Kitchens are often called the heart of the home, and it’s easy to see why. Whatever the size of the room, this is where meals are created and these happy rooms are often where friends and family gather. For that reason, choosing an interior style that is warm and inviting – as well as practical – is important.
For those who love the country kitchen style, you’ll be pleased to know that this interior design trend does just that. With decor that’s made to be warm and inviting, family and friends will instantly feel relaxed and comfortable, while the more practical side to this interior style will help to make your kitchen a joy to be within.
Whether you live in a rural location or not, “countrifying” your kitchen is a wonderful way to create a real hub of the home and this style is more achievable than you might think. We’ve put together some of our favourite country kitchen ideas and inspiration to help you create a kitchen that is warm, inviting and rurally inspired. From basic decor to accessories and appliances, read on for our simple tips and tricks that will help to transform your space, whatever the size.
Country Décor
At the heart of a country kitchen is the decor. While perhaps the less exciting part of decorating, getting the basics right will help to give your space real authenticity. As a general rule of thumb, this interior design style looks to the outdoors for inspiration. Natural materials and colours that echo the countryside are a good place to start when planning your new kitchen design, however we have put together some country kitchen decor ideas to help inspire you.
Flooring
It goes without saying that kitchen flooring needs to be practical as well as look great. It needs to be easy to clean, durable and able to cope with the hustle and bustle that passes through the room on a daily basis.
The great news for country kitchen lovers is that the flooring options that look beautiful are usually all of the above too.
If you have an older property that has good quality wooden floorboards, make the most of them! You may need to sand, touch up and varnish in places, but nothing saying country living more than solid wooden floorboards. Revamping old wood floorboards isn’t the only option for achieving this look either. Fitting new wood flooring can look just as fantastic.
If you prefer tiles in your kitchen, we’d recommend looking at stone or terracotta tiling. The neutral colours look fantastic when paired with solid wood furniture, and darker colours like slate contrast well with lighter kitchen units.
Walls, backsplash and panelling
Your kitchen walls provide a backdrop to the country interior design style, and choosing a colour that compliments the more rustic elements is key. As a general rule, lighter and more pastel colours can help to make the most of the light and light colours also help to create the illusion of space (particularly important if you have a more compact room!). While it is, of course, up to your personal taste, here are some colours that tend to work well:
• Whites and off whites
• Magnolia and creams
• Duck egg blues
• Mint greens
• Lemon and pale yellows
• Light greys and dove greys
Flat-board panelling is also worth considering for your walls, particularly if your kitchen is a large space that can carry panels. When painted white, these can create a wonderful contrast with your chosen wallpaper or paint colour. If you would prefer not to panel your walls, flat-boards can looks fantastic on kitchen cupboards or islands too.
Once you have chosen your wall colours, choosing accents that compliment these shades can be great fun! Many kitchens have backsplash tiles or areas of tiling to help protect the walls, but these can also become a real feature of the room.
Depending on your wall colour, crisp white tiles can look absolutely beautiful when paired with more rustic pieces in your kitchen. However, if you’re looking for something a little more unique, why not incorporate patterned tiles into your backsplash? From floral patterns to quilt-style patchwork tiles, these can be a fantastic addition to your kitchen. For an even more rustic and bespoke look, hand-painted designs look really special – and if you’re arty, why not try and hand-paint the tiles yourself?
Fabrics and curtains
Your kitchen fabrics can range from your blinds or curtains to rugs and tablecloths! As we’ve mentioned previously, the country kitchen style is all about creating warmth and an inviting atmosphere. For that reason, we like to incorporate light fabrics and natural fibres where possible.
Linen and cotton works well for blinds or curtains, and they can be a great way of incorporating pretty prints like gingham, checks or florals. While placing rugs in kitchens isn’t too common, rugs with natural fibres like wool or chunky cotton can be a great addition and bring warmth into the room.
Accessories and Appliances
Of course, appliances are absolutely essential and it can be a challenge to include more modern pieces into a rustic room. The key to doing so is to make use of concealing units, as well as choosing more “old fashioned” looking appliances that work with the look you are creating.
Cookers
A versatile range cooker or the original Aga is the perfect partner, particularly when entertaining for a lot of people! Choosing old-fashioned designs helps to add to the quirky and country-style decor, and choosing colours like graphite or cream combine well with natural finished or painted wood. If your kitchen allows for it, an exposed brick alcove is the perfect home for a range cooker or Aga.
Sinks and other appliances
Nobody enjoys washing up, but a classic ceramic farmhouse sink (also known as an apron front sink!) can become a real feature of your kitchen. Choosing old-style taps or faucets add to the rustic feel, particularly if they’re mounted through cabinetry or mounted on the wall.
Lighting
Hanging lights look absolutely exquisite in country-style kitchens, and not just because they have vintage appeal. For those who prefer a modern twist on their rural interior, choosing modern-style hanging lights can add a striking contrast and become real centerpieces in the room.
Choosing lighting in natural metals like copper is another great way of providing contrast, particularly if you have a variety of wood textures in the room – the golden-orange tones of copper tend to work well with wooden hues.
Accessories
Once the basics are out of the way, choosing practical accessories that compliment the interior is a must. Of course, the kitchen has to be usable as well as beautiful!
Simple accessories like wicker baskets for food items on display (such as fruit and vegetables) can help to enhance the rustic style. Mason jars are a fantastic way of displaying items such as flour, pasta or even tea, coffee and sugar. Choosing accessories in iron is also a great way to bring country-looking accessories into the kitchen. Space saving by hanging pots and pans from the ceiling adds to the country vibe too.
Finally, bringing lots of fresh flowers into the kitchen is a great way to keep the room bright, fresh and simple.
Country-Style Furniture
Choosing the right furniture for your country kitchen is incredibly important if you’re going to achieve the rustic look. As we’ve mentioned before, natural materials work well with this decor style, and keeping with the natural finish of the wood can help to create that simple feel. If you prefer a lighter finish, whitewash can help to retain the look of the wood while brightening up your kitchen furniture.
Units, dressers and cabinets
Space permitting, a display cabinet or traditional dresser is a great way of displaying plates and crockery – and can help you with storage too. Again, choosing natural materials for your dresser or cabinet is important. Oak looks fantastic, but any other good quality wood will help to add to your rustic style.
For your kitchen units, choosing stone counter tops or wooden counter tops will only add to the rustic ambience. Cupboards in wood or light coloured paint will compliment darker counter tops, and choosing a complementary colour to your walls will add interest.
Islands
Freestanding furniture, like a Butcher’s Block Island, can be a both useful and unique way to add extra counter space to your kitchen. Choosing distressed-style wood and whitewash cabinets can help your island become a lovely feature of the room, adding rustic appeal too.
As well as being useful storage spaces and adding extra counter space, islands can be used as a breakfast bar too. With the addition of stools, these can really become a versatile piece of furniture in your kitchen.
Dining tables
If space permits, a dining table can become the very heart of your country kitchen. Large, rural kitchens were often used as a space to entertain guests and spend time as a family, which is why a dining table can be a wonderful addition to your kitchen. If you do have the space, it’s certainly worth choosing a solid dining table, in wooden materials that compliment the design of your space.
Simple, natural and exquisite, a country kitchen not only looks fantastic, it can become the most important room in your home. With the right colour palette, good quality decor and well-placed accessories, achieving this look is a wonderful way of creating a space that is both usable and beautiful. It can even add value to your home!