The kitchen is where all the action of a busy family home happens. Labelled as the heart of the home, creating a stylish space is a must. If there is one style that spells out comfort and homeliness in the kitchen, it is the farmhouse style.
Whether you live in a remote spot in the country or have city traffic hurtling passed your front door, the farmhouse kitchen style can fit in both rural and urban homes. It can be both cosy and lived-in, grand and luxurious. Here’s how to create the farmhouse style in the kitchen that never dates…
Mix with the warm and cool
The farmhouse style is synonymous with warm tones, especially as rustic, reclaimed wood furniture features strongly. For a modern twist, mix warm with cool tones. You can do this with crisp white-painted furniture and pretty tableware.
Get the flooring right
Of all the components of a kitchen, the one that you won’t change frequently is the floor. Making the right choice is important and when it comes to kitchen flooring for the farmhouse style, opting for natural stone or synthetic material that emulates it is key to success. Clearly, hard flooring in the kitchen is the more practical choice but if you feel you want an extra layer of warmth, both physically underfoot and visually too, a neutral coloured rug under the dining table is ideal.
Add a statement piece of furniture
The farmhouse kitchen style is understated and yet, there is something about it that makes it stand out from all other styles. The grandiose of a kitchen dresser, for example, is a brilliant statement piece. But it’s not just about looks. This piece of furniture is enormously practical too, with storage space for all your kitchen equipment, including cutlery, plates and more.
Add neutral colours (but with a twist)
There is nothing in the rule book that says the traditional farmhouse style cannot be paired with key modern elements. Colour, for example, is an important component of any interior design style. The farmhouse style has always embraced neutral but warm colour tones from creams to pretty yellow and sage green. Adding a twist of the modern is super-easy with colour. For a neutral, but warm tone Dulux’s Tranquil Dawn is perfect against reclaimed wood furniture in the kitchen, just as Pantone’s Classic Blue would bring a welcome hint of drama alongside your reclaimed wood dining table.
Embrace a solid wood oak dining table – and let it take centre stage
The dining table is more than just a platform from which to eat. All of life happens around it, from the daily grind of homework to tears and laughter.
For many people, the most attractive element of the farmhouse kitchen style is the gargantuan dining table at its heart. A solid wood oak dining table with chairs and/or a dining bench embraces people. It looks solid, comforting and familiar. It is imposing without being overly forceful. Let it take centre stage…
Add a cooking range
From the iconic shape and styling of an Aga to a modern equivalent, the cooking range is almost a given in the farmhouse kitchen. An Aga throws off a gently, delicious heat that in the depths of a dark, cold winter, is welcoming and comforting. Offset this traditional style with modern elements, such as a beautiful pendant light over the kitchen island or the dining table and you have the perfect farmhouse style kitchen, ready for modern life.