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With the outside temps lingering around freezing, nothing sounds more appealing than entertaining friends and serving lots of comforting foods in a cozy cooking space. And nothing warms up a kitchen more than rustic, reclaimed wood and earthy terra-cotta tile. Enter Isa, a cozy Brooklyn eatery featuring rough-hewn beams, golden orange floors, and custom English oak tables, not to mention homey dishes that are as natural and warm as the thought-out decor. And while you may not be able to import a wood-burning brick pizza oven like Isa's into your own kitchen, you can bring home a few of the provincial-yet-urban elements that make up this New York space, designed by Taavo Somer, so inviting. Here's how:
#1. A Great Dining Table
The familial style of the long wood bar at Isa—custom designed by Somer himself—is easy to mimic at home with a trestle-style farm table that sets the stage for fabulous drinks and dinners, while providing plenty of seating space for guests. If you're short on square footage, consider a smaller round table similar to the ones in the dining area surrounding Isa's bar. The best part about farm-style designs? Wood furniture ages gracefully, and any nicks or scratches add a well-worn characteristic that only enriches its patina. Surround either table with bowback Windsor chairs. Newer pieces versus vintage finds may be a bit shiny, but you can easily distress them with sandpaper and even use an ice pick to create faux wormholes.
Toscana Extending Rectangular Dining Table from Pottery Barn
Get the look:
Toscana Extending Rectangular Dining Table, $1,599, Pottery Barn
Reclaimed Wood Pine Round Table in Honey, $1,650, Williams-Sonoma
No. 267 Bowback Windsor Arm Chair, from $317, Cohasset Colonials
#2: A True, Working Island
If you're not quite ready to invest in a new table and chairs, consider anchoring your kitchen with a rough-hewn wood island. We love that islands provide extra storage space, plus guests can gather around it for appetizers—almost like having an in-home bar! Consider one with a sleeker top to balance the pastoral feeling of so much wood, and think about opting for a misshapen design like the one at Isa. Keep the area around the island open, or add a few casual barstools for additional seating.
Stone Top Kitchen Island from Williams-Sonoma
Get the look:
Stone Top Kitchen Island, from $1,295, Williams-Sonoma
Klismos Bar Stool in Chocolate-Stained Veneer, from $59, west elm
#3. Authentic Wood Beams
You can't miss the reclaimed beams woven throughout Isa, which warm the dining room and bar, and lend a bit of a ski lodge feel to the space. Of course you can do the same on your kitchen ceiling and walls, but you don't have to invest in a major overhaul to pull off this look. Consider framing out a painting or mirror or even incorporating window casings with pieces of antique wood for a less expensive alternative.
Timber beams by Vintage Timberworks
Get the look:
Timber and beams from Vintage Timberworks
4. A Copper Kitchen Backsplash
Geometrics keep the monochromatic style of the restaurant from looking boring, and one of our favorite designs is the triangle-dotted metal wrap beneath the bar. Copper roof tiles in a diamond shape will add a shiny pop of sophistication as a backsplash behind your cooktop. Spare the expense of running copper beneath cabinets, too. Instead, use thin, real brick tiles, and lighten them up with a coat of oatmeal- or cream-colored paint.
Recycled Copper Tiles from Premier Copper Products
Get the look:
Recycled Copper Tiles, Premier Copper Products
Copper roof tiles, Rutland Gutter Supply
Thin brick tile, from $10, Brick Salvage
Oatmeal paint, Benjamin Moore Paints
#5. Earthy, Terra Cotta Flooring
The floors at Isa add a brighter, yet still earthy, glow to the space, with clay terra-cotta colored tile laid in a herringbone pattern. Placing the rectangular tiles in an interesting pattern adds a simple but effective textural layer to the restaurant. Similar Mexican tiles are a smart, durable choice that will provide a homey feel that retains a countryside elegance. You'll need to seal tiles for protection, but the results are worth the little bit of maintenance they require.
Tierra Floor Tile from MexicanTiles.com
Get the look:
Tierra Floor Tile, from $4.40, MexicanTiles.com
#6. A Statement-Making Rug
The only bold color at Isa comes from brightly patterned Afghan rugs covering the door. And while you may not be totally ready to upholster yours, you can pull in a burst of color with a striped or geometric rug on the floor. Layer several mismatched ones in a larger kitchen, or, if you have an empty wall, consider hanging one as a tapestry.
Farah Diamond Recycled Yarn Indoor/Outdoor Rug, from $59, Pottery Barn
Get the look:
Zola Stripe Recycled Yarn Indoor/Outdoor Rug, $499, Pottery Barn
Diamond Kilim Rug, $249, Pottery Barn
Farah Diamond Recycled Yarn Indoor/Outdoor Rug, from $59, Pottery Barn
#7. Warm Lighting Fixtures
Geometric ball pendants mimic the triangles found in elements like the copper bar wrap, so they provide functionality as well as artsy cohesiveness. Pull double-duty in your kitchen with a similar fixture. If your space already features pendant lights, a simple swap is probably an easy DIY project, but we suggest hiring an electrician for jobs that require rewiring or totally new installation.
Bentwood Pendants from west elm
Get the look:
Bentwood Pendants, $169, west elm
Lauren by Ralph Lauren Dustin Dodecahedron Pendant, $569, Shades of Light
Etch Shade Pendant, $460, YLighting
#8. Rustic Accessories
The best kitchens are like the little black dress: a good basic always looks better with the right accessories. Simplicity weaves its way throughout Isa in big and small ways, including dishware and the occasional hanging terra-cotta pot planted with cacti—something even homeowners on a budget can handle in a weekend.
Clay Hanging Pots from Direct From Mexico
Get the look:
California Driftwood Natural Brown Branch, $18.98, Koyal Wholesale
Round Terra Cotta Rope Pots and Medium Clay Hanging Pots on Rope, from $17.60, Direct From Mexico
Pillivuyt Coupe Porcelain Dinnerware Place Settings, from $100, Williams-Sonoma
Chambray Stripe Napkins, $39.95 for set of four, Williams-Sonoma
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