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A nip is in the morning air and the leaves are just starting to turn. These seasonal signs can herald only one thing: autumn is coming. When the air starts to feel a little colder and cosy knitwear looks all the more inviting, there’s nothing like feeling snug at home – and there’s no better space to cultivate autumnal warmth than the kitchen.
Close your eyes and conjure up the image of the perfect country kitchen. What design elements come to mind? Many of us immediately think of gorgeous detailed joinery or warming timber elements like robust support beams. Others imagine a large, rustic table to gather around for a lovely Sunday roast.
Now think about the fixtures and finishes. If you’re stuck on pinning down some of the more precise details of the country kitchen aesthetic, this blog post is for you. Together, we’ll explore design elements for your country kitchen, whether in a modest country property or a smart manor house. After all, it’s the little details that finish off a home and communicate the iconic country home feel.
Simply put, a country style kitchen is designed to represent the traditional rural kitchens. These days, many homeowners are opting for the cosy atmosphere of the country aesthetic in their kitchens due to its simplicity and, oftentimes, the nostalgia of the childhood home. It’s all about creating a comforting oasis that puts you in the mood for cooking. Country kitchen styles can incorporate a number of different styles, such as shaker kitchens, artisan kitchens or a farmhouse style.
Designing a country kitchen is all about selecting honest, natural materials and pairing them with simple finishes. Colour-wise, think of warming, natural colour palettes in the pastel range to fit in with the rustic aesthetic.
Remember, simplicity is the name of the game, so anything too stark or bold may clash with your intended outcome. However, achieving a country kitchen goes much further than selecting the right colour of paint.
These gorgeous elements are the epitome of a country kitchen:
Incorporating some, if not all, of these elements will evoke warm and cosy memories of tearing into a piping hot loaf of rustic bread with your grandparents on a blustery autumn day.
From roasted chestnuts and golden leaves to conker fights, this time of year has the trees overflowing with natural loveliness. Incorporating natural wood into your kitchen design is a wonderful way to curate a warm, earthy atmosphere and add texture to your kitchen, perfect for evoking homeliness and classic charm all year round. Our craftsmen work with sustainably sourced wood to build cabinets, countertops and kitchen islands, finished meticulously to ensure each piece of timber endures and looks its finest.
Choosing the right worktop material for your kitchen is crucial to the look, feel and even the functionality of the room. Natural kitchen worktops can help to create a rustic, charming feel for your bespoke country style kitchen.
For example, wood worktops can be paired with a matching custom butcher-top kitchen island to create a focal point that doubles as a welcoming gathering place.
Our designers prefer the following materials when incorporating natural worktops in a country kitchen:
With the weather getting cooler and the nights getting darker, warm colours are ideal for introducing a little extra cosiness into your country house kitchen. Choose rich shades that evoke a welcoming environment while creating a stylish and luxurious feel.
Greens are a fabulous colour for Autumn and continue to look great all year round. They offer a more subtle look to the classic autumnal shades of red and orange. Dramatic, elegant and luxurious, green has so much to offer. From smokey dark greens paired with gorgeous brass hardware, to forest greens teamed with oak worktops, there is a perfect green kitchen to suit all styles.
Blues are another wonderful colour choice for the kitchen, creating an inviting and homely feel. Deep, navy blues, such as our John Lewis of Hungerford Blake Blue or Cobalt are great for adding warmth to a space.
If you feel one bold colour is overpowering, opting for a pop of colour on the kitchen island is a fabulous choice, allowing you to use a neutral shade for the main cabinets, while creating an eye-catching focal point. Equally, a two tone colour scheme is another great option. Choosing a bold colour for your bottom cabinets and a neutral colour for the top is especially good if you have a small kitchen as it stretches the space, creating the illusion of space.
Designing a country kitchen is all about selecting honest, natural materials and pairing them with simple finishes. Colour-wise, think of warming, natural colour palettes in the pastel range to fit in with the rustic kitchen aesthetic.
Explore the fabulous colours available in the John Lewis of Hungerford collection. Our designers will be more than happy to colour match a unique shade specifically for your home, should you wish.
Stone kitchen flooring is perfect for a country-style feel, bringing with it the rustic charm that’s synonymous with this style. Consider installing underfloor heating or incorporating braided jute rugs in complementary colours if cold feet in the winter months put you off this attractive design feature.
When selecting stone flooring for your country kitchen, the options are almost endless, but our team of designers favour the following materials:
If you’re looking for a cost-effective option, stone effect porcelain tiles can do the trick.
If you’re looking to add a little more natural warmth to your home, brass and copper are gorgeous materials that can add real visual interest and charm. Perfect as part of country kitchen decor, they are surprisingly easy to incorporate into interiors.
Invest in brass or copper handles, lights and taps to complement your kitchen colour scheme and add a sense of luxury. Brushed metal taps add a touch of rustic charm, and antiqued brass handles pair beautifully with green or blue cabinetry and add to the homely, autumnal feel.
These days, many of us are keeping a hearty stock of pantry goods in our kitchens. A solution to all that clutter is a beautiful personalised pantry cupboard. Fitted or free-standing, these functional storage solutions can be designed to suit any space and will be sure to give a classic, rustic and traditional family kitchen home feel.
Range cookers, like an Aga, are what some consider to be the “crown jewel” of a country kitchen because they instantly bring a traditional feel to your space. A range cooker will not only communicate a functional yet straightforward aesthetic, but also serve as a workhorse in your daily cooking adventures.
If energy costs are a concern, take heart in knowing that cast iron ranges don’t need to be on all the time these days; newer models come in various formats that include energy-saving features, such as state of the art induction hobs and fan ovens.
A range cooker looks fantastic in any country kitchen, but the benefits don’t end there:
Our kitchens start with you. Inspired by your tastes, your needs and your personal desire to create a beautiful and functional space that complements your home perfectly. Explore our luxury bespoke kitchens, request a copy of our brochure or book an appointment to discuss your ideas. Let us help you transform your kitchen.
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