Contemporarily designed kitchens with the latest, sleek furniture and modern appliances can often seem monotonous. So what can be done to give your kitchen an interesting twist, without making it too dramatic? More importantly, how can you deviate from the aura of familiarity without compromising on functionalities and smart applications that today’s kitchen appliances bring to you?
Natural and Inviting Rustic Kitchen Decor
The Answer Lies in Rustifying Your Kitchen
You are not going to find “rustifying” in any dictionary of repute. We use this term for an approach that creates a kind of visual camouflage without interfering with the kitchen’s core application. This basically means bringing back a bit of the countryside charm to kitchens, making them feel a bit more outdoorsy without letting go of modern equipment. Please don’t confuse rustic kitchens with minimalistic styled kitchens. Minimally designed kitchens are also modern themed kitchens that thrive on subtlety. Rustic looking kitchens create a more relaxed aura by using elements with an old-world/classical appeal.
The Problem Persists
However, a question arises—there are no fixed parameters for checking the rustic index of a kitchen, so how do you go about it? In this discussion, we dissect the answer, helping you understand things that should be a part of modern-day rustic kitchens:
1. Weathered Finishes
Think of kitchens about a century ago. They didn’t have the luxury of processed materials for countertops or kitchen cabinets finished to perfection. This invariably meant surfaces in the kitchen wore a slightly distressed look. However, this distressing was not always intentional. It also came with regular use of these surfaces. Lack of polishing products and finishing compounds or power tools meant luster was not big in most kitchens. You can bring this type of rustic look to your kitchen without spending much. Today, you can easily find wood in distressed finishing and wooden block countertops sans the regular dose of coloring or finishing. Choose wallpaper prints that mimic the natural stone look. Similarly, modern painting solutions include options or creating a distressed, roughened texture on the wall that adds to the countryside appeal.
2. Let Architecture and Fixtures go with the Flow
You can easily add some vintage aura to the kitchen by changing basic fixtures like lighting installations. Finding country-inspired lighting fixtures, including scones, faucets, pot racks, or wall-mounted faucets is easy. Using farmhouse sinks is a smart way to add to the country appeal. If your budget allows, you can create small arches along the top section of kitchen walls. This establishes a very palpable vintage appeal. We also recommend choosing wrought iron candle chandeliers.
Classic Style Kitchen Cabinets
3. Small Vintage Touches that Don’t Cost Much
Small changes in your kitchen can go a long way in making it look more rustic. For instance, choose copper over steel fixtures. We strongly recommend brass—a very durable option that brings a classical appeal to the interiors. Rustic hardware and accessories are now easily available at home décor and hardware stores. Choose roosters and weather vanes for a classical appeal. The revived interest in everything vintage is bringing back these items, albeit in a much lighter form than their predecessor but with the rustic appeal intact. Copper fixtures tend to be slightly heavy and costly. However, these are a worthy investment. In fact, we would recommend not to buy copper hardware items with an external coating. Without the external treatment, copper develops a warm hue over time—a natural patina which accentuates that farmhouse feel. Other options include copper handles, taps, knobs—small changes to make a bigger rustic impact.
4. Add Some Farm Elements
You can accessorize your kitchen with items like farm-styled tables that come without sleek polishing options. You can opt for Butcher Block Countertops with some etching. Other options include:
- Leaving (or adding) exposed brick or beams and incorporating natural materials such as slate and soapstone for a village-like charm.
- It was a common trend in the good old days for farm ladies to cook meals on real fire unlike today’s gas powered cooktops. While you don’t want to let go of the burners and stoves, add a small fireplace or furnace for adding some crackling warmth.
- You will struggle to find rustically finished kitchen appliances but finding retro styled appliances is now easier. These too add to the vintage ambiance. Examples include enameled appliances or toasters in a traditional design.
- If there is an herb garden or the outdoors is just an open window away, try to bring in an element of nature inside. Think potted plants in hand-painted pots. You can also match the choice of paint color with the flora outside.
- Rustic color palettes are more about maroons, browns, greens and reds rather than monochromatic color combinations. Other options include bright oranges and yellows.
If you have a bigger budget nothing exudes rustic charm like pine flooring. Remember, there is no end to the list of options for establishing rustic charm…just be ready to explore and enjoy the journey.