DESIGN

COUNTRY KITCHEN STYLE

9.3.20

Make Country Style the Heart of Your Home.

Functional kitchens are highly desirable, especially for busy households, as they ensure the most commonly used space in the home is as efficient as possible. Elements such as storage, easy-to-reach utensils, tidiness and working appliances in convenient places are all important to a functional kitchen.

Giving priority to efficiency and ensuring you have a kitchen that is both mechanically and structurally sound is, of course, extremely important and sensible. But it’s also important to obtain a kitchen space that is visually welcoming, comforting and aesthetically appealing.

Is it possible to find a balance between these two desirables? Just how do you get the balance right between functionality and friendliness? Introduce a little country style into your home with plenty of rustic charm and you can achieve the best of both worlds.

COMFORT OF THE COUNTRYSIDE

Country style kitchens bring comfort, organisation and homeliness to the heart of your household. It brings families and friends together with a warming and welcoming atmosphere. This feeling of cosiness is enriched by rustic features, wooden mantels, pilasters and canopies. Cabinets can be dressed in traditional shaker-style doors, which are a longstanding favourite and will continue to be so in 2020.

Beaded door styles are perfectly matched to the rustic charm of a country style kitchen. As seen on our Allestree kitchen door range range, the beaded design offers a simple yet sleek aesthetic with timeless appeal. The indented and beaded appearance of the centre panel creates visual depth and symmetry, promoting a relaxing and aesthetically charming environment.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

The sheer simplicity offered by country styling means you can make your kitchen look and feel good, no matter how wide or tight it is. Simplicity is key all round here, along with your choice of colour and materials. There is a lot of power in simplicity – keeping your cabinetry uncomplicated and in proportion can introduce a feeling of size, calmness, good hospitality and comfort.

The Farringdon beaded range is a front-runner in the world of no fuss or frills. The added detailing to the doors and drawer fronts is subtle yet visually stunning. This humble design is best kept that way with the introduction of modest colours, like porcelain and dark blue.

THE COUNTRY IS COLOURFUL

Think about colours that will bring warmth to the kitchen – dark shades of grey, green and blue are on-trend – all of which work perfectly to accentuate the rawness of natural wood materials. Incorporate all of these features together and you have a country-style kitchen with earthy tones ideal for radiating an authentic countryside feel.

Mix things up a bit too, it’s good to have more than one shade in the kitchen as this can add depth and warmth. This is especially true if your primary or most dominant colour is soft or simple, like porcelain or light grey. Balance this out with dark blue, graphite or green – perhaps on a feature wall and your cabinetry – and the space will automatically look and feel cosier.

RUSTIC FEATURES

A traditional style kitchen wouldn’t be complete without some rustic features and ornamental pieces. Think exposed brickwork, over mantles, full height larders, and tongue-and-groove panelling. All of these features emphasise the country feel, giving a modern kitchen space some timeless appeal.

The Rivington kitchen combines many of these elements, alongside solid oak doors and square pilasters to obtain that country manor house ambience. All of this complemented perfectly by T-bar style door handles. The Eastdon range is another fine example of how traditional shaker style doors can add visual impact to your kitchen.

LIVING IN A MATERIAL WORLD

Ultimately, the impact and ambience your kitchen provides will depend largely on your choice of materials and texture. Oak or pine wooden beams are common in rustic kitchens, along with steel joists and free-standing furniture. Tiles are commonplace in most kitchens, but for the rustic look you can opt for limestone or terracotta. The Eastdon kitchen featured above contains many of these elements and blends them perfectly against the backdrop of exposed brickwork.

Remember, a timeless design doesn’t always create an old-fashioned kitchen. By introducing a muted colour, your country kitchen will become a chic and contemporary haven. Light and slate grey blend seamlessly in the Eildon in-frame design, making retro and rustic more current and contemporary.