The farmhouse style of kitchen design is characterized by a colorful and comfortable feel that is created with painted or decorated cabinets, baskets, bead board walls and natural fiber rugs, and distressed surface finishes as well as the colors that one would expect to find in a garden.
The cottage-style kitchen can be feature-rich, but you need to avoid going overboard so clutter isn’t distracting. The farmhouse style of kitchen design is also known for floors that are bare, with the exception of an occasional rug.
The farmhouse style of kitchen design conjures up images of a light and airy room, charming and casual. The breezy, uncomplicated feel one finds in a summer cabin. The cabins evoke vacations by the sea, a local countryside or a cabin in the mountains. The mood is always relaxed, unpretentious and casual. Simplification is the hallmark of the farmhouse style of kitchen design.
Due to the fact that cottage-style kitchens are small, they typically have a fresh, open floor plan that can easily function as well as be a place to entertain.
In order to create the farmhouse feel for your kitchen, you need to look for accessories such as housewares, bedding, and furniture that you will choose for your kitchen. Some examples are using distressed, stained, and butchered white surfaces around the kitchen, striped vintage towels and dishcloths, an old antique kitchen clock, or displaying dishes on open shelves above a window or door. Other accessories may include stoneware pots, glazed earthenware, and glass pitchers. You can also place a pitcher of fresh cut flowers to create more cottage charm.
It takes time to create a farmhouse style for your kitchen. You can’t just find farmhouse style all at once and in one store. The kitchen should look as if it has slowly acquired this look over a period of time to achieve a neater look.
Furniture in a cottage-style kitchen can include cabinets made from pine or maple. Furniture details are an important element of the cottage style. Furniture can be painted white or lacquered, it can also include features such as curved legs on base cabinets and old-fashioned molding around cabinets and tabletops. Or a large work table that can also be a dining space for the family. Pieces may include a farmhouse-style kitchen table with beechwood chairs.
A cottage-style kitchen stove, with a decorative wood range hood, can be used, as well as a large ceramic single-bowl sink or farmhouse-style sink with an apron.
Knobs feature prominently as the dominant hardware of choice for cottage-style kitchen design. Design elements include embossed porcelain and stoneware, semi-gloss periwinkle blues, creams, and whites work well. Also look for wire or bamboo woven designs.
Paint can be used to create a cottage-style kitchen design. The wooden floor can be painted in a striking color. The walls can be painted with warm yellows or blues that can be combined with the tones and colors of the kitchen cabinets, wall tiles, window treatments and other accents in the kitchen.
