9 Ideas for a Country-Style Kitchen

Country-style kitchens have the ability to create a warm and welcoming focal point that can really help make your guests feel at home.

Typically centered around a muted color palette with pops of color and contrast incorporated throughout its decor and design, country-inspired kitchens work well in any home – whether you’re in a big city condo, small-town cabin, or out in the suburbs.

Here are four common characteristics of a country kitchen:

By incorporating some, or all, of these classic components into your kitchen design, you can convey the true essence of the countryside into your home. We’ll go through these four elements in greater detail below in an effort to help you achieve the look and feel of the country-style kitchen of your dreams.

When selecting a color palette for your country kitchen, look no further than the countryside itself. Light, earthy tones can evoke the friendly feeling of simple farm life. Variations of gray, tan, beige, or light brown are a good place to start and are a simple way to elicit the friendly character of uncomplicated country life.

While warm, muted tones are most popular - country kitchens are no stranger to deep tones like cabernet, espresso brown, or hunter green.

You can maintain a warm and muted palette while adding a little contrast through pops of color for visual interest.

Subtle pops of color in a country kitchen convey elegance and polish and still holds true to traditional country living. Some common colors that work well with this style are deep reds, olive or mossy green, mustard yellow, and navy. Add your pops of color by way of an appliance, a painted island counter, or colorful kitchen upholstery.

Bring a little personality to your country-style kitchen through toile designs, botanical prints, and handwoven textiles.

Anything depicting farm animals, wildflowers, and gardens are common in traditional country-style kitchens. After all, this particular style is meant to celebrate the nature, animals, and people that make up the country way of life. Keep this in mind as you choose your decor.

Toile designs work wonderfully on wallpaper, creating a subtle accent wall in a neutral space. Toile and floral prints can also be used for window treatments, upholstery, tile backdrops, and place settings.

Handwoven fabrics, quilts, rags, rugs and other textiles with a lot of texture are essential to any country-inspired space. But remember, keep it simple to avoid cluttering your space.

A style that draws inspiration from natural landscapes should incorporate natural materials into its core design. Exposed wood ceiling beams, wooden countertops, or wooden furniture are all excellent ways to add rustic details to your kitchen.

Polish your country kitchen with ornate or glazed cabinetry. Crown molding that frames the top of your cabinetry can instantly add a traditional element, while skirted cabinetry (particularly under the sink) can add an instant rustic look.

Large island counters in the very center of your kitchen provide the perfect gathering place for family and guests to enjoy each other’s company.

While your vintage features don't have to steal the show (or truly even be vintage), a few antique touches are an absolute must for a traditional country kitchen. Cast or wrought iron accessories are great for light fixtures like pendant lanterns or chandeliers. Classic appliances in white pair well with this simplified decor scheme.

Remember, country kitchens aren’t complicated and are best designed with simplistic, natural materials in mind, like wildflowers in a vase, vintage signs, and classic pottery.

Although most country kitchens are painted in white and cream-colored tones, dark accents like granite countertops, dark-colored appliances, or wooden counter stools can provide a sharp contrast. Dark wooden floors with wide boards are also popular.

The use of brass or copper elements in your kitchen adds sophistication and works well with a variety of color schemes and textures. You can add brushed brass elements to your kitchen appliances, drawer handles or knobs, and decor.

Originally a strictly functional design, hanging of cookware like copper pots for display in your country kitchen is just as beautiful as it is practical.

Whether your style leans classic, rustic, modern, or just simple country, we hope this article provides a little inspiration for bringing this warm, welcoming style to your kitchen design.