10 Ideas for Styling a Country Kitchen
|10 Ideas for Styling a Country Kitchen
You don’t always need to hire a professional designer to style a high standard country kitchen for you. Read this article to find out how to create a stunning interior by yourself!
Country kitchens never go out of style. They look welcoming, age beautifully and inspire homeowners for cooking as well as entertaining. From this article, you will understand how to style an elegant country kitchen on any budget. These recommendations should come in handy for houses and apartments of any size and planning.
- Find an Optimal Layout
The concept of the work triangle might be outdated if we talk about modern kitchens. But for country ones, it’s still relevant. Your sink, stove and refrigerator should be located close to each other. Plus, the surface where you do all the preparation work should be situated not far away from the triangle. This might be a kitchen table or an island. If you opt for an island, you might consider incorporating a sink or a hob depending on your available kitchen space.
- Embrace the Original Features of Your Country Kitchen
Some people are lucky enough to live in old farmhouses or barn conversions. If you’re one of them, it might be wise to preserve the blackened wooden beams, the original stone floor tiles and any other design elements that add character to the place. Make sure the original features are in the best condition possible and repaint them if needed. When choosing electrical appliances for such a setting, you might want to purchase goods with a retro theme.
- Stick to a Neutral Palette
Here are the primary advantages of neutral colours:
- Make compact spaces look bigger and full of light
- Never go out of fashion
- Serve as a perfect backdrop for picturesque accents, such as stand-out timber beams
If your country kitchen is lacking natural light, it would be wise to paint it all-white or off-white. To create visual intrigue, you might want to paint one wall with a contrasting colour that is slightly warmer or colder than the rest of the premise.
To retain the feeling of a calm environment, you might want to accessorise the space with other neutral coloured features and wood. When you want to spruce up the interior, the most budget-friendly way of doing this will be to repaint the kitchen cabinets in a new colour. Consider the warm and rustic appeal of hickory kitchen cabinets to give your kitchen a fresh and inviting look.
- Select the Right Cabinets
Shaker-style cabinets are one of the most popular options for country kitchens. They look refined and relaxed at the same time and blend well into both modern and traditional schemes. Shaker-style cabinets look particularly stunning in chalky, vintage hues, such as buttermilk cream, olive green or sea-foam grey. For a laidback and eclectic feel, you might want to mix up cabinet finishes. Non-matching pieces will accentuate the charm of your country kitchen. Feel free to use salvaged finds, handmade drawers and any other items that seem visually appealing to you.
- Choose Your Perfect Worktops
Most country kitchens feature stone or wood worktops. To preserve the rustic charm of the space, you should prevent your stone surfaces from being too bold or shiny. For instance, black granite would look out of place in such an interior while granite kitchen worktops in cream, brown or red colours should nicely fit the overall kitchen palette. Composite worktops are more durable than those made of natural stone but they are also pricier and require specialist fitting. You might want to focus on materials with a matt finish.
Wooden worktops are the most common type of surface for a country style kitchen. They are easy to install, maintain and fix. To remove everyday dents and scratches, you can polish and quicksand the wood without third-party help. If some areas of your kitchen are more prone to scratches and scorches than others, consider using a harder wearing material on them.
- Mix Fitted and Freestanding Furniture
That should make your kitchen look more authentic and timeless. Freestanding kitchen furniture offers flexibility and works well with irregular walls. You might want to order customised items or look for antiques on flea markets. Pieces made of reclaimed wood should give your country kitchen the highly coveted lived-in feel.
- Opt for a Country Kitchen Sink
A Belfast sink, also known as a butler’s sink, is the epitome of the country kitchen style. It is deep, wide and perfectly suitable for washing fresh vegetables straight from the garden. Sinks made of stainless steel are the most durable. Typically, they are mounted under the worktop. Composite and ceramic options look more modern but are more prone to cracks and scratches.
- Display Utensils for a Lived-In Look
In a traditional country kitchen, you should have at hand all the items that you might need for cooking. Instead of stashing away your pans and pottery in cabinets and cupboards, you might want to curate them on display. On Pinterest, you can find tons of ideas on styling your “exhibition”.
- Warm Your Kitchen with a Cozy Wood Burning Stove
Such a stove will become a comforting focal point for your kitchen. It will warm up the space and will look incredibly stylish in photos. When your friends pop for a visit on a cold winter evening, they will enjoy sipping tea close to the fire.
- Add a Utility Room to Your Kitchen
In the utility room, there should be enough worktop space for you to put a basket with laundry on when loading and unloading machines. You should be able to bend down to a machine without bumping into cupboards or any other objects. Your ironing board should fit in the utility room too.
Besides, it would be wise to create a dedicated boot room. Consider placing a bench by the back door. Your guests and family members will be able to sit down there, take off their boots and hang coats.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you found this article informative and now you better understand how to style a country kitchen. Find an optimal layout, stick to a neutral palette and embrace the original features of the premise. Select the right cabinets and worktops. Consider mixing freestanding and fitted furniture. Opt for a country kitchen sink and maybe a wood burning stove too. Display utensils for a lived-in look and add a utility room to your kitchen.
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