Room Design
Kitchen Design
By
Updated on 03/21/23
A farmhouse-style kitchen is homey, warm, and full of simple, nostalgic charms. Based on romanticized notions of a collective agricultural past, today’s farmhouse kitchens range from rustic to more modern, or feature a mix of old and new furniture, finishes, and decor to create a comforting and familiar farmhouse feel. Think wooden farmhouse tables, sets of copper pots and pans hanging on the walls, and open shelving decorated with vintage signage, framed art, or antique cooking utensils or relics.
Here are some farmhouse kitchen ideas that will inspire you to add some of the timeless style to your own space.
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Wood Grain Counters
While most kitchens boast stone or tile counters, these woodgrain countertops feel unapologetically farmhouse. Just be sure to bust out the cutting boards when you're cooking or you'll end up damaging your natural counter tops. Pair it with antique water faucets and fresh flowers and you'll feel like you're living in a simpler time.
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DIY a Kitchen Island
If you have the space for an island but don't have an actual built-in, you can DIY your own with an unused cabinet and a wooden top. It'll add tons of storage, plenty of extra counter space and looks charming to boot. Source materials for this project from thrift stores, flea markets, and even around your house.
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Try an Open Concept
Farmhouse living is centered around cooking spaces that can accommodate large gatherings and big, hearty meals. If the budget allows, create an open conceptwith an island spacious enough to serve as the main gathering in your home.
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On the Hook
Something about using hooks as kitchen catchalls feels farmhouse casual. Use them to hold cutting boards, kitchen towels, measuring cups, anything. We also love the look of potted lavender hanging from S hooks on a hanging rod, like in this rustic kitchen.
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Incorporate Open Shelving
Floating wood shelves are just what you need to create a farmhouse feel. If you currently have upper and lower cabinets, don't go demolishing them right away. All you need is a a single empty wall to incorporate this rustic touch alongside your current cabinet situation.
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Install a Farmhouse Sink
Farmhouse sinks, with their deep size and porcelain glaze are unmistakeable and instantly make any space look like it's in the middle of the country. The wooden accent wall, open shelving, and porcelain dishes in this space help too.
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Bring in the Texture
Authentic farmhouse living is full of texture—think hay bales, wheat, and natural materials—so keep this in mind when redesigning your kitchen space. Consider incorporating tons of texture via shiny tile, rattan, reclaimed wood, marble, and fresh foliage.
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Curtain Call
Curtain window treatments are as farmhouse as it gets—and a plaid pattern is always an excellent choice. Add this element of softness to your windows and doors and see how you space transforms.
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Mix Old With New
The charm of farmhouse decor is found in the perfect marriage of old-world finds and new-school design.This new sink and new drawers pair perfectly with old windows and reclaimed wood cabinets.
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It's in the Details
Browse garage sales or antique stores for a few vintage pieces that can be repurposed for utilitarian use. Old milk bottles get a new life as a flower vase, while mismatched dishes double as soap holders and more.
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Keep It Farm-To-Table Fresh
Whether you have a garden of your own that produces fresh vegetables or not, displaying your produce on your kitchen counters makes any space feel more farmhouse. This wooden bowl filled with fresh artichokes instantly sets the tone and gives the illusion that you have rows of produce growing out back.
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Hit the Floor
Eye-level design elements aren't the only ones that deserve the spotlight. The flooring you select is just as important as the color of your cabinets and the material of your counters. These patterned tiles perfectly tie together all the components of this farmhouse-inspired cooking space.
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Display Your Cookware
Have a collection of copper cookware or antique cast iron? Hang your pots on a rail above the counter or stove. The cookware adds a touch of decor, and also puts commonly used items in close reach when cooking.
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Try an Achromatic Color Palette
Farmhouse decor can be approached in a variety of ways to suit your taste. While some may choose to do farmhouse in a rainbow of hues, this achromatic approach proves to be equally gorgeous.The black and white color palette, accompanied by wooden accents is chic, but still rustic at its core.
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Wired Up
Who needs glass panes on kitchen cabinets? This rustic kitchen looks charming with a chicken wire detail on the cabinet door frames instead of the usual glass ones. The whole thing screams farmhouse.
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Go With an All-White Kitchen
From the white painted cabinetry to the white tile backsplash, and white porcelain dishes, this all-white kitchen is a vision of shabby chic farmhouse décor.
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Mind the Lighting
An overhead candelabra-style light fixture is quintessential farmhouse décor. This one hanging over the center island with rope and iron details is perfect for creating a rustic feel.
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Makeshift Decor
The rustic look thrives off of old-looking pieces and vintage collections. Decorate your kitchen with thrifted spoons, rolling pins, and cutting boards for a farmhouse feel.
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Incorporate Barn Doors
Bring the barn indoors (at least part of the barn) by using salvaged barn doors. Installing the doors on a sliding track can separate the kitchen from the pantry or other rooms in the house. The large design element can act as a design focal point to tie the room together.
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Bring on the Brass
Skip the stainless steel and swap the modern black kitchen fixtures for brass ones. They boast a vintage feel that makes your kitchen look like it's been passed down for generations.
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Work With Wallpaper
Wallpaper is a darling addition to this kitchen breakfast nook. A floral pattern screams farmhouse, and the best part is you can make it renter-friendly with a peel-and-stick wallpaper.
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Create a Casual Dining Setup
We're big fans of a formal dining room, but this kitchen setup is what farmhouse décor dreams are made of. It fuses cooking and eating and encourages family-style meals, just how the farmhouse style was designed to be.
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Get Creative With Storage
Wicker is a great way to add texture and warmth to any room. Adding that texture in with baskets does double duty by providing essential kitchen storage for flowers, fruit, or cloth napkins.
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Load Up on Fresh Flowers
Whether you have a budding garden or just an apartment balcony, fresh flowers around your kitchen gives the illusion of farmhouse living. Buy bundles at your local grocery store or subscribe to a weekly delivery service.
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Try an Open Pantry
Swap the traditional kitchen cabinet setup for open shelving, especially ones made of reclaimed slabs of wood. Stack snacks for entertaining and everyday essentials in plain sight for all to see and help themselves.
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Add a Pot Filler
A simple addition of an over-the-stove pot-filling faucet will instantly make your kitchen more functional (now that you don't have to walk to and from the sink) and feel more farmhouse chic.
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Embrace Exposed Beams
If you're lucky enough to have exposed beams in your home, give them the attention they deserve. Stain them in a dark shade and add extra contrast with a coat of bright white paint on the walls. If you don't currently have exposed beams, they're only a contractor call away.
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Put Off Renovations
This rustic kitchen is only enhanced aesthetically by the exposed brick on the left. While some dwellers would cover this up for a more polished look, we love how it adds to the farmhouse look.
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Lay Down Some Rugs
Small rugs in the kitchen will keep your feet warm and they can add a touch of texture. Use a runner-sized rug in front of the sink, or add several throws in different patterns for a more eclectic look.
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Buy Vintage-Inspired Tableware
Real farmhouse kitchens are loaded with family heirlooms and china passed down for generations. If you don't have sentimental items in your kitchen, you can buy some that boast vintage characteristics like these.
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Incorporate Cross-Back Chairs
Cross-back chairs like the ones in this sprawling space are a quintessential farmhouse addition. The light blonde wood paired with the iron light fixtures, and the black backdrop is farmhouse kitchen perfection.
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Make It Smell Like a Farmhouse Kitchen
Have you ever noticed that farmhouse kitchens make the perfect backdrop for fresh baked goods? That's why they always smell as good as they look. Whip up some desserts in your farmhouse kitchen to make it smell like a real countryside stay.
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Light It Up
Incorporating industrial-inspired lighting in your kitchen will instantly turn up the wow factor of any space. Look for elements like raw metals, exposed bulbs, and hanging designs for an authentic farmhouse feel.
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Keep Original Tile
When you're working on a redesign, gutting the space and starting fresh always seems to feel like step number one. However, stop and evaluate the original elements before you start demolishing. This kitchen looks like it boasts an original tile that fits right in (or dare we say, shines) in this updated space.
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Don't Shy Away From Color
Take design direction from utilitarian kitchens and add pops of color by displaying colorful china, color blocking in bold colors, or use assorted appliances to add more color and a lived-in charm.
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Choose Spindle-Back Chairs
Spindle-back chairs like the ones around this kitchen island are a quintessential farmhouse addition. The white finish paired with a darker wood is rustic perfection.
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Keep It Airy
Real farmhouses are filled with fresh air and tons of natural light. Keep things light and airy via blonde wood details, bright white walls, tons of windows, and delicate details.
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Try a Touch Of Pastel
We love how a fresh coat of paint can transform a stool into a fresh addition to your farmhouse-inspired space. This powder blue paint is an unexpected finishing touch that ties this entire rustic kitchen together.
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Use Weathered Pieces
We love a dining room table that doubles as an island and a place to entertain—but to make it true farmhouse, it has to be the right piece. A great place to source furniture for your farmhouse kitchen is local thrift stores and flea markets. Seek out pieces that boast natural weathering or try your hand at a DIY project that mimics a similar look.
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Incorporate White Brick
Whether you already have brick in your kitchen or you're thinking of adding it, a coat of white paint over a raw brick, makes it feel rustic, while brightening things up.
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Mix Old (Looking) With New
The charm of farmhouse decor is found in the perfect marriage of old-world finds and new-school design. This gray and white kitchen boasts a more modern look, while the vintage-style industrial stove takes you back in time.
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Incorporate Crates
If you're struggling with organization, running low on cabinet space, or just looking to add an element of rustic living to your kitchen, wooden crates double as décor and organization. Pack them with produce, extra dishes, kitchen linens, or cleaning supplies and none will be the wiser.
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Incorporate Brass Buckets
Whether you have extra wood logs, dishes, fruit and vegetables, storing them in beautifully crafted brass containers adds to the ambiance. The added storage keeps things neat and tidy, while adding a bold splash of color to the room.
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Go With Light Colors
Farmhouse decor can be approached in so many ways, creating a totally unique look in every setting. While some may choose to do farmhouse in a rainbow of hues, this white and tan approach proves to be equally gorgeous.
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Work in an Accent Wall
The wooden accent wall in this kitchen elevates this space one wooden plank at a time. The tone of the wood warms up this space, while the chevron pattern adds texture.
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Create a Window Bench
This darling mini bench along this kitchen window is the perfect place to read a book while you wait for your blueberry pie to bake. The black and white gingham Vallance and seat pad are impossibly farmhouse and the floral pillows add an extra cozy element.
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Go the Mismatched Route
The best part about the farmhouse look is its eclectic undertone. Don't get too caught up on making everything match or look uniform—the mismatched aesthetic just adds to the charming rustic feel.
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Incorporate a Variety of Styles
The beauty of the farmhouse style is it has an eclectic undertone, meaning anything goes when it comes to decorating. This curated shelf packed with vintage china, decorative glass, and white porcelain, looks right at home in this farmhouse-inspired space.
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Create an Historical Feel
You don't have to buy an old home in the country to get the feel of living in an old country home. The stone wall treatment in this new kitchen gives this space the illusion that it has been there for centuries, but this is a treatment that's only a contractor-call away. After picking some color samples, you can have this same old-world charm in your kitchen in no time.
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Keep the Original Windows
Windows are, well, the windows to every kitchen. They allow light in to illuminate your space, and depending on their style, have the power to transform any kitchen. Rather than update them for modern ones, keep the original windows for a charming, rustic look. If you already have modern windows, swap them for ones you find at the flea market or your local antique shop.
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Use a Cart as an Island
Kitchen carts are the perfect addition to any small kitchen because they provide much-needed counter space and storage for dishes and produce underneath. Castor wheels make it easy to position it just where you need it when you need it. Make it feel at home in your kitchen by painting it in a shade that matches your current cabinet color.
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Try a Wooden Backsplash
You can't have a kitchen without a proper farmhouse backsplash, and while most come in marble, tile, or quartz, this wooden version is farmhouse to a T. It's rustic, but above all, it's different, making it a perfect Instagrammable cooking retreat.
What makes a kitchen a farmhouse kitchen?
Farmhouse kitchens can range from rustic to more modern, or feature a mix of vintage, antique, and new furniture and decor to create a farmhouse feel with simple materials, familiar shapes, and full of nostalgic charm. Think wooden farmhouse tables, apron-front sinks, sets of copper pots and pans hanging on the walls, and open wall-mounted shelving decorated with vintage signage, framed art, or antique cooking utensils.
Are farmhouse kitchens out of style?
Farmhouse kitchens are timeless, classic, and trend-proof. Rooted in an enduring fondness for a romanticized agricultural past when life was simpler, modern farmhouse style continues to be a go-to style with enough staying power to ensure that it won't look dated in years to come as other trends fall by the wayside.
What type of cabinets are farmhouse style?
Farmhouse style kitchen cabinets can range from rustic wood to a more modern variation that almost invariably includes painted Shaker-style cabinetry (usually in white, sometimes in blue). Many farmhouse kitchens mix closed cabinetry with open shelving to display everyday items and rustic decor. You can make any natural wood cabinetry work in a farmhouse kitchen, but contemporary high-gloss, flat-front cabinets would look out of place.
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