This post contains 15 absolutely gorgeous rustic cabin kitchen ideas to transform your small kitchen space into the cozy cottage kitchen of your dreams!
Last Updated: 7/4/24
My best friend and past roommate from college has the absolute best kitchen in her childhood home that I’ve ever been in. I can’t even describe in words how warm, cozy, and inviting it is.
The rich rustic colors, the dark wood cabinetry, and the glorious smell of spices makes that kitchen one of my favorite places. So many of my favorite memories were born there spending time with her and her family.
Ever since I first stepped foot in that kitchen, I knew that my dream home would have to have a kitchen just as alluring and nostalgic as that one.
So much of it’s charm can be boiled down to the rustic and earthy design aesthetic it housed. Walking through the back door into that room felt like leaving the city that house was in, and stepping into a cabin deep in the woods somewhere.
You know what I mean when I say there’s a certain peace and serenity that comes from being in a cabin and feeling close to nature.
That’s what makes these rustic cabin kitchen ideas so lovely! Of all the places in your home, the kitchen should feel the most harmonized with the outside world. After all, the things you’re making to nourish yourself and your family came from the ground and Earth.
To achieve that feeling of home and connectedness with the food we consume, let’s break down some of the design basics that are essential for these rustic cabin kitchen ideas.
Essential Elements of Rustic Cabin Kitchen Ideas
- Natural Materials
- Rustic Look
- Wood Tones
- Welcoming Space
Natural Materials:
For any room that claims to have a rustic or cabin design aesthetic, it is absolutely vital that the majority of materials throughout the space are natural materials. Textiles like wood, stone, brick, jute, leather, and ceramics are a few examples of what I mean by natural materials.
Rustic Look:
One of the most common mistakes I see in people trying to achieve a rustic design style in their homes is they buy brand new furniture and goods that are marketed as rustic or farmhouse.
There is only one way in my opinion to achieve a true rustic look, and that’s to buy old and used things. Not only will these probably be higher quality things because they’ve stood the test of time, but they will achieve that true rustic look you desire.
Wood Tones:
You simply cannot achieve a cabin feel to your kitchen without incorporating and layering wood tones all over! To put it simply, we’re trying to make it look like the room was built by hand from trees cut down in the backyard.
For this reason I recommend straying away from painting any wood cabinetry or walls that already exist in your kitchen. Consider re-staining if the tone is not to your liking!
Welcoming Space:
Like my best friend’s childhood home, you want your kitchen to have a certain je ne sais quoi that feels like a million happy memories are housed there. This can be achieved by letting your kitchen have a lived in look.
It doesn’t always have to be spotless or perfectly curated. Sometimes the slightly stained and askew hand towels hanging from the stove are the sweetest and most rustic details of all.
Now that you understand the essentials and hopefully have a better feel for what to achieve in your space, let’s take a look at areas of your small kitchen that can be transformed to achieve your rustic kitchen dreams!
15 Rustic Cabin Kitchen Ideas for Small Kitchens
Related to Rustic Cabin Kitchen Ideas:
- Mountain Cabin Decor Ideas
- Neutral Rustic Living Room Decor Ideas for Small Living Rooms
- Bear Bedroom Decor for Woodland Nurseries
1. Open Shelving
Source: @sixat21
Open shelving brings a sense of warmth and authenticity by showcasing natural textures and materials.
Exposed wooden shelves allow for the display of charming, mismatched dishware and vintage cookware.
This design choice not only promotes easy access to essentials but also accentuates the rugged charm of a cabin setting.
2. Ceiling Beams
Source: @littlesquaresofjoy
Ceiling beams are a staple in any rustic or cabin themed kitchen.
They will always look timeless and add that authentic log cabin feel to your room.
Adding wooden beams to your small kitchen will make a huge impact in overall feel and coziness!
3. Natural Wood
Source: Sweet and Simple Kitchen
Natural, unstained wood provides that cozy cabin feeling the most effectively, in my opinion!
Add natural wood accents throughout your kitchen on cupboards, walls, floors, and utensils will go far in achieving a rustic design aesthetic.
Shiplap is an inexpensive DIY budget and one of my favorite rustic cabin kitchen ideas to take your space to the next level.
4. Kitchen Island
Source: Parisienne Farmgirl
One of my all time favorite kitchen design elements is a beautiful kitchen island.
If your small kitchen has modern feeling appliances and cabinetry, sourcing a vintage rustic island table is a great way to add some cabin charm.
Not only does a kitchen island provide a ton of extra food prep space, it’s also a great focal point for decorating throughout the seasons.
5. Farmhouse Sink
Source: Cowgirl Magazine
Farmhouse sinks are the epitome of a beautiful and functional piece of kitchenware.
The deep and wide sink design provides generous amounts of space for dishes, cleaning, and food prep, and looks absolutely timeless.
Farmhouse elements throughout your kitchen will give you that wholesome back-country feeling that you want in your rustic cabin kitchen ideas.
6. Light Fixtures
Source: Hooked On Houses
Light fixtures are arguably one of the easiest ways to drastically change the feel of your kitchen space.
It’s relatively easy to swap out a chandelier or sconce, and you can replace your current lighting with something warm and cozy.
I love the moose amber glass chandelier for a cabin kitchen as well as the antler sconce seen by the sink window.
7. Natural Stone
Source: Image by Polly Eltes
Don’t be intimated by something that seems as hefty as natural stone does. You can easily achieve the feel of natural stone with stone veneer paneling!
Adding a stone accent wall to your kitchen will instantly make it feel more expensive and like you’re waking up in a country cottage every morning.
This is a surprisingly easy DIY project that can absolutely alter the look and design of your kitchen.
8. Brick Walls
Similar to the stone veneer I mentioned above, you can purchase sheets of thin brick that are made to make projects like this simple and doable for the average person.
Creating a brick wall in your kitchen can be as easy as tiling a backsplash.
Brick in all its forms and colors adds so much warmth to a home and truly makes a kitchen feel like the heart of your house!
9. Dark Wood
Source: Remodelista
I am an absolute sucker for dark wood hues and from what I’m seeing entering 2024, dark wood is absolutely making a comeback!
Don’t be afraid of the warmth and moodiness that dark wood will bring to your kitchen
It will look beautiful in contrast with your natural wood furniture and vintage kitchen appliances as seen above.
10. Wood Ceiling
A wood plank ceiling is one of my absolute favorite rustic cabin kitchen ideas because of the way it draws the eye upward in any room.
I often say that your ceiling is probably your most underutilized design space and a tongue and groove plank ceiling is one of the easiest ways to fix that.
Head to toe wood accents in your kitchen is what will really give you the cabin feel that you’re trying to achieve.
11. Dining Table
If you’re working with a smaller kitchen in your home, then chances are you don’t have a separate dining area either.
Having a combined kitchen and dining room is actually a set up I prefer because I’ve always liked sharing the kitchen with my family while cooking, eating, and snacking.
Make your dining table the design focal point of your kitchen with a rustic farmhouse table as seen above.
12. Brass Hardware
Brass hardware is the obvious choice for me when it comes to rustic kitchen design due to it’s elegant but modest look and ability to patina over time.
The brass hardware in your home will look better and better with every year of use.
It’s also a very easy project to replace kitchen hardware and can be achieved in one weekend! Consider matching your light fixtures to the hardware for a really cohesive look as seen above.
13. Bright Colors in Unexpected Places
Source: My Scandinavian Home
Because so many of these rustic cabin kitchen ideas contain a lot of wood, stone, and brick walls, it can be easy to lose the color in your kitchen.
By painting or purchasing colored appliances, you can totally revive your rustic room and breathe color back into it.
I absolutely love the green stove seen above and I’m hoping there’s a green refrigerator to match!
14. Cozy Area Rugs
Oftentimes, kitchens get the ugly rug treatment in a home because everyone thinks you have to stick to kitchen mats.
Area rugs look BEAUTIFUL in kitchen spaces, though, and I encourage you to get creative with colors and patterns to liven up your room.
Incorporating these rustic cabin kitchen ideas doesn’t require any tools, painting, or demo, making it a favorable option to many.
15. Antique Finds from Flea Markets
Source: My Vintage Porch
I saved the best for last because in my opinion, the only way to achieve a true rustic look in your home is to thrift and source old rustic objects.
As much as new furniture claims to have a “farmhouse” or “vintage” look, you can always tell manufactured objects from vintage handmade ones.
So get your butt to a flea market, antique shop, or thrift store to find the real thing instead of doing all your decor shopping from your phone!
Related to Rustic Cabin Kitchen Ideas:
- Mountain Cabin Decor Ideas
- Neutral Rustic Living Room Decor Ideas for Small Living Rooms
- Bear Bedroom Decor for Woodland Nurseries
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