Modern country kitchen designs

A country kitchen can bring cosy images of yesteryear to a modern household. When it comes to creating a more rural feel to kitchen design, there are some key colours, features and finishes that you can use. Today we’re outlining which elements make a kitchen ‘country-style’. Here’s our guide to country kitchen designs.

Exposed beams

Exposed beams are a striking feature that reminds us of converted barns and cosy village pubs. No longer essential, as they once were (we can cover them easily), they’re associated with countryside living and work with both traditional and contemporary interiors.

They can also provide a place to store accessories such as quirky kitchenware and utensils, further adding to the rustic charm of your kitchen. Adding light fixtures to beams serves as a perfect way to blend classic design and modern utility. Exposed brick is another popular method for adding a rustic touch or feature wall to a kitchen.

Window seat

A wide bench with plenty of cushions is the ultimate country-styled kitchen comfort. Picture this: it’s a quiet Sunday morning, the rain is spattering against the windows but you’re nestled into a cushioned alcove with a hot coffee.

If you have a window that’s large enough, installing a window seat is a great way to utilise this space. With natural light flooding in, window seats are a charming feature and make a perfect place to relax or enjoy a book while enjoying the view of your garden.

Stools

Kitchen stools have both aesthetic and functional benefits. Firstly, they provide additional seating in the kitchen area and form a hub around which people can congregate while you prepare dinner. People naturally gravitate towards stools as a place to sit while remaining at eye level for conversation which is perfect for dinner parties and family cooking.

Secondly, with lots of options available, stools can complement your overall kitchen theme, whether that’s countryside chic or rural and retro. Wooden stools are really in-keeping with a country style, while metallic compliment a more retro country theme (particularly when painted in a bold colour like red or teal shades of turquoise).

Shaker cabinets

Shaker cabinets are elegant, minimalist cabinets that are defined by their signature recessed panel in the centre. This creates a clean, squared design which gives the illusion of having smaller cabinets and more space in the kitchen. The idea of open space is deeply intertwined with the countryside itself, so it’s an excellent, subtle motif to bring to your country kitchen.

Their timeless design allows them to suit perfectly virtually any kitchen style you’d like to achieve, from classic to contemporary to country-style. They’re also available in a wide range of colours and textures, and can easily be painted over if you decide to redecorate.

Pastel or white units

White or pastel kitchen units create a clean, simple look that reminds us of a summer cottage thanks to their association with Spring. Stripped-back white provides somewhat of a ‘blank canvas’ upon which you can add features and accents in colours of your choice, allowing you to infuse your personality in the kitchen without going overboard. Too much colour in one room can be a little overwhelming.

White is also a very easy colour to paint over should you ever fancy a change of colour-scheme, so going with white provides you with the luxury of choice, too.

Flowers and floral patterns

If actual plants don’t appeal to you, then floral patterns are the next best thing. Having cushions or blinds with a floral pattern will give your kitchen a real farmhouse look – without the responsibility of taking care of plants!

There are proven health benefits to having flowers around your home. They help to reduce stress, improve your mood, and act as a natural air freshener. Adding a physical piece of nature to your kitchen can do wonders, especially if you live in a city and are far away from any green spaces.

Wooden worktops

Wood has a rustic, timeless appeal and adds a natural colour to your kitchen. Worktops are the part of the kitchen you physically interact with the most, and wood is warmer than materials such as metal and stone. If you don’t want wood on all surfaces, a small section of wood or a giant chopping board are good options.

Using wood can also have practical benefits – if you don’t mind a rustic look. Stains and dents aren’t problems that need fixing, but rather they add character to the worktop. Over the years, your wooden worktop will become a tapestry of your culinary endeavours whilst maintaining its natural charm. There aren’t many materials you can say this about. But if you do want to avoid staining, appropriate treatments can reduce the extent of these.

Country kitchen tiles

Mismatched mosaic and floral tiles

Large, mismatched mosaic tiles epitomise the rustic nature of a country kitchen. They provide a warm essence of times gone by whilst being fiercely contemporary. They’re also incredibly versatile and their visual appeal will persist even if you were to redecorate the rest of the kitchen. Patterned tiles are a bold way to inject some personality and flair into your kitchen.

We’ve already mentioned the natural connection between flowers and a country-style kitchen, and the same goes for wall tiles. Bring some of the outdoors into your kitchen and cement your country kitchen’s theme.

Natural, earthy tiles

Tiles with earthy colours and textures also bring a little of the outdoors into our home. Dark browns and faded terracotta probably evoke a country theme more readily, but other colours such as grey and green can also suit a country kitchen if applied well. Tiles are easy to clean, they’re very durable and will last decades.

We hope that you’ve found our guide useful. Here at Burnhill Kitchens, we always work to bring our clients’ visions to life. For more ideas and advice on achieving a country-style kitchen, request a free brochure, or get in touch with our team of experts now.