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Cozy & Inviting Kitchen: Get The Look

Welcome to Fall Nesting!

Don’t we all at some level crave a home that is cozy and inviting? Maybe it’s still 110 degrees where you are right now. I’m so sorry LOL! Maybe you are still craving air conditioning .

But remember, our perspective in this fall nesting series is that what we want our home to feel like doesn’t have to be limited by what is going on right now outside our home!

Even though it may be difficult for some to get in that mood when the weather isn’t cooperating, that’s what this Fall Nesting series is for! You’re in the right place, friends! I want this series to inspire us all to make strides in creating a home we will love in fall, but also be a place where we feel at home in all seasons!

Cozy and Inviting (Get the Look!) will be a fun periodic “mini-series” within our Fall Nesting series!

To focus on that “cozy and inviting” mood many of us crave for our home, I will share a variety of inspiration rooms that feel cozy and inviting to me (for a variety of reasons!).

Then I’ll quickly brainstorm a list of whatever elements I see that I think help create that mood.

Sometimes we’ll focus on rooms that incorporate traditional “fall decorating” items (the pumpkins and plaid pillows, for example!), other times we’ll focus on more general design elements or the mix of textures or accessories that can be incorporated into a room to inspire the mood this season.

Then, we’ll feature items or tips to “get the look” into our home.

There’s not only one way to decorate (at least around here!). It’s my belief that we should make our home unique and authentic to us! So as always, take away from these posts or inspiration photos what inspires you. Leave the rest. Then go make your home your own!

Sound good? Let’s do this.

Chime in with your own ideas or thoughts in the comments of all of the Fall Nesting posts (don’t forget your comments on EVERY POST enter you into a monthly surprise box giveaway both here and on Instagram!).

Cozy & Inviting Kitchen: Get The Look
Cozy & Inviting Kitchen: Get The Look
New England Home

COZY & INVITING KITCHEN

Here are some notes on what stands out to me (and see the end of this post for items I would consider including if I was styling or designing a similar space!)

  • Mixed metals. Nickel faucet, stainless steel appliances. gold brass hardware, gold accent in light, silver vent hood, gold frame in corner on counter.
  • Cozy texture on the wall – antique looking tile
  • Rugs. Striped warm colors with blues. (these look like Dash & Albert rugs, my very favorite rug brand and the same brand my two rug designs are for!)
  • This room looks clean and tidy, but still homey and lived in with some items out in the open. I call that “every day on display”! There is a French press out on the counter, a white crock with spoons, olive oil out on counter in a pretty bottle, a big white soup pot…
  • Warm accents like concrete pots with plants and wood accessories..
  • Lighting. Pendant with a shade instead of glass, with warm gold detail. A table lamp with a white shade would give a similar effect to this look. I love lamps in kitchens! (see my blog post with inspiration for lamps on kitchen counters)

What do you see? What could be incorporated into your home? Share in the comments below to be entered into our monthly Surprise Box Giveaway!

Get the Look:

Cozy & Inviting Kitchen: Get The Look

By the way…here’s a fun fact, I’ve been posting observation style posts similar to this since 2008! Unfortunately a lot of those older posts are now missing their photos so they aren’t quite as fun to read, but the comments were always fascinating.

This post right here <<<< was the introduction to the observation series where I talked about the value in studying images. Remember this was long before Pinterest or Instagram and early in blogging so it wasn’t the norm to be so inundated every day with so many inspiration photos!

If you have time on your hands, it’s maybe worth the read and interesting to read the comments, too. Especially in light of how much the internet has evolved since then!

Here are two “observation” posts that seem to still be intact, so if you like observation posts, you might enjoy these! >> Observation: Checkerboard Kitchen // Observation: Black & White Toile Bedroom

Catch up on any pre-fall nesting posts you missed! >>

Fall Nesting + Surprise Box Giveaways

My Cozy Fall Shop + Favorite Home Decor Sources

Fall Diffuser Blends and Why I Quit Candles

Sharing My Cozy Fall Playlist

20 Little Things to Love About Fall

Fall Nesting + Doormats

Find other posts in the Cozy & Inviting Get the Look Series below!

