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Cottage style decorating, renovating and entertaining Ideas for indoors and out
Cottage style decorating, renovating and entertaining Ideas for indoors and out Cottage style decorating, renovating and entertaining Ideas for indoors and out
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Open shelving with blue dishes
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How to Build a Timeless Kitchen Collection

  • August 6, 2020
  • Written by Victoria Van Vlear
  • Photography by Food52
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We’re all cooking at home more these days. Did you know that the items in your kitchen collection—from cooking utensils to pots and pans and even kitchen towels and mixing bowls—can help or hinder your kitchen’s cottage style? With our friends from Food52, we’ve gathered some ideas on how to build up your kitchen collection so it’s as timeless as your cottage style itself.

“Think practically about your home and who lives in it when considering quality,” says Jojo Feld, Vice President of Merchandising & Supply Chain at Food52. “You want to get the most and best use for you out of your purchases. That’s really what’s most important.” Here are four elements to the perfectly timeless kitchen collection for your cottage style home.

At Cottages & Bungalows, we love to curate and share our favorite finds from across the web with you. Some of the products you’ll see on this page are affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, C&B will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you!

Set of cast iron pots for kitchen collection
Every cottage needs at least one French oven for cooking and baking. Photography by Ty Mecham, Rocky Luten, James Ransom, & Mark Weinberg/Food52.

Classics to Keep

First, make sure you have a good set of foundational items you’re basing your whole kitchen collection on. These are the types of pieces you won’t need to replace for years (if ever) because they’re high-quality staples. Items like your pots and pans, bakeware and staple dishware set should last you a long time.

bakeware with ice and wine, and set of pink and blue and white dishware for timeless kitchen collection
You can match your dishware and bakeware so it all looks good together when you serve at the table. Photography by Ty Mecham, Rocky Luten, James Ransom, & Mark Weinberg/Food52.

Look and see if there are any sets in your current kitchen collection that need to be upgraded. For example, if your cooking knives are a rag-tag collection of pieces you’ve picked up here and there over the years, consider replacing them with a full set that’s meant to be a cohesive whole.

Set of blue handled knives for kitchen collection
The handles of this knife set come in a variety of earthy hues to choose from. Photography by Rocky Luten, Ty Mecham/Food52.

Color and Texture

So much about cottage style is in the color and texture—from shiplap and bead board on the walls to sisal rugs and soft knitted throw pillows. So why should your kitchen collection be any different? “At Food52, we gravitate towards natural materials and tones,” says Jojo, which makes their products perfect for cottage style. Throw in a few fun colors and textures that will match your cottage aesthetic, such as in items like fruit bowls, pie dishes and water pitchers.

water pitcher and fruit bowl
This Food52 glazed ceramic pitcher is both subtle and alluring, and would look good both on the table and countertop, next to a handy double-decker fruit bowl. Photography by Rocky Luten, Bobbi Lin, Mark Weinberg, & Ty Mecham/Food2.

Yet don’t feel obligated to stick with a single color or texture. “We are huge fans of mix-and-match at Food52,” Jojo says. “Your table and kitchen can be places to make your unique mark with different design concepts playing on one another.” For example, pair a beautiful and colorful glass cake stand with a set of subtle stoneware mixing bowls to fill out your kitchen collection and add both depth and personality.

cake stands with cakes and stoneware nesting mixing bowls
These Five Two mixing bowls were inspired by iconic French designs and made with thoughtful input from over 3,000 Food52 community members for the perfect kitchen collection addition. They’re here with other styles you can store on the countertop such as these stunning cake stands. Photography by Ty Mecham, Rocky Luten, James Ransom, Mark Weinberg & Bobbi Lin/Food52.

Function and Beauty

You want your kitchen collection to be timeless, which means a healthy mixture of function and beauty. For example, it’s handy to have a step ladder in the kitchen to reach upper cabinets. But it doesn’t have to be an ugly one! A cute step ladder will add to both the functionality and charm of your cottage kitchen.

Woman standing on step ladder in kitchen
A classy white step ladder? Yes please! Add it to the kitchen collection. Photography by Ty Mecham/Food52.

Add other items that will contribute to the practical beauty of your kitchen, from Mason jars with wooden lids to a bouquet of felt flowers for ornamentation.

jug with felt flower bouquet and Mason jars with wood lids
Food52’s felt flower collection comes in a variety of colors and flower choices. If you like countertop storage, pair it with these upgraded Mason jars. Photography by Rocky Luten, Ty Mecham, Julia Gartland & Bobbi Lin/Food52.

Items to Replace and Upgrade

There are certain kitchen items that need replacing or upgrading on a regular basis. For example, you can never have too many tea towels, right? And even if you manage to keep some of them nice as decorations, most will acquire grease stains and smears from tomato sauce and whatever else your family is cooking. Replace any that have seen better days, along with any pot holders and oven mitts that have been stained one too many times. (Food52’s Five Two oven mitts even come with magnets for hanging on the front of the stove!)

tea towels hanging on a rack and orange oven mitts hanging on an oven
These Five Two kitchen towels and oven mitts will add a timeless and classic flair to your cottage kitchen collection. Photography by Rocky Luten/Food52.

Evaluate your wooden items like wooden spoons and cutting boards that sometimes need replacing too. (Hint: If you care for them by regularly waxing with food-grade wax, they shouldn’t need replacing.) And make sure you’re stocked up on good-smelling dish soap and hand soap around the kitchen sink.

cutting board and soap next to sink
Isn’t Food52’s Five Two cutting board design clever, with a spot for your smartphone for recipes? And this collection of hand soaps gives you a choice for fragrances. Photography by Rocky Luten & Ty Mecham/Food52.

Love this look? Head to Food52 to shop the full collection! Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration! 

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Victoria Van Vlear

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