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How to style a simple country kitchen
The country kitchen is an eternally popular look – cosy, welcoming and the perfect backdrop for an array of antique and vintage treasures. It works well in almost any home, too – big or small, urban or rural. First and foremost, country-style kitchens shouldn’t look too fitted. Plenty of storage and sufficient prep areas are important, but bland MDF/particleboard cabinets or laminated work surfaces are best avoided, if possible. Ideally, built-in cabinetry should be natural or painted wood which, while more expensive initially, looks beautiful and has longevity, not least because it can be sanded or repainted.
To add to this, turn to free-standing antique and vintage pieces. The key element in many a country kitchen is an old dresser/hutch adorned with rows of blue-and-white china, fresh flowers and all kinds of cherished bits and pieces. Glazed or mesh-fronted cabinets can be repurposed as pantry cupboards – trying painting them a bold colour (or just painting the inside) to create a stand-out piece. Open cabinets also look sweet with a gathered curtain to conceal their contents. Wall shelves can be an ideal solution if you’re short of space, holding rows of pans, enamel storage jars or piled-up tableware, and bringing an easy-going country vibe. In terms of workspace, a butcher’s block is a great alternative to a kitchen island, as is a free-standing farmhouse table.
Dressing the country kitchen is a joy. It’s the perfect home for pretty, mismatched china and glassware found in charity shops/thrift stores and markets. Baskets (wire or wicker) work well as ad hoc storage. And have fun on the walls – vintage food posters look right, as do car boot sale paintings and an old-fashioned clock.
Rachel Whiting1/8A rich combination of natural textures is all-important in a country kitchen. Here, the gorgeous grain of a timber cabinet complements a wicker basket, rush-seated chairs and an assortment of patterned ceramics.
Ben Edwards2/8Within a restrained colour palette, this kitchen attains a sumptuous mix of textures that makes the room feel both homely and luxurious. An inviting combination of old and new pieces includes a French shop sign, an array of bowls, plates and jugs, lovely worn chopping boards and antique linen tea towels.
Catherine Gratwicke3/8An antique oak table and benches provide the perfect counterpoint to a run of smooth-fronted, handleless modern cabinets and a polished-concrete floor. Introducing rustic pieces like this can warm up a kitchen that has an otherwise streamlined, modern aesthetic.
Ben Edwards4/8With low timber beams that make a strong statement, this pretty, cottagey dining room has been kept relatively simple, with a pale colour scheme, Gustavian-style dining chairs and a pretty, symmetrical display that includes a pair of traditional blue-and-white porcelain jars.
Jan Baldwin5/8A set of old shelves set on top of a vintage sideboard/credenza together provide a huge amount of storage for items both large and small in this unfitted kitchen. The Victorian-style drying rack, which operates via a ceiling-mounted pulley system, is a nostalgic touch, but can be a very practical addition to modern kitchens.
Jan Baldwin6/8A painted plaster bull stands guard over this charming pantry, with its open shelving and rows of glassware. Using a length of hemmed and gathered fabric to disguise open storage is an easy and inexpensive solution, informal and pretty, in this type of space.
Debi Treloar7/8Rows of ceramic and wooden plates, as well as some beautiful jugs, make a magnificent display on this old pine dresser, with antique crates below providing brilliant storage.
8/8This is an extract from ‘Everyday Antiques: Inviting Homes Where Old Meets New’ by Katherine Sorrell, published by Ryland Peters & Small, £35. Photography © Ryland Peters & Small