Cozy & Inviting: Dining Room
Cozy & Inviting: Coastal Living Room
Cozy & Inviting: Kitchen

96 Comments

  1. Bonnie Stoltzfoos

    I think my favorite thing about this room is the “every day on display”. :) I have a pretty low tolerance for clutter or extra stuff so I love the idea of having the cozy things I’ll use daily during fall (mugs, wooden spoons, tea pot, etc.) as my fall decor. :) I love that inviting feeling like your kitchen is ready for you to make something yummy!

    I love those tiles on the wall too! I love how the shapes vary a little bit. :) I do want to practice slowing down when studying a picture like this… it is easy to just glance at things so quickly since we have access to so much.

  2. Melanie Plumb

    I love the mixed metals! Thats not something I would have thought to do but it works in this kitchen well.

  3. Mary Anne Saunders

    Love the rugs!

    • Elle

      The mixed metals do it for me. Also like the rugs but the way I cook, I must have washable!!

  4. Suz Kuhns

    love the rugs and the dark wood floors, there is a comfortable richness to the colors and textures

  5. Suzi

    I love walking into someone’s kitchen and seeing a big soup pot on the stove. Instant homeyness!

  6. Isabel Z

    For me, uncluttered tidy kitchens work best. I like your idea of “every day on display” and after seeing the rugs on your hardwood floor, I am going to explore one for my kitchen. Our home is 90+ years old and the hardwoods in the kitchen have a lot of wear on them so a rug would be a nice touch. It would add color, cover up the worn parts, but still let some of the wood peek through for contrast.

  7. Kari

    Love all the rugs!

  8. HeatherB

    I have a few hints of red in my space, and already a lot of golden tones…may look into cutting back on some of my blues and adding in some warm reds for fall!

  9. Kerry Fountain

    I need to incorporate more rugs into my kitchen! I have a few miss-matched rugs at the moment, need to be work on coordinating colors and patterns.

  10. Renee

    Switching my vase of dahlias to sunflowers signals early fall and back to school to me – after that comes mums in place of ferns, then the gourds… Our transition is slow instead of sudden – it’s all about easing out of the warm months into the cold!

  11. Shari Schempp

    I love all the plants in the kitchen. I have live plants in my kitchen as well.

  12. Patty

    Ready to try a lamp on the kitchen counter right now. How fun to have that added glow in the evenings and early mornings.

  13. Caitlyn

    I was always reluctant to have mismatched metals in a small space but I recently branched out and added a pendant with a different shade of brass and I am really liking it!

  14. Alexandra S.

    Love the look! Can imagine myself in that kitchen with a nice pot of homemade minestrone soup on the stove!

  15. Debbie Keith

    The rugs! I have a blue and white stripe little cotton rug in front of the sink — I think I’ll swap it out for one of these with the fall tones to instantly warm up the kitchen! What a beautiful photo btw. Those tiles ….

  16. Kathy

    I love the tiled walls and marble counter tops! Nicely put together!

  17. Kim

    The rugs jumped right out at me as I make rugs from used bedsheets & the stripes are exactly what I’m creating & the fall colors are the perfect change. I hadn’t thought to go from coordinating to seasonal. Thanks for the inspiration!

  18. Gwenny

    The plants on the counters really add life to the room, as well as the beauty of the green color. I will be looking into this, for sure. I have a question for you, Melissa. I see a lot of wood cutting boards in your kitchen photos and I wonder if you use these for everyday cutting. I currently use the Cutco plastic cutting board (I know-not very attractive at all in my really beautiful new kitchen!!) since my hubby is quite convinced that this is the only way to go with our Cutco knives. I have a beautiful Cutco knife holder so a wood cutting board would look quite lovely, but am wondering about functionality and cleanliness-thoughts?? Suggestions?? Thanks!

    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Hi Gwenny! Yes we do use our wood cutting boards for cutting and even serving! But I think if you have a special board for your knives that you want to use you could tuck it away and only bring it out to cut. Then have the wood cutting boards out for texture and warmth in the room and they’d be handy for serving!

