Oak Branch Cottage: Kitchen Additions

There is something deeply satisfying about watching a long-held vision finally come together.

Last weekend, J and I rolled up our sleeves and tackled a serious cleaning session in the main living areas and bathrooms of Oak Branch Cottage. On Monday, our housecleaning team came in to give everything a thorough deep clean. By Tuesday—in what felt like a long-awaited milestone—our contractor was officially ready to turn the interior of the house over to us!

While there are still a few minor touch-ups and small finishing details on the agenda (hooks to mount, shower rods to install, and tiny tweaks here and there), having the keys to the inside officially in hand changes everything.

Fortunately, the timing couldn't have been better. I was off all week on Fall Break—easily one of my absolute favorite weeks of the school year—which gave me the time and freedom to start bringing pieces over and making the space truly ours.

Bringing Character into the Kitchen

One of my favorite projects of the week was starting on the kitchen. I brought over my collection of oyster plates—a mix of treasured vintage pieces and newer finds—and began getting them in place.

The kitchen is often the hardest room to soften during a build or renovation, but bringing in these layered, meaningful accessories immediately added the warmth and character the space was calling for.

Seeing these personal collections on display marks the beginning of the best phase of this project: making Oak Branch Cottage feel like a home rather than a job site.

I made plenty of progress on other corners of the cottage throughout the week, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of the additions, details, and decorating projects I tackled during break very soon.

Stay tuned!

Kitchen Additions, y'all!