English Country Kitchen – Some Design Considerations

You can make your kitchen very appealing by designing it in the English country style. This style is best suited for houses that have been built using natural materials such as stone, brick and wood. In fact, the English country style integrates simplicity and practicality with comfort and variety. An English country style kitchen may appear to be very simple like one in one of the countryside cottages. You can customize it to look formal and at the same time maintain its comfortable and unimposing feel.

Use Soft, Warm Colors

When you choose colors for your kitchen, look for shades that resemble natural colors that you can see in the countryside. Subtle colors such as pale yellow, faded blue, lavender and rose go well with the English country kitchen style. Typically, warm tones and cream or light red (earthen feel) wall colors give a relaxed look to the kitchen.

Use Cabinets and Countertops Made of Wood

Mainly, wood is used for making kitchen cabinets as well as countertops. The design of cabinets may be simple, but they should be sturdy. The doors may be plain or paneled. Generally, cabinets are whitewashed and given a distressed paint finish in order to create the impression that it is being used well. You can use large metal hinges as well as round knobs made of ceramic or wood to enhance the appearance. Cherry wood finish for the countertop provides an appealing look and often the kitchen island is also given the same finish.

Create a Comfortable, Weathered Look

The English country kitchen style is cozy and homely and not ornate or extravagant. Therefore, items like a warm hearth rug, knitted throws on kitchen chairs made of wood and weathered tin pitchers or earthenware further enhance the look.

Highlight Rustic Features

Highlight the rustic features in your kitchen such as a stone fireplace or beamed ceiling. You can find pieces at flea markets or antique stores that go well with the décor. They could include old china hutch, an antique English stove, copper pans and pots, cast iron skillets, large pitchers and ceramic plates. They are a great addition to the English country style kitchen.

You may find that the accessories are cluttered in an English country kitchen. However, you can exercise control over the additions to the kitchen space. You can display the pretty chinaware on shelves, condiment jars on countertops, framed family photographs on bare surfaces, and storage wicker baskets. You can also hang dried herbs over the fireplace mantle or stove and add a great deal of fresh flowers around the room.

Have a Comfortable Breakfast Area

Incorporating a cozy breakfast area in your English country style kitchen further enhances its appeal. You and your family members can sit together and eat snacks or breakfast. Ideally, you should go for a solid table made of wood and farmhouse style chairs with seat cushions covered with a fabric having a plaid or floral pattern that is characteristically used in countryside kitchen.