  19. Sharon

    Happy Fall! I don’t like much out on my counters, but the 2 things I’ll take away from the photo are the pot on the stove- out comes a le creuset! And, I like the idea of the the oil and kitchen tools being on a marble/wood board! I will definitely add these accessories! Thanks for your post!

  20. Leslie W

    I think my favorite thing in this kitchen is the warmth and hospitality that makes it feel so inviting. Today’s kitchens seem to me to be very stark and cold with a grey and white palette and this one does a great job of mixing tidiness and warmth which seems to be a nice balance.

  21. Alexa

    Love the rugs!

  22. Julia

    I do need to get a rug in my kitchen…and some plants! The mixed metals look nice, and remind me to let up on the matchy matchy in our renovations.

  23. Kim

    When I see that big white pot on the stove, I imagine there’s warm creamy soup simmering inside. Nothing cozier than that!

  24. Kelsey Ensz

    I could incorporate a new rug. It is time for me to get a new mat or rug by the sink. I like the stripes.

  25. Rachel

    I like that the rugs coordinate, but aren’t an exact match. It effortlessly adds more life and movement to the room without adding more items. And plants! I love plants anywhere and everywhere.

  26. Paige

    What a lovely kitchen! I really like the mixed metals, rugs,and homey touches. I have a white kitchen, and slowly adding metals, natural wood items, and plants has made it warm and inviting to me. I’ve been on the lookout for a little lamp! I wouldn’t have thought of it, but we had an electrical issue last fall one night when I was prepping for a party the next morning. I had to bring a lamp in from another room to see to bake a cake! I just loved it there, though it wasn’t the right one. After that, your post on lamps camp out which was really helpful. I’ve been on the lookout since then! Thanks for the great ideas.

  27. Jami

    Copper and wood are two of my favorite ways to add warmth. I think that this picture looks too sterile, though, to be considered warm. Yes, it has mixed metals and rugs, but something else is needed to put the cozy warm feeling into the kitchen.

  28. Sonja Stouffer

    I am still trying to get use to mixed metals. I tend to be matchy matchy in decor:)

  29. Mercedes

    Love the tile walls !

  30. Pam Rychener

    Love everything about this kitchen. The rugs are lovely.

  31. Karen

    I like the open shelving, tiles and the rugs!

  32. Kathy E.

    I am really drawn to the mixed metals in this kitchen. It gives the room so many sparks of shine and interest…a great tip!

  33. Lori

    Absolutely beautiful kitchen, The tiles are to die for! Mixed metals are interesting and look great in this kitchen though I’m not sure how they would look in my smaller less fancy kitchen. Great photo that is full of ideas for kitchen decor!

  34. Katie

    Love this kitchen!

  35. Chris

    I love the look of a pot on the stove simmering that makes your house smell good. I also like the pretty rugs and the wood floor.

  36. April Zook

    Definitely the mixed metals with the white cabinets…Light and bright yet warm and cozy!

  37. Sarah

    I think I will always be in love with white, open kitchens. they make me so happy!

  38. Jackie Ripp

    I love that this kitchen is lived in, and leaves everyday appliances out on the counter, rather than hiding them. Which, let’s face it, just isn’t practical with a busy family! I can really see myself living and working in a space like this!

  39. Harriet

    I like a very tidy, uncluttered kitchen with very little on the counters. I guess I don’t crave a cozy kitchen, but I like the idea of a lamp on the counter if I could find one that I like.

  40. Christy

    I would like to accent with more plants. I never think of that in the kitchen.

  41. Karen

    I was instantly drawn to the warmth of this kitchen! Yes , it is clean and tidy but looked extremely livable to me. Never thought about mixing metals but I see it works just fine. Thanks Melissa!

  42. Caol

    I’ve always liked the look of mixed metals, it adds so much interest. I’m also loving the white soup pot on the stove and the lamp, I’ve never thought of adding a lamp in the kitchen.

