A little history
We have to thank the residents of small towns in provincial America for the country-style kitchen interior.
It perfectly emphasizes the measured life of the rural outback, the rough simplicity of design, and the practicality of every detail.
A little later, economical and prudent Europeans appreciated the cozy and functional environment and began to actively use it in their homes.
Today, the word “country” combines several different styles, united by the common idea of simplicity and comfort.
Features of country style
The main ideas of country music are simplicity, openness, cordiality, the atmosphere of a country house, which is conducive to family dinners and long friendly conversations. In such a kitchen there is no place for pretentiousness and unnecessary things - everything is simple, functional and strictly in its place. The decor often retains pronounced ethnic elements.
The main features are naturalness and environmental friendliness, natural colors, naturalness, simplicity and smoothness of forms. Avoid modern materials: replace laminate with rough boards, and chrome fittings with bronze or brass. Country is a subtle combination of brutality and romanticism, when, against the backdrop of a deliberately rough interior, fragile and elegant decor is revealed anew.
Types of country style
Country style kitchen design involves the introduction of Russian, German, Scandinavian, and Italian design ideas.
All of them strive to convey the charm of folk life and bring people closer to Mother Nature, to show the charm of the peace of ancient furniture options, natural materials, and the tranquility of natural colors.
Lighting and backlighting
A country-style kitchen should have a lot of light, but as natural as possible. Therefore, even select artificial lamps according to saturation and temperature so that they correspond to the sun outside the window. Consider leveled or adjustable lighting to create subdued lighting for the evening.
Chandeliers, sconces and table lamps that imitate candelabra look good. They can be completely forged or with individual metal elements. If you want something more delicate, pay attention to the classic fabric lampshades of the simplest trapezoidal shape.
What shouldn't happen?
A country-style kitchen in a house or apartment will not tolerate artificial tension or adherence to clear canons. Here, every little thing will find its place on its own, and not relying on the designer’s knowledge of where it should be.
Country does not allow for pedantry; a slight carelessness of appearance is welcomed here, creating the impression that the owners took a short break from work to take a break or do more urgent matters.
But at the same time, clutter is not allowed; scattered things will immediately destroy the charm of the style.
In country music, however, as in all other styles, cheap props, low-quality imitation, and artificiality are not allowed. You should not replace brickwork with flat paper wallpaper, and flowers in pots with their fakes.
General characteristics of country style
Country is an authentic, genuine style. Its main features:
- simple, careless, deliberately rough finish;
- good quality solid wood furniture;
- the dominance of natural materials and fabrics;
- natural, warm, pastel shades;
- small floral prints, polka dots or checks;
- the presence of parts made of dull metal - copper, brass, bronze;
- handmade jewelry with a traditional, rustic feel;
- the presence of retro items and thoughtfully “hidden” modern equipment.
Note that these features are typical for any country - be it an American ranch, an Alpine chalet or a Russian “terem”.
Country style in the interior: description and photo examples
Wall decoration
Country style walls should not attract much attention. The furniture standing next to them should evoke much more emotions.
Most often, walls are characterized by the evenness of monochromatic surfaces. Where furniture is not provided, wood, stone, and brick are used.
Walls
Country style kitchen design begins with the choice of finishing materials.
Paint requires a perfectly smooth wall surface, as it emphasizes and exposes the slightest defect to everyone.
The texture of decorative plaster will add that same atmosphere and spirit of antiquity.
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The wallpaper pattern will add variety to the appearance of the walls. You should choose a light, simple design. Wallpaper with a flower or with a national ornament will fit well.
Wood paneling will add a unique farmhouse feel.
Painting
A country-style kitchen-living room will look lovely with painted walls. The homogeneous matte surface does not stop the eye from wandering and visually enlarges the room, calming nerves shaken by the bustle of the city.
The most pleasant ones will be soft cream, exquisite pistachio, elegant sand, elegant gray, milky shades.
What does country traditionally look like?
Designers consider baked milk shades, light yellow, and cream to be the best choice for decoration. Warm colors will help create a unique rustic atmosphere.
Any shade of brown will fit organically into country. Designers do not use pure white, preferring milky, light beige shades.
Walls and floors, like the facades of kitchen furniture, are often painted with regular paint. From the numerous photos of country-style kitchens, it is fashionable to notice that bright decor and shiny edgings are not traditionally used.
Kitchens in green tones look great. The most common colors are soft: pistachio, olive or mint. Calm colors combine perfectly with the texture of natural furniture.
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Wallpaper decoration
Non-woven and vinyl wallpapers are not suitable at all. Even from a distance they produce an artificial sensation.
Light paper wallpaper will not stand up particularly well next to a sink or stove. Therefore, they are used in the dining area.
Good options would be plain canvases or wallpaper with small floral designs, traditional checkered patterns and ethnic patterns, and delicate stripes.
Windows and lighting
Since the basis of a rustic kitchen interior is the use of natural materials, and in particular wood, it is better to replace modern plastic windows with ordinary wooden ones.
Don't forget to also remove the blinds and hang simple linen or cotton curtains in their place. For a house decorated in the Russian style, bright curtains with floral patterns are suitable, and for a classic or Scandinavian one - checkered or striped.
There should be a lot of lighting in the kitchen, especially in the work area. To do this, lighting fixtures are placed not only on the ceiling, but also on the walls, and are also built into furniture. The design of the lamps is selected so that it fits into the overall decor of the room and does not look too modern.
It is advisable to install wooden windows
Curtains can be made of linen or cotton
There should be enough light in the kitchen
See also: Corner buffet for the kitchen: types and features, design, design ideas, tips.
Ceramic tile
This finish will help decorate the work area. It is not afraid of moisture, grease, or cleaning products.
A good option would be a design in the style of patchwork patches, