Essential ingredients for creating a perfect county kitchen
You’ve made the big decision to invest in your kitchen – now the hard work really begins as you start to think through all the possibilities of how you might like your kitchen to look. Whether planning a kitchen from scratch, refurbishing or renovating an existing one, deciding on the style of your kitchen is key.
Look through magazines and research online for inspiration. Consider the age and style of your property as well as which style best reflects you. Create mood boards – so useful before you start wandering around showrooms and talking to retailers and designers. Giving thought to the style of your kitchen up front can save you a lot of time further down the line!
Top tips for creating your perfect county kitchen:
• For a warm, inviting kitchen with a homely country feel, choose wood cabinetry and furniture. Pure unstained oak – with clear wax or oil finish for protection – works well combined with natural slate or marble worktops. Other popular woods include ash, maple, cherry and walnut.
• Country-style accessories add individuality and a relaxed eclectic accent to fitted cabinets. Choose those made from natural materials such as willow baskets, hand-forged larder hooks, terracotta wine racks or slate noticeboards.
• Give your kitchen a country look and feel with the use of attractive floral designs. Green tones in roller blinds, fabrics, prints and accessories lifts wood or painted cabinetry and furniture, bringing the outside in.
• Kitchen items that combine great design with impressive storage are a winner! Wall-hung plate racks hold surprisingly large volumes of crockery and their relaxed style helps break up rows of wall cabinets – perfect for that laid-back country approach.
• Having a glass of wine while cooking dinner is a real pleasure, however, collecting and storing wine can also be a joy. A beautifully designed wine rack can create a striking feature in a country kitchen and help break up a run of solid wall cabinets at lower level.
• If you have the space, nothing shouts country kitchen more than a sought-after island feature. The centre point where family and friends gather- it’s the social hub, and is great for incorporating storage drawers, chopping blocks or even a small prep sink.
• Dreamy taupes are popular calming colours that soothe the senses. In a country kitchen, combining milky creams with crisp whites will have the same effect brightening up any dark spaces.
• If possible, design your kitchen in such a way that you can survey the garden while eating a leisurely meal. Country-style table and chairs don’t always have to take up lots of space – search around for those with benches or stools which can be tucked away.
• No country kitchen would be complete without a range cooker at its heart. Cast-iron models provide ambient warmth, are great for cooking and look just the part with a flush-fit integrated cooker hood tucked away within a classic canopy.
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