10 Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas for Any Home

Create a coastal-style kitchen with 7 easy tips! Even if your current home is not a beach-inspired space, you can give it a makeover with these simple ideas for a coastal kitchen decor refresh!

Even though I actually do live on the coast, I wouldn’t necessarily think of our kitchen as having a lot of cottage coastal kitchen ideas. In fact, when we renovated our home, it was very important to us that our kitchen be a space that had timeless elements that could transcend different decor styles. Basically, we know that I love to decorate and love switching things around for the different seasons!

However, when the summer months are approaching, I love to incorporate some simple cottage coastal kitchen ideas to give our kitchen a quick decor refresh!

Today, I’ll share these quick tips with you. You may not live on the coast or have a beach-style kitchen either. However, whether you are getting ready for a full kitchen renovation or just want to swap a few decorative accents, these cottage coastal kitchen ideas can help you get a coastal look and beachy vibe.

After all, who doesn’t want to live in a cottage coastal beach house for the summer? This is your chance to give your kitchen a coastal kitchen decor refresh and make you feel like you are summering in a coastal cottage!

Ready for cottage coastal kitchen ideas for a decor refresh? Here we go!

What is coastal kitchen style?

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To know how to incorporate a coastal decor scheme in your kitchen, it is helpful to know the main ingredients that are essential to cottage coastal kitchen ideas. While there can definitely be different interpretations of coastal style, these cottage coastal kitchen ideas are a great way to bring a coastal theme into the busiest room of the home…your kitchen!

Light color scheme
Different shades of blue and sea-inspired colors
Natural wood accents
Natural elements such as marble, quartz, and wood accents
Decorative accents with coastal elements, such as sea shells, palm branches, or wicker baskets
Rattan or woven light fixtures
Clean lines and simple, uncluttered styling

Even if your current kitchen is missing some of the main ingredients typically found in the overall design of a coastal home, there are still simple ideas that you can add a coastal feel to your kitchen without a complete renovation!

In this post, we will look at some of these simple ways to add cottage coastal kitchen ideas to your current space, no matter what style it is right now!

vase with palm fronds on a white vintage scale on an island in a neutral coastal kitchen

What is a coastal grandmother kitchen?

The coastal grandmother style began several years ago as a social media sensation. Now, however, it is a highly sought after decor style.

Not only does the coastal grandmother design aesthetic look beautiful, but it also evokes a feeling of easy, slow living. I can’t speak for you, but I know that around our home, “slow living” days are coveted and we work hard to make sure we carve out these days on our calendar.

For many, summertime is also a time that is a bit less rushed and families have nostalgic memories of family beach trips and vacations. Combined with the coastal elements and the feeling that a coastal grandmother home decor style incorporates, they are the perfect combination.

Adding to the list above, a coastal grandmother kitchen is going to bring the outdoors inside. The use of flowers, plants, fresh cut branches, and a windowsill with herbs add to the overall design of the coastal kitchen decor. At the same time, bringing in simple patterns like stripes and natural fabrics like linen will help create the coastal grandma look. Add a basket of fresh fruit on the kitchen island and a straw hat on a hook by the back door as the icing on the cake, so to speak!

You can see my 34 favorite ways to bring the coastal grandmother decor style into my home HERE!

view of a summer kitchen with touches of coastal decor

10 Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas for Any Home

Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas #1: White Walls and/or Cabinetry

White shaker style cabinets are a popular choice for a beach-themed kitchen and what we ultimately chose for our own kitchen. White cabinets and/or walls are light, bright, and help create that airy feeling that is so important in a coastal home.

If you are working with cabinets that are a wood tone or color and are not wanting to replace or paint them, consider painting just the walls of your kitchen white. Ultra White from Sherwin Williams is my go-to white paint color. It makes everything feel more fresh, bright, and clean! Again, white walls brighten up darker cabinetry and also bring a more airy look for a cottage coastal kitchen.

White wall paneling or shiplap walls are also common in cottage coastal kitchen ideas. If you’ve heard that shiplap walls and farmhouse decor ideas are out, don’t worry. Bright, white shiplap walls are found in many of my favorite coastal kitchen ideas and wall treatments are common in the modern coastal kitchen design too. You don’t need to rip out your shiplap walls or farmhouse sink. They can actually be a great accent for cottage coastal kitchen ideas!

Paint is always a budget-friendly option for a coastal kitchen decor refresh! Even if you don’t want to paint all of your cabinets, consider painting just the upper cabinets or lower cabinets with colors of the ocean for some coastal kitchen decor. Blue cabinets and blue-gray cabinets are a beautiful trend right now!

Another great option for easy cottage coastal kitchen ideas is to have fun making your kitchen island a statement piece in the kitchen. Large kitchen islands, or even smaller kitchen islands, are a great opportunity for a pop of color in a cottage-style kitchen. A blue island set against pretty wood or white cabinetry are gorgeous coastal kitchen ideas!

