Cottage Kitchen Nook | ORC Week 8

The Cottage Kitchen Nook is finished! And it has come such a long way. It is now an idyllic spot for gatherings small and large, nestled in the trees and catching the warm summer breezes. You can read the step-by-step by clicking the links below.

ORC Week 1

ORC Week 2

ORC Week 3

ORC Week 4

ORC Week 6

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If you don’t feel like clicking and reading through all of the details at the moment, below is a little reminder of what the space looked like before the One Room Challenge transformation.

The most significant change in terms of function is the DIY nook table that we build from our old IKEA table. The new DIY table fits the space so much better and we actually had fun working together to get it built!

While on the topic of function, the benches seat so many more people already! I’m kicking myself for not just ordering all of the benches at one time. And crossing my fingers that they are back in stock next summer! The Target throw pillows tie in the rest of the living space perfectly. As a bonus, they are super comfortable to lean against.

The pendant adds a touch of rustic and a nod to the age of the cottage while the hobnail planter incorporates a feminine touch and a hint of nostalgia. 

Despite better judgement, we ended up laying down an area rug. It fits the space perfectly and is too beautiful not to be given a shot. This definitely feels like a high quality rug and the price was just right! One of the benefits of sticking to a three color palate at the cottage is that the rug can be transferred to another room if it doesn’t work out in the cottage kitchen nook. 

After much back and forth and so much help, we were able to hang this personalized artwork. I took the photo a few years ago while at the beach with a friend and our children. I have no idea where this party of five thought they were headed, but they were pretty cute looking so independent at such a young age.

As mentioned previously, a friend’s dad is a professional photographer, and he was able to apply a watercolor application to the photo. My friend and I then played around with the colors, sent about a gazillion attachments to a very patient printer, and ended up with this lovely piece of artwork. One of the top options was to print on a velvety paper, matte, and frame the photo. The other option was a framed canvas print. Given the number of matted and framed pieces we have throughout the cottage, trying something new seemed like a good choice. Another benefit is that the canvas is coated and won’t fade. The artwork also won’t have any glare (which is a huge bonus for taking photos). 

A quick summer table setting wouldn’t be complete without fresh picked Michigan strawberries! (After a morning in the heat with one child helping and the other muddy to his knees while trying to catch frogs in a nearby creek, I’m reminded why this is an every-other-year kind of summer activity.)

We are thrilled with how the space came together! You can subscribe to get weekly updates as we slowly improve the rest of the great room space.

As always, don’t forget to check out all of the other beautifully finished rooms on the One Room Challenge blog by clicking here. There are so many gorgeous and inspirational transformations that have taken place over the past 8 weeks. The creativity and dedication is nothing short of amazing!