The farmhouse is a perpetual kitchen style that doesn’t show any signs of going away anytime soon. Farmhouse kitchen designs reflect the importance of get-togethers with families. Designing your kitchen with the farmhouse in mind also allows you to bring industrialized and retro aspects to your kitchen while keeping an open, spacious feel that gives you all the functionality in the world for those big, sprawling meals.
What makes the farmhouse so unique is the versatility in design that comes with it. When you consider, for example, traditional or contemporary styles, clear images come to mind. Farmhouse, however, incorporates accents, smaller elements and attributes that play a role in earning the namesake.
Farmhouse takes a lot of influence from, well, the farm. Because of this, you’ll get a lot of callbacks to the barn, which means wood grains, wood accents such as wood trim around windows, and butcher’s block countertops. On the farm, honest work isn’t easy. So having functionality at the forefront of this design mirrors the amenities that make farm-life just a little bit more manageable. Butcher’s block countertops make your entire kitchen a prep area, complimented by the crowning jewel of the classic farmhouse: the sink. A deep, wide basin, often made of porcelain or stainless steel caters to any and all cooking and cleaning needs of a large, farm-to-table style meal. And what best to complement a farm-to-table meal than rustic seating. High-quality wood for your tables and chairs gives off a “farm table” feel and the finer the detailing ensures you pull the look off.
Farmhouse succeeds with unconventional and eclectic tastes- sometimes downright odd. Idiosyncratic design choices will be your best friend.
Don’t be afraid to ‘get weird’ or ‘get retro’. Even sea foam cabinetry is welcome here, or cleaner cabinetry with a backsplash that really pops. Retro appliances are making a comeback with companies such as Big Chill and Smeg offering retro-inspired refrigerators that are sure to make your kitchen look like it was plucked from a prior era.
However, some homeowners might be interested in the vintage charm without the eclectic touch. This is where industrial accents come in. Unconventional lighting or incorporating metals into your design are sure to elevate your kitchen space. While you may think adding metals into your design would make the space feel cold or somewhat soulless, it adds to the vintage and rustic charm. Mixing it into different elements of your kitchen, such as your sink where you can blend a stainless-steel sink tub with copper sink fixtures can give off the diversified feel associated with this style. Trying to find lighting that looks like it was taken straight from a farm or barn works in this regard and is best paired with warmer-colored lighting.
While the farmhouse might not be for everyone, it values a much-used, often gathered-in kitchen, that looks good but also functions above and beyond the norm. This style lends itself to family and the importance of those magic moments.