  43. Carol

    I’ve always liked the look of mixed metals, it adds so much interest. I’m also loving the white soup pot on the stove and the lamp. I’ve never thought of adding a lamp in the kitchen.

  44. Amanda

    I love texture. It’s how I justify buying everything in white – “but it has texture, so it’s okay!” Also, I really like that Pottery Barn enamel-looking pendant.

  45. Jenn

    Very pretty. I have one of the pickling jars you include in your, “get the look section.” It comes up to my knee and has about a 14 inch diameter. I am looking for some ideas to incorporate into my kitchen. I tried it as an umbrella catcher but it looked to big and messy. Anyone have any ideas?

    • Sue

      Not sure how tall it is but maybe a collection of rolling pins would look nice.

      Sue in Fl

  46. Alissa

    So inspiring! It makes me want to start changing things up in my home right now.

  47. Sabrina Lynn-Murdock

    I’m drawn to those concrete pots and wood accents. That combination is at once a bit industrial, and also warm and inviting. I’m going to add that combo in my kitchen.

  48. SHIRLEY ORFANELLA

    I love the hardwood floor with these striped rugs. They are bright & a great transition from summer into early fall. Also love the mixed colors of the painted cabinets and the small wooden corner shelves caught my eye immediately!

  49. Maureen

    We have been looking to put in hardwoods in our kitchen and other parts of the first floor. I like how yours looks. Love the color and the fact that it looks like a kitchen that would be a treat to bake and cook in.

  50. Linda Grubbs

    Love the mixed metals! I remember the day when they ALL had to match. No more… I like the casual look of that! Also the countertops-lovely!

  51. Kelly

    I love that a couple of the shopping photos gave me inspiration to re-purpose items I already have as “decor”!

  52. Dr.Amrita Basu

    I love your observation posts. They actually train our eyes to see and learn rather than just read passively.

  53. Lila Piercey

    Big fan of the rugs in beautiful fall colors!

  54. Ann C

    Funny how I never think of concrete or metals as cozy. You show me a different way of looking at things. I only saw wood floors and shelves and rugs as being cozy in this picture.

  55. Helene

    I love the vintage looking tile on the whole wall….and the mixed metals surprised me. I like it!

  56. Diane

    Thank you for the tips about, “studying” rooms we like!

  57. Mary Stewart

    I clean out my cabinets every fall. I’m always surprised by how many plastic cups/tumblers we have hiding out in them that were saved for no apparent reason. So, out they go!

  58. Zannah

    I like the wood corner shelves and the throw rugs; they create warmth.

  59. Karla

    The tile drew me in first. I also love the rugs that mix blue with the more fall like colors.

  60. Jill

    The plants were the first thing to catch my eye. I have plants in my kitchen but love the larger ones in these pictures. I also like the rugs!

  61. Samantha

    I like that the kitchen looks lived in and not sterile.

  62. Sandy

    My son-in-law keeps his large Le Creuset casserole on the stove. No room in the cabinets to store it!

  63. Karina C.

    I love the wooden shelves in that kitchen.

  64. Lori Kursave

    I love the tile all the way up! Such a statement that so many don’t take advantage of in their kitchen space. The color of the tile appears warm and welcoming?

  65. Sherry

    I love this room but the thing I first noticed was the wall tile. I live really well with sandy colors and more neutral spaces but never want them to look boring or cold and this room delivers it all.

  66. Mary

    The wall tiles and the bright rugs were the two elements that jumped right out at me!! But the whole kitchen is pretty awesome!

  67. phyllis

    To-do list for the weekend: Get some mixed metal elements and some fun striped rugs in muted colors. Thanks for the inspiration!

  68. Veronica Nightingale

    I like the everyday on display too. Actually my kitchen is like that with utensils hanging from a piece of lattice attached to one wall. I love the plants in this kitchen and the rugs as well.

  69. Tina

    Lots of great ideas here- think I will start with a new area rug for fall.

  70. Lorrie

    I love mixed metals in a kitchen, and especially the addition of some copper. I’m collecting pieces for my own kitchen in copper. I also love plants in the kitchen. A lamp on the kitchen/breakfast table is a cozy thing and easy on the eyes early in the morning when it’s dark and rainy.

  71. Pam

    I love how the utensils, oils and salts are gathered on a tray or cutting board by the stove, keepin it real but tidy. Also love the mixed metals.

  72. Heather

    I think the French press looks really stylish on the countertop. I have one, but I keep it tucked away in a cabinet. It would look really nice with some oversize mugs set on display.

  73. Kim Wagner

    The pretty rugs and plants caught my eye! I like decorating with plants and have couple in my kitchen.

  74. Mrs. T

    I like the look of the rugs. I used to have a rug in my kitchen, and I think two would be even nicer — maybe one in front of the sink and one at the back door.

  75. Carolyn

    I might try a lamp in my kitchen to add a warm glow as the days get shorter.

  76. Susan

    Love the “everyday on display” as you call it and also love the rugs and the warm colors they bring into the kitchen.

  77. Beth

    I like the shelves tucked in the corners. I also like the rack laying across the sink. It seems so practical to have a place to set something that has just been rinsed.

  78. Christine

    I wish I could do something with my kitchen, it’s so small. But I live in a rental and it was designed by a drunk builder. To open my refrigerator door open all the way, I have to open the back door. It is right by the door. I love your kitchen, though. Wish I had it. I would prefer a light kitchen where the cabinets are white and same with the walls.

  79. Joanna

    I like the concrete planters – I have mismatched pots with herbs in them and can see how choosing more beautiful pots, intentionally, would be an improvement. Thanks!

  80. Debra

    I love the warmth the wood floors bring to the kitchen. Too much white sometimes feels sterile to me, but this room has a nice balance!

  81. JoAnn

    I love that you incorporated rugs and plants in the kitchen. Definitely makes the space so inviting!

  82. Brittany Romero

    Love all the metal tones with wood and whites! I just ordered a turned wood floor lamp, excited for the cozy it will add to our family room!

  83. Lydia

    What would you all your personal sense of style?

  84. sandyc

    Love the New England Home kitchen. It is beautifully done. Very warm and inviting and I think all the greenery is a huge contributor to that. I’m mixing metals in my small u-shaped kitchen with oil-rubbed bronze pendants and a ceiling fan that match the dark-framed patio doors that are a part of my Spanish-bungalow-style home (in fact the large dark framed windows with picture windows with sliders and some mullioned windows are what sold me on the house along with an arch and a vaulted ceiling in the LR/DR/foyer. I wondered about the mix because my kitchen is very small and not fancy or professionally renovated but I read an interesting article that said when mixing metals, try to keep the metals on the same plane (they were talking about horizontal) and this what I’m doing. In the New England Kitchen, they did it differently with the hood, range and even the faucet on the same vertical plane and the bronze horizontal elsewhere and I like it. Definitely lamps in the kitchen. I have two and the one on the faux peninsula by the patio door is always on at night since I can see it from my desk and without it, my kitchen would be a dark hole.

  85. Andrea S.

    I love the “everyday on display” concept! It’s helped me be much more intentional about what I keep on my counters.

  86. jen s

    I love how most everything is subtle with just pops of a fall feeling. Nothing is overwhelming which I really love about your style of decorating!

  87. Angela G

    Observation posts feel a little like a “seek and find” game. :)

  88. Laurie

    I struggle with the “on-display” items because I have limited counter top space. I always want to have pretty things out like spoon rests, jars, and cookware. But it ends up making the kitchen feel crowded to me. I don’t know how to solve the problem!

  89. Lynn

    I definitely need a new rug in my kitchen!

  90. Lori

    The cabinets are not the builder grade white, like the pot, but a warmer color taken from the beautiful tile. The warmth of the wood floors just brings it together. I have never enjoyed the white of my kitchen cabinets and this kitchen provides great inspiration.

  91. Pamela

    I love how wood accents can cozy up a room especially in a kitchen where there are so many hard surfaces.

  92. Jo Jo

    My favorite thing about this kitchen is the soft neutral colors, “ everyday on display” and the mixed metals! Love!

 

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