14 Cottage Kitchens Made For Summer Entertaining

MODERN MUSKOKA

This kitchen is a contemporary take on the Muskoka cottage tradition of using natural materials. The walls are adorned with aged stone, and the metal-seamed range hood is a textured porcelain that resembles oxidized iron. Streamlined metal uppers hang above traditional wooden lower cabinetry.

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Crowd sourcing

In this Georgian Bay fishing lodge, a huge kitchen with enough elbow room for everyone was a big priority. A commodious island accommodates the extended family. Tons of closed storage stashes a mountain of supplies.

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going green

“These oversized chandeliers are brilliant! They’re handmade boxes covered in craft paper with lights inside,” says designer Cynthia Ferguson. They had long hung in the cottage and she didn’t want to remove them, but she did want to add a new kitchen. The green cabinetry was inspired by the avocado-esque veins running through the quartzite countertops. 

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dream retreat

The main cottage’s kitchen features new shiplap walls and the original ceiling punctuated by new wood beams. Designer and cottage owner Madison Krofchick replaced a bank of windows with sliding doors to open up the space and reinforce the indoors-out connection. When planning the custom kitchen, she wanted the range hood to stand out. 

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cabin cooking

The open kitchen is finished in marble and wood. “The walls are a soft grey-white that changes tone with the four seasons,” says designer and cottage owner Darina Bellini. “When you’re in this room, all you have to do is glance up to revel in the ever-changing blues, greens and greys of the lake.” Simple wood stools soften the modern lines of the waterfall-style peninsula.

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rustic meets refined

Accessories like the rope-hung mirrors and the lantern-style pendant lights make this kitchen feel decorated. “I don’t like to take risks when decorating,” says one of the homeowners, “but I did want to mix things up in the kitchen so it didn’t read as plain.” 

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Fully connected

“I wanted the kitchen to feel less like a utilitarian space and more like a relaxed gathering spot for family and friends,” says designer Candace Plotz. The designer charged its clean-lined elements with nuanced accessories, including pendant lights that introduce gentle curves, a patterned runner that lends softness, and cane-backed stools that afford textured warmth. Fresh greenery subtly alludes to the views outside.

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Shipshape Shaker

In the kitchen of this Georgian Bay cottage, the navy Shaker-style cabinets impart a nautical feel, in keeping with the watery theme, but there are subtler references, too: the quartz countertop has a wave-like undulating pattern, and the range hood is finished in shiplap.

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Farmhouse Kitchen

The kitchen’s cream-coloured cast-iron apron-front sink is in keeping with the farmhouse look. A simple off-white textured linen blind softens the hard finishes.

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Terracotta tones

Terracotta-toned tile on the rounded kitchen island is a key element in driving home designer Michelle Berwick’s “nod to nostalgia” design theme—as are the rattan stool seats, the scalloped edging on the otherwise clean-lined range hood, and the island’s butcher-block top.

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bright & industrial

The kitchen island is the most-used area in the room, designed by Nancy Fournier of Northern Living Kitchen & Bath. “We have small meals here and use it as a bar, a spot for hors d’oeuvres and for congregating,” says one of the homeowners.

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cozy cottage

The cottagey kitchen has clean lines, but it’s wonderfully textured and warm. For example, the range hood is wrapped in oak stained a rich chestnut colour. And rather than go with smooth countertops, designer Keely Gow went more rustic with a leather-finished granite. The look is a perfect setting for the stools, which combine metal, faux leather and wood.

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modern west coast

Topped with dramatic Statuario marble, the generous kitchen island is an ideal hub for entertaining. "The pendant lights above the island have a real nautical feel and reference seaside living," says interior designer Nicole Mah of Kelly Deck Design. Metal stools are easy to clean and well-suited to wet bathing suits.

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Antique-oak kitchen island

“The kitchen is my favourite room,” says homeowner Joanna Tukums. And it’s no wonder. The play of clean white kitchen cabinetry and backsplash tiles against the warmth of an antique-oak island and pantry makes it an inviting space for cooking and entertaining.

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