much for being here sweet friends!

I have appreciated this little vintage loving community so much and I feel so blessed by you!

Have a lovely day!

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