Pro Tip: If you don’t have white kitchen cabinets, try replacing a few cabinet doors with glass doors. Adding white dishes and accents will brighten up the overall look of your darker kitchen cabinets.

view of kitchen with rattan pendant lights and an arrangement of palm fronds in the center of the island on a large vintage scale

Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas #2: Backsplash

Next, we move down to the kitchen backsplash. There are so many gorgeous tile options out there for cottage coastal kitchen ideas! However, for the coastal kitchen, you may want to consider the more simple options.

For example, think of a beach cottage that has been in the family for decades. What kind of tile are you likely to find? White subway tiles, penny tiles, and simple layouts are going to be the most common. There is a reason they are still some of the most popular choices today too!

While a blue backsplash definitely gives all the coastal vibes for a beachy kitchen, just make sure that you’ll be content with that color or amount of color in your own kitchen before committing to any number of great options for beautiful blue backsplash design ideas.

Pro Tip: For a modern kitchen design style with classic white subway tiles, consider installing it with horizontal stripes!

stove featuring wooden oven hood and subway tile for a backsplash

Coastal Kitchen Decor Tip #2: Light Fixtures

If you are working toward a coastal kitchen decor refresh, switching out your light fixtures could make an instant statement! Recently, we swapped out our glass and black metal pendants over the kitchen island for rattan pendant lights.

They were super budget-friendly and I love how they instantly changed the look of my kitchen, adding more coastal kitchen decor and making it feel more like a coastal design. This was an easy change and for fun, I am hanging on to the glass pendant lights to put back up in the fall when I want less of a coastal feel! Fun, right?!

Natural light is a key ingredient to the coastal decor style, so if possible, consider removing heavy blinds or drapes that may block natural light from coming into your kitchen!

rattan pendant lights hanging above a wooden island in a kitchen

Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas #3: Countertops

Thirdly, kitchen countertops play a very important role in the overall design of a kitchen. For a coastal kitchen style, you will want to consider natural materials like marble and even wood. White quartz countertops are a popular choice because of the easy of maintenance and clean lines. It’s a classic look that will be durable for many years to come!

In my own home, we opted for concrete countertops and then simple wood planks for our kitchen island. I love that the natural materials can go with almost any decor style I want to experiment with in the space!

If you are changing your appliances, consider stainless steel appliances. They keep the light, bright coastal feel and are very durable!

Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas #4: Color Palette with Sea-Inspired Colors

What are the colors for beachy kitchens?

To create coastal kitchen designs, you want to consider a light color scheme for cottage coastal kitchen decor. These sea-inspired colors are additions that are less permanent than your kitchen cabinetry, tile, or countertops. Light colors feel bright and fresh so you may want to steer clear of really bold colors.

Ideally, a white coastal kitchen is easy to work with because it has a foundation of neutral colors. Then, you can add in sea-inspired colors in your personal style for so many beautiful accents in coastal kitchen designs.

Coastal colors can be found in so many different shades of blue and soft greens, as well as neutral tones in a beach kitchen. Consider adding deep blue accents with small accessories like a vase or candle for cottage style. Then, use shades of light blues for larger, more prominent accessories such as rugs, dish towels, and dishes.

I love how THIS rug uses the natural jute look with just a touch of navy blue around the scalloped edges. It is a subtle way to bring in the gorgeous deep blue color of the ocean with favorite beach house kitchen designs without being too bold or strong.

In general, light colors in shades of blue, combined with white and neutral colors, are going to be a great choice for your beach-inspired kitchen decor refresh!

Here are a few blue accents to add to your seaside kitchen style:

small blue and white pitcher styled in a kitchen vignette

Coastal Kitchen Decor Tip #5: Incorporate Natural Materials

We have already chatted about some of these specific design elements that you may want to consider bringing in for that coastal look. However, the use of natural materials is really a key ingredient to creating a coastal kitchen style!

Personally, I think natural wood can often be overlooked as an important kitchen design element. Whether it is a big of a statement piece as wood flooring or a wooden oven hood or as simple as a wooden pedestal to hold treats or a natural wood dining table or buffet in the dining area, make sure to incorporate wood accents! Natural wood brings an inviting warmth into a kitchen space and also contributes to that coastal grandmother feeling of a kitchen that has been well-loved and lived-in as the busiest room of the home for many years!

Here are some other ways to incorporate natural materials into your coastal kitchen decor refresh:

wooden driftwood pineapple on a pedestal aside hand and dish soaps

wooden breadboards stacked on a kitchen counter with a small ironstone pitcher holding wooden kitchen utensils and a glass jar of olive oil

Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas #6: Open Shelves

Whether you have open shelving in a more modern kitchen design or traditional open shelves with a dining room hutch, shelves can be the perfect place to add some simple cottage coastal kitchen ideas.

Since we have a smaller kitchen, we opted to not leave any open shelves when we renovated our kitchen. Instead, I enjoy styling the open shelves of our antique apothecary that we turned into a dining room hutch.

For the summer months, I incorporated some of my favorite vintage collections: glass apothecary jars and mortar and pestle sets. For some cottage coastal accents, I added sea-glass pieces in soft shades of blue and green.

Then, I used paper towels to create a neutral filler base in some of the mortars. On top of the paper towels, I sat pretty pieces of coral. Coral is one of my favorite coastal decor elements to decorate with so I always watch for it at thrift stores, flea markets, vintage shops, and even yard sales!

Most of my coral is real. However, I have a couple of beautiful faux coral pieces that are super budget-friendly and mix perfectly with the real coral pieces. You can’t even tell the difference!

Open shelves are a great place to style collections or store everyday pieces, such as dishes and glasses that you use often. The key to keeping open shelving light and airy is to not stuff it totally full. Keep a cohesive look with color and texture. Then, tuck in just a few seasonal or decorative elements, such as the coral.

Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas #7: Light Fixtures

Natural light is a key ingredient to cottage coastal kitchen ideas, so if possible, consider removing heavy blinds or drapes that may block natural light from coming into your kitchen!

Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas #8: Woven Accents

Equally important to the use of different shades of blue for the coastal interior design is the use of woven finishes. Rattan, jute, cane, wicker, and sisal can all be found in the coastal grandmother inspired kitchen. Even if your current kitchen has a different decor style, you can bring in cottage coastal kitchen ideas with the use of light colors, touches of blue, and lots of woven texture from coastal kitchen decor pieces.

Here are a few of my favorite woven textures that I am using in my kitchen and adjoining dining area:

closeup of a tray with cups with rattan sleeves, vintage glass vase, and a small ironstone pitcher

Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas #9: Floral Patterns

Another great way to add more style to your cottage coastal kitchen ideas is to incorporate a small touch of florals and/or floral patterns. For example, a tall wicker vase of my favorite white faux hydrangeas in the middle of the kitchen island brings in woven texture and summer florals that you’d find blooming around a Cape Cod home.

You can also bring in floral patterns in other easy ways like a vintage style block print floral table runner on the kitchen table or a stack of pretty cloth napkins ready for use on open shelves.

glass vase of palm fronds on top of a white vintage scale in the center of a kitchen island

Easy Cottage Coastal Kitchen Ideas #10: Coastal Decor

In order to have a truly beach-style kitchen, a few coastal elements are essential! Remember, in the coastal interior design, a little goes a long way. You don’t have to buy out the sea shell store or an entire aisle of sea shell themed decor at your favorite home decor store. A few simple touches will be just what you need for beautiful cottage coastal kitchen ideas.

Here are a few quick and easy coastal kitchen ideas for a refresh:

Add some sea glass to a few old bottles and put on a dining room shelf or open shelving in the kitchen area.
Tuck in a pretty piece of coral with a vignette of everyday dishes and glassware.
Add a conch shell to a tray, surrounded by delicious tropical fruit.
Use some pretty sea shell inspired candle holders by the sink for a cozy glow.
Create a centerpiece for the dining table with a wooden bowl full of sea shells and battery-operated pillar candles.

Last, but definitely not least, it is time to add a few more decorative accents with cottage coastal kitchen ideas. There are so many fun options of nautical accents and beach decor out there but try to choose just a very few favorites for a subtle hint of the coastal feel in your cottage coastal kitchen decor refresh.

Try adding a few of these simple accessories for cottage coastal kitchen ideas:

A light blue striped pillow on a bench or dining chair
Kitchen towels in soft blues with a coastal feel
This oyster shell wreath is the perfect interior statement piece.
Add a blue and white jar to hold treats or cookies for the summer.
A pretty lantern for a cozy centerpiece on the kitchen island or dining table

small coral piece styled in a summer kitchen tray alongside plates, cups, and a small blue and white ironstone pitcher

Whether you already have a coastal design in your home or you just want to switch things up a little in your current kitchen, cottage coastal kitchen ideas are so fun and welcoming. To me, it is perfect for enjoying year round or even for the warmer months, to create your own “vacation home”, right at home!

You can browse even more coastal inspiration on my storefront, conveniently curated for you HERE!

I hope these cottage coastal kitchen ideas help you achieve a decor refresh in simple ways that bring you a lot of joy! If you’re like me, you end up spending significant portions of your day in your kitchen!

It is a great idea to turn your kitchen into a perfect place where you enjoy working and spending time by surrounding yourself with the soothing coastal colors, uncluttered, clean lines of the coastal theme, and natural elements with cottage coastal kitchen ideas that can help you imagine a day at the seashore!

view of summer cottage coastal kitchen ideas styled with touches of and greenery

You may also enjoy these cottage coastal-inspired home decorating tips and ideas:

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