January is coming to a close, but winter weather continues to affect most of us and more storms are on the way! I have decided to embrace winter decor inside, especially with such beautiful views of snow outside. Today I am sharing a little bit of our winter kitchen with my favorite French Farmhouse basket tray styled with witner and cottage garden elements. I am so happy to be joining my friend Debra of Common Ground for another post in our Vintage Cottage Weekend Series! You will find a link to Debra’s winter decor at the end of this post.
French Farmhouse Styled Basket Tray in the Winter Kitchen
Before we moved in tto our “new” house, and the kitchen was still in progress, I really struggled to visualize how this corner was going to look. I wanted to find something really new and interesting for the corner, but once I tried my favorite French farmhouse basket tray I knew it was perfect for the spot, and could easily be tweaked seasonally.
Summer Kitchen Styled Basket Tray
If you are a long time follower then you will probably recognize this basket from the yellow brick home where I often used the basket in the kitchen corner. By the way, I love my new kitchen but I do sometimes miss the LOOK of the beautiful brick floor. In reality, I found it too hard under my feet and to keep clean with food spills in the kitchen (imagine spinach or chocolate chips smashed in the grout!)
When thinking of flooring options for the new house, we decided to just take advantage of the beautiful century old hardwood throughout our home and saved money by refinishing it ourselves. Do I love it more than the brick floor? For practicality reasons I actually do! It is so much easier to take care of and doesn’t hurt my feet! In this photo it looks like there is something on the floor, but it’s the reflection from the crystal prisms ornaments on a beautiful, sunny winter day.
However, in my recent winter sunroom post, I shared how I got my “brick fix ” after all in the new house by creating an entry “rug” area as you come in the back door entrance to the sunroom. Eventually the brick will be expanded as we build the corner bench window nook in the sun room.
I loved, loved, loved, this year’s Christmas Kitchen basket styling! As a bonus it was super easy to transition to winter by removing the red items and Santa.
The result is an elegant, garden and nature lover’s winter theme! Using bright citrus in place of the red, I didn’t feel as depressed with this transition.
I also kept some twinkle lights for magical, cozy winter days and nights. Dried citrus, faux oranges, realistic faux evergreens and paperwhites are my go-to’s as winter accents in baskets and trays.
I carried the theme of sunny citrus, paperwhites, fresh and bright (faux) evergreens and vintage ironstone into the dining room since our kitchen and dining room are semi-open concept.
I share my full Christmas to Winter Dining Room post as part of last week’s vintage cottage weekend if you would like to check it out.
Of course it wouldn’t be a vintage cottage weekends post without mentioning two of my favorite vintage ironstone transferware pitchers and the old chippy mirror in the background.
The blue transferware pitcher holds a primitive twiggy tree with dried clementine slices, while the green transferware pitcher is filled with forced real paperwhites. I hope they bloom in February!
I also “planted’ some faux paperwhites on the opposite side of the basket.
Paperwhites will always be a decorating “theme” in our home from Christmas through spring.
Debra loves paperwhites too! To see how she styles paperwhites for winter, head over to Common Ground and check out her Cozy Winter Sitting Area. You’ll find plenty of vintage goodness at Debra’s to enjoy on a cold, vintage cottage weekend!
Thanks so much for visiting dear friends! Stay warm and cozy!
Amber
1 Comment
I really adore that basket! It has so much versatility and is so spacious. And the light from the window is wonderful. Perfect spot for an interesting and layered vignette. Give me a basket or tray each season of the year! Loved your Christmas version!
January 26, 2025 at 11:06 am