Farmhouse kitchens mimic the simpler homes of early settlers with their exposed beams and basic décor. They have a rustic, warm look and homey feel and continue to be a popular style today. With a farmhouse kitchen, you can have both a functional and beautiful space for preparing food, feeding your family and entertaining guests.
If you love farmhouse kitchens and want to create one of your own in your new custom home, the first step is to become familiar with the typical elements and materials used to create one. Classic farmhouse kitchens incorporate plenty of natural materials, including quality hardwoods like maple, oak and pine, and metal fixtures. They feature large cooking and eating surfaces, and are painted in neutral colors like beige and white.
As you design and budget for your new custom home, consider the following nine typical components of a modern farmhouse kitchen and pick and choose the ones that appeal to you and fit within your unique budget.
1) Exposed beams. Exposed beams are a classic element of the traditional farmhouse kitchen. You can keep it simple with basic horizontal beams, or create a more detailed design by working exposed beams into an A-frame ceiling.
2) A large, natural butcher block. Most farmhouse kitchen feature a sizable butcher block countertop that gives you plenty of space for food prep. Butcher blocks give a kitchen a clean, simple look and are also inexpensive, convenient since you can use it as a cutting board, and easy to maintain. For added storage space, opening shelving can be added below the countertop to give a decorative touch to the space.
3) A kitchen farmhouse sink. These types of sinks, also often called apron-front sinks, have become more popular in recent years for their sleek look and functionality. Farmhouse sinks are wide and deep and can hold a good number of dishes. While there are new models to choose from, you can also find attractive vintage models.
4) An exceptional stove. In old-time farmhouse kitchens, the stove was the centerpiece of the room, and often of the entire home, providing warmth and nourishment. Some modern homeowners who’ve committed to a classic farmhouse kitchen choose to invest in antique or vintage stoves to complete the rustic look.
5) Stone or hardwood floors. Farmhouse kitchens incorporate natural elements throughout, but definitely in the flooring. Most modern farmhouse kitchens have wooden floors with wide planks, imperfections or graining and natural or matte finishes. Other homeowners opt for more rustic stone flooring made from a material like slate or limestone. Wooden and stone floors are also relatively easy to clean and maintain.
6) Custom farmhouse kitchen cabinets. Farmhouse kitchen often include a mix of open shelving with kitchen cabinets, which can make your space feel larger. Custom cabinets in a classic farmhouse kitchen should be simply designed, with clean lines, plain trim and paneling. They’re often made from reclaimed, salvaged or distressed wood, adding to the room’s rustic look. Cabinet hardware in farmhouse kitchens could be antique, with a simple look. Beadboard is also often used on cabinets, walls and even on ceilings to bring additional texture into the room.
7) A hanging pot rack. Pot racks became less popular as built-in kitchen cabinets became more prevalent. But, in recent years, and especially in farmhouse kitchens, they’ve grown in popularity. Hanging pot racks make a kitchen more functional because it’s simple to grab the pot you need rather than digging through a cabinet. A preferred spot for a pot rack is above a kitchen island or butcherblock.
8) A banquet-style kitchen table. Called a farmhouse table, this type of kitchen table is usually large, rectangular and made from natural wood and it can seat more than a family of four, usually up to eight or ten people. The table harkens back to when people lived on farms and had larger families to accommodate around the table. Today’s often smaller families can use it for both every use and to entertain guests.
9) Versatile, interesting lighting. Old-time farmhouse kitchens had large windows and plenty of natural light to brighten the room during the day. Modern farmhouse kitchens can mimic that with large, abundant windows, while also making use of recessed lighting and simple metal fixtures like wall sconces and pendants made out of wrought iron or even copper.
As you plan for your modern farmhouse kitchen, balance out the functional elements with the beautiful ones keeping your budget in mind—and get creative. Farmhouse kitchens are all about a homespun and handcrafted feel, so don’t be afraid to put your personal touch on the space, whether it’s by adding an old-fashioned hutch from an antique shop, incorporating exposed brick, or creating a custom apron rack.
At Arieli, we have years of experience designing and building beautiful farmhouse kitchens. Please find more information on building a custom home with us here.
