Making any style your own requires knowing a little bit about what does—and does not—define it. Whether you’re looking to completely remodel your kitchen or simply update it with a few touches, there’s no shortage of inspiration out there, though finding the right place to start for your specific kitchen can be a bit daunting.
Luckily, author Chris Peterson has written Kitchen Ideas You Can Use, a new book about how we can highlight our kitchen’s design and function in beautiful, on-trend, and comfortable ways. Here he shares insights about the warm, casual style of the country farmhouse kitchen.
The country, farmhouse, and cottage kitchen style is set apart by the use of simple, repetitive elements such as beadboard or faux beadboard cabinets and wall cladding. Homey, rough-hewn materials come into play, such as tin backsplashes and ceilings and butcher block countertops. Farmhouse is a slightly more rustic variation, featuring certain key indicators like the apron-front “farmhouse” sink.
COLOR COUNTRY KITCHENS IN CLASSIC TONES. The yellow here is right out of history and creates the perfect backdrop for stunning blue counters, antique reproduction ceiling fixtures, and a fireclay farmhouse apron-front sink. The cabinets come equipped with detailing to match the historic paint and help create a beautiful and memorable kitchen design that is pure old-timey charm. Photo credit: Eric Roth / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
TAKE COUNTRY FROM ARCHITECTURAL CUES. The A-frame, exposed beam-and-rafter construction of this kitchen is reminiscent of a barn or farmhouse, so the designer filled the oversized space with country kitchen design elements, such as the simple recessed panel cabinets, wicker basket storage, and hanging fixtures that are reminiscent of candle lanterns. Decorative dinnerware on display adds to the effect. Country kitchen design is often thought of as a small room aesthetic, but here it works on a grand scale. Photo courtesy of KraftMaid / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
BRING FARMHOUSE STYLE TO LIFE WITH SUBTLY DETAILED CABINETRY. Although the cabinets in this kitchen look simple, the detailing is actually a thoughtfully accurate updated representation of authentic farmhouse cabinets. The recessed panels are true to the style, and arching kick plates create faux legs as if the cabinets were freestanding. Beautifully simple handles drive the impression home, and a copper range hood with decorative relief is the icing on the cake. Photo courtesy of Crown Point Cabinetry / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
SET THE STYLE WITH THE SINK. No sink is quite so distinctive as an apron-front “farmhouse” sink. Named for the formidable cast iron fixtures that served as gigantic cleaning repositories for real farmhouses, this style of sink is beautiful and extremely useful because it is normally extremely deep. This particular version features an elegant tiered ledge and a stunning chrome faucet with white porcelain handles in keeping with the style of the sink. An incorporated soap holder makes the faucet even more useful. Photo courtesy of American Standard / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
SURROUND MODERN APPLIANCES WITH AN ANTIQUE LOOK. Upscale appliances such as the range and hood, refrigerator, and wall stoves in this kitchen are almost a necessity these days. To successfully incorporate these modern conveniences into the aged aesthetic of a country kitchen, surround them with key elements like these cabinets with vivid grain detail and simple butt-joint rail-and-stile construction. The juxtaposition creates visual interest, and the greater surface area of the cabinets ensures that the theme of the kitchen design predominates. Photo courtesy of Jenn-Air / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
COUNTRIFY SMALL DETAILS. The ring of truth in any distinctive style is often established with the small convincing details. This chunky latch serves in place of a standard handle and catch, and provides a realistic antique farmhouse look to the cabinets. Hooded pulls in an antique finish could do the same. Details like this can make or break a stylized kitchen design. Photo courtesy of Top Knobs / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
USE WOOD TO ANNOUNCE FARMHOUSE STYLE. The wonderfully chunky wood island shown here, with its thick turned columns and matching wood-trimmed pot rack, sets the stage for the kitchen. The other cabinets follow suit, featuring a distressed finish, dish drying rack, and niche shelves—all indicators of country farmhouse style and all quaint design elements that create a lovely atmosphere in this kitchen. Keep in mind that the style is most closely associated with pine and oak, so if you’re going to show a natural-finish wood surface in the space, best to use those. Photo courtesy of Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
CREATE A TUSCAN COUNTRY LOOK WITH STONE. The luxurious stone floor and diamond-pattern stone wall behind the range in this kitchen not only warm up the room, they also give it the feel of Italian countryside villa. These surfaces are indestructible and easy to clean as well. Antique reproduction ceiling pendants add to the feel, and a marble-topped wood island emphasizes the idea of lasting luxury. A chef-quality two-stove range with industrial hood fits right in with the rest of the design elements, mimicking the squat good looks of a wood-fired stove you might have found in an actual large Italian country house. Photo courtesy of Walker Zanger, Inc. / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
INDICATE COUNTRY STYLE WITH BEADBOARD. A design element that most definitely establishes old-fashioned kitchen design right out of a farm is a beadboard surface. The cabinets in this lovely, warm kitchen show the simple appeal of beadboard. They also boast antique-style pulls and handles, along with faux feet that really establish the impression of country style. Exposed beams drive the style home, as does the knotty pine flooring. Photo courtesy of Crown Point Cabinetry / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
STORE IN PLAIN SIGHT IN A COUNTRY KITCHEN. The informal nature of country, farmhouse, or cottage-style kitchens means cookware, plates, glasses, and more are kept out on display. Open shelving often replaces cabinetry, and pot racks—like the handsome, rough-hewn version here—are a regular feature in the style. Set over the island, this rack not only adds a lot of visual interest, it also puts pots and pans right where they are needed. Photo courtesy of Enclume / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
GET FUNKY WITH COUNTRY. A country look lends itself to a little freestyle riffing on the theme. The designer here created the foundation of a country kitchen with the simple cabinets and diamond-pattern stone floor. But a leaded glass window, subway tile wall, and detailed cornice over the refrigerator all embellish the look with slight departures from the theme. Luxury stainless steel appliances provide visual focal points around the room and help guide the eye through the design. Photo courtesy of Viking / Kitchen Ideas You Can Use
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The kitchen: command center of the home, headquarters for all things edible, family-member traffic funnel. Whether you’re a bachelor or bachelorette in a small starter home or part of a larger family, if this isn’t the most-used room in your house, you must not be home very often. In the kitchen, functionality and aesthetics go hand-in-hand; the mood is just as important as the machinery, and if you’re looking to capitalize on the space in your home – no matter how big or small – you’re going to need a few pointers.
Fortunately, in Kitchen Ideas You Can Use, our home Do-It-Yourself expert Chris Peterson gives you a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of all the kitchen essentials: cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring, wall treatments, storage, islands, eat-in areas, lighting, and ventilation. Kitchen remodeling is normally the most expensive home improvement project. But with over 300 inspiring photographs, Peterson’s straightforward insights, and our attention to the latest trends from professional designers, you can skip the cost of hiring a professional and craft your own kitchen–your own way. From choosing between traditional and induction cooktops to drawing up the most efficient layout scheme and landing on that perfect backsplash, Kitchen Ideas You Can Use might finally be the one thing in your house more useful than the microwave.
Chris Peterson is a professional writer and editor based in the pretty little town of Ashland, Oregon. An expert in home design, repair and renovation and an avid cook, he’s the author of: Manskills; When Duct Tape Just Isn’t Enough: Quick Fixes for Everyday Disasters; A Man’s Whirled: Every Guy’s Guide to Cooking with the Blender; and several other books.
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