The farmhouse kitchen draws on the traditions of old-fashioned rural America, specifically the country homes of the Midwest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The roots go back further to traditional Scandinavian and German farmhouses and to the French countryside, especially for decorative touches.
The overall look is relatively straightforward, with clean lines and light colors. Think simple rather than minimalist. The farmhouse kitchen celebrates and displays the functionality of its design elements rather than trying to abstract them away. It should feel like a lived-in home.
How To Create A Classic Farmhouse Kitchen
Classic farmhouse style is all about simplicity. Avoid clutter and let the design do the talking. Choose quality materials and let them shine through.
Use Neutral Colors
Traditional farmhouse kitchens were designed to be working spaces for busy people, and needed to be simple to decorate and maintain. Start with a neutral base color, like white, cream, or beige, and pair it up with darker earth tones to create contrast. If you want to add a little more color, keep it on the light side. A nice pale blue adds a bit of French country style to your kitchen.
Farmhouse style blends well with a rustic look if you’d like something a bit darker and more Continental. Tuscan farmhouses, for example, use dark wood to anchor a palette of earth tones. It’s a different spin on the same idea.
Countertops
Countertops are a good place to add contrast in color and texture to your farmhouse kitchen. Stone is a classic material that looks good and can handle hot pots and pans without a trivet.
Take a look at marble, granite, or soapstone in a dark color to contrast your neutral base. Dark wood is another good choice for countertops. Think about a dark-stained wood countertop with cream-painted cabinets. The dark color and grain of the countertop provides a lovely contrast to the light, smooth cabinets.
Add an Island or Large Wooden Table
The kitchen is the center of the house – why go off to another room to eat? A gathering and eating area is common to the farmhouse style. An island is ideal as both a cooking space and a dining space, fulfilling the functional side of farmhouse design. Add some upholstered stools to make this your family’s hub. If your kitchen space doesn’t afford an island, a table and chairs can fill the same role.
See this amazing DIY video to make your own farmhouse kitchen table under $100.
Farmhouse Sink Aprons
One small feature that is very connected to the farmhouse style is a large sink with an apron front. Instead of being surrounded by the counter, the front face of the sink is visible. The look comes from when the sink was a replaceable basin. Now, you’re not moving it around, but the look remains attractive and appropriate to the style.
Shiplap & Beadboard
Nothing says farmhouse-style like shiplap or beadboard paneling. These wooden panels add a pleasant old-fashioned style to your kitchen. The paneling adds texture without taking away from the clean lines of the farmhouse style. Click to see more examples of beadboard cabinet doors.
And Don’t Forget…Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring is the traditional material for a farmhouse kitchen, and a great opportunity to add visual texture with a natural finish. Try adding even more character by using reclaimed wood. A nice dark stain is a good color choice, but if you’ve got other dark colors around, perhaps a medium brown stain could help mediate your look.
Farmhouse Kitchen Variations
The classic white wooden kitchen is the straightforward American version of the farmhouse kitchen, but there are other variations that you might like. They also blend well into the basic farmhouse idea since they share common roots in function and ideas.
French Country Farmhouse Kitchen
Continental styles are popular now. The French Country kitchen works from a similar base as the American Farmhouse style, but with distinctly French decorative elements that make it unique. The base color palette is still neutral, but a little wider in hue. Instead of white, French kitchens have a little more color. Pale blue is a classic French look, but you might also look at a creamy yellow. Pair up the base color with dark and textured materials, like wood, stone, and brick. Exposed ceiling beams add a rustic look.
The French Country style adds a little bit of ornamentation to the staid American lines. Crown molding and decorative insets on the cabinets add a bit of flair. The furniture should gain a little more ornament as well, like decorative legs on the table. Bolder fabric choices on the upholstery are also great for the French Country style. Try some floral patterns for a classic look.
Tuscan Farmhouse Kitchen
The Tuscan style isn’t as popular as the classic American or French styles, but the roots are similar. The materials and colors of Tuscany make an appearance here. Look for dark woods, terracotta, and burnt orange in the color palette to reflect the natural flavor of Tuscany – rolling hills, vineyards, and sun-scorched grass.
A key feature of the Tuscan farmhouse kitchen is the floor. Instead of the hardwood that’s important to an American kitchen, Tuscan kitchens have floors of tile, terracotta or even marble. Metals like copper and bronze fit nicely into this style – consider a bronze range hood. For countertops, granite, marble, or other stone will blend in well. A large stone hearth or brick oven adds a warm and welcoming feel.
Coastal Farmhouses
Coastal Farmhouses try to unite elements from land and sea, and fit beautifully into a Cape Cod cottage. Bright airy rooms with large windows are the norm here. Paint in cream or light blue, with sea-foam green as an option for highlights. Driftwood elements add a natural feel, as do sea glass, shiplap paneling, and brass hardware.
Scandinavian Farmhouse Kitchens
If you like your farmhouse simplicity more on the minimal side, consider the Scandinavian Farmhouse style. Strip things down with light-colored hardwood flooring, open wooden shelving, and bentwood furniture.
Beadboard cabinets, with their evenly spaced, interlocking grooves and tongues, give the kitchen a cozy, casual look that feels like home. Paint them white for the perfect farmhouse, homestyle look. Also see more on simple farmhouse designs in our Modern Farmhouse guide.
More Inspiration? Click for more kitchen décor ideas.
Best Cabinets for a Farmhouse Kitchen
Beadboard Cabinets
Beadboard cabinets, with their clean vertical details, give the kitchen a cozy, casual look that feels like home. Paint them in your neutral color of choice for the perfect farmhouse look.
Shaker Cabinets
Shaker cabinets admirably fill the role of simple, but not stripped bare for a farmhouse kitchen. The simplicity of a panel in a frame looks great painted or stained, and can fit nicely in a Colonial or Cape Cod style too.
Reclaimed Wood
Reclaimed wood is a material with great character that works beautifully in a farmhouse-style kitchen. If you’re going to the trouble of finding and using reclaimed wood, let it shine through. Choose the finish that best displays your wood, then coordinate the rest of the kitchen to complement it.
Open-Face Glass Cabinet Doors
Glass-front cabinet doors are a nice modern accent to the farmhouse style. Pair them up with soapstone counters for a stylish contrast of textures, and keep the hardware simple and dark.
Make a Farmhouse Kitchen Your Own
Use Repurposed Items
Finding vintage items that can be repurposed to decorate your kitchen is an excellent way to add some personality and flair to your kitchen. Look for old buckets to store things in or make custom fabric seat covers for old industrial stools.
Mason jars look good and are useful for storing kitchen staples.
Backsplash
The backsplash behind your counter is a great place to add some personality to your kitchen. Beadboard or shiplap are nice choices, while brick or stone can add a rustic flavor. Tile is a nice way to add a little color.
How About Open Shelving?
Open shelving made from reclaimed wood is a great addition to a farmhouse kitchen. Stain it to let the texture show through.
Don’t Forget the Hood
The range hood is an oft-forgotten piece of the kitchen, but is a great way to add some distinctive personality to your farmhouse kitchen. Wood planking looks good with neutral-colored cabinets. A copper hood with some ornament looks great with a Tuscan farmhouse look.
FAQs
What is a farmhouse kitchen style?
A farmhouse kitchen
Inspired by the traditional kitchens of rural farmhouses, farmhouse kitchen design incorporates natural and rustic accents and décor, a lived in feel and experience as well as personal touches to create a unique and comfortable space.
What are the key elements of a farmhouse kitchen design?
Any natural material like stone, wood and even brick add warmth to the kitchen. While metals give the space of feeling of permanency. Vintage items also come into play with old washtubs or cookery items being favorites among farmhouse kitchen lovers.
What materials are commonly used in farmhouse kitchen design?
The most common materials that can be found in farmhouse kitchens are wood, stone, metal, and ceramic. Different fabrics like table cloths, napkins and drip cloths all play a role in the décor.
How does lighting play a role in farmhouse kitchen design?
Lighting plays an important role in farmhouse kitchen design, as it is used to create a warm and cozy atmosphere, as well as to highlight the natural elements of the space.
How can I incorporate storage into a farmhouse kitchen design?
Storage can be incorporated into a farmhouse kitchen design by using vintage-inspired cabinetry. Open shelving and pantries are ideal ways to create more storage in your kitchen while sticking to the overall design. Reclaimed wood or distressed wood are the best choices for these.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when designing a farmhouse kitchen?
When designing a farmhouse kitchen you want to avoid adding way too much stuff to your space. Sometimes people have more knickknacks or collectibles in their kitchens than actual kitchenware. Try to keep things balanced, bigger items or appliances should fit the décor and also be functional and not just for show. Something like an old Coke machine looks great in a farmhouse kitchen, but it should also actually cool something as it was meant to do, or be used as storage.
How can I add a personal touch to a farmhouse kitchen design?
Farmhouse décor literally relies on the personal touch. Everything from the old pots and pans to the little chicken on top of the old refrigerator should be something you enjoy looking at. That’s the point of this type of décor. Sentimental and family heirlooms work particularly well.
Hello Jeff!
Love your website! We are in “thinking” stage of a kitchen make over. Remove wall and peninsula and create an island. New cabinets, sink, appliances and find a place for a double oven perhaps. I’m a visual kind of person and have difficultly imagining what the kitchen would look like if all the above were accomplished. At this point, I think that a CAD design is just what I need. What do you charge to provide the design? thanks! Susan
Susan,
Thank you very much for reaching out to us, we can’t wait to get started on your project! We charge anywhere from $0-1000 for design consultation drawings; depending on the time frames and circumstances. I’d like to put you in touch with my lead designer to discuss the details. His name is Josh and his cell number is 480-399-0689.
Thank you,
Jeff Hunt
[…] Farmhouse kitchen might love natural materials like stone, wood and earthenware, but modern style is good for man-made things – with almost a machined, futuristic touch. Think laminate, stainless steel and chrome – not wood paneling or brick. Ceramics and even plastics sometimes make their way into the game. […]
[…] farmhouse kitchen is a relative of the rustic kitchen, and they share many characteristics. Both styles are rural and old-fashioned, but the rustic look draws more from upper-class European […]