7 Kitchen Design Ideas To Make Your Space Feel Warm & Cosy
If you’re looking for an antidote to high-gloss, all-white, marble-filled kitchens that have been everywhere for the best part of a decade, this is a trend for you. The cosy kitchen is making a comeback, with soft layers of fabric, warm lighting and cocooning colourways taking centre stage. We spoke to three interior experts to find out how to bring a bit of cottage kitchen charm into your own home…
1. Layer up with cosy lighting
“Overhead lighting can feel a bit stark, especially in the evenings. We always try to bring in lamp lighting or wall lights on dimmers to create a softer glow. It makes the kitchen feel like part of the home, not just a workspace.”
– Head of Design at Beams, Simon Ribchester
“I always recommend layering different types of light: overhead pendants on dimmers, wall lights with fabric shades, and even a small table lamp tucked into a corner or shelf to add a warm, inviting glow. Soft lighting makes a kitchen feel less utilitarian and more like a space to linger in.”
– Interior Designer & Founder, Carina Raymond
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2. Choose a cocooning colour
“I always tell clients not to be afraid of colour in the kitchen. A rich-toned rug underfoot, like our Sao Paulo or Bahia in Rust, can set the tone for a more inviting, cocooning scheme. It’s a quick update that has a big visual impact. Colour in a rug doesn’t have to mean bright, it can be depth and warmth.”
– Zara Bollingbroke-Kent, Founder & Rug Expert Bombay Sprout
“Warm, muddy tones work well in kitchens. Soft pinks, ochres, olive greens – colours with some depth that shift with the light. They feel welcoming, and they age beautifully.”
– Head of Design at Beams, Simon Ribchester
“We’re drawn to rich, natural tones that connect to the outdoors for cosy kitchens: olive greens, soft ochres, and warm putty shades, which instantly ground the kitchen and make it feel more intimate. The key is to carry the colour beyond the walls, whether that’s on cabinetry, upholstery or even a painted ceiling to really envelop the space.”
– Interior Designer & Founder, Melissa Hutley
3. Add a statement runner
“Runners are a brilliant way to inject warmth and softness into a kitchen. Kitchens often feature lots of hard materials like stone, tile, and metals, so placing a rug underfoot helps balance that with texture and colour. A striped dhurrie like our Copacabana in Green & Pink brings energy and brightness, while a bold border design like our Bombay Sprout x Laura Stephens Pearl (which can be customised into a runner) creates a strong visual anchor.”
– Zara Bollingbroke-Kent, Founder & Rug Expert, Bombay Sprout
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4. Decorate with unexpected accessories
“We always encourage clients to bring personality into their kitchens. Framed artwork, collected ceramics, or even baskets and books can transform a purely functional room into somewhere you actually want to spend time. Treat it with the same decorative intention as a sitting room.”
– Interior Designer & Founder, Melissa Hutley
“Kitchens are becoming more personal and lived-in, and a rug is one of the most effective ways to make the room feel curated. Pair a runner with a small gallery wall, a vintage chair, or open shelving styled with baskets and ceramics to soften the space and make it feel more like a room you want to spend time in. Our Sao Paulo in Jungle Green will add a bold statement that brings a touch of the unexpected to a kitchen.”
– Zara Bollingbroke-Kent, Founder & Rug Expert, Bombay Sprout
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5. Get rid of wall cabinetry
“Removing upper cabinetry immediately opens up a kitchen and gives it space to breathe. It offers the opportunity to add art, statement wall lights, or even open shelving styled with decorative and useful pieces. It can feel more curated and less ‘kitchen-y, ‘ which works beautifully in family homes or weekend retreats.”
– Interior Designer & Founder, Melissa Hutley
6. Add softness with fabric
“Textiles instantly warm up a kitchen. A seat pad on a bench, a Roman blind at the window, even a small rug –all these little touches help soften hard surfaces and make the room feel lived-in.”
– Head of Design at Beams, Simon Ribchester
“Fabric brings an important tactile element into a kitchen. We love using upholstered seat pads, pleated blinds, sink skirts and tablecloths to break up the harder surfaces. It’s also a great way to introduce pattern and colour – we often use prints from our own collection to ensure the kitchen feels fully integrated with the rest of the home.”
– Interior Designer & Founder, Melissa Hutley
“A soft rug underfoot does more than just look good; it’s a functional layer of comfort when you’re standing at the sink or prepping meals. I love to pair a small dhurrie rug in front of a sink with a matching fabric skirt or café curtain to tie the look together. It feels relaxed and welcoming. Or, if you don’t want to match your space, a jute weave like our Pearl Rug in Jute brings a natural warmth that complements fabric skirts and cushions beautifully.”
– Zara Bollingbroke-Kent, Founder & Rug Expert, Bombay Sprout
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7. Add cosy seating with a banquette
“A built-in banquette is one of our favourite ways to make a kitchen feel more lived-in and layered. It allows for more generous seating, particularly in a family kitchen, and makes even a weekday breakfast feel special. It becomes a central gathering point, framed by warm brass lighting and personal artwork, making it feel just as much a part of the home as any other room.”
– Interior Designer & Founder, Melissa Hutley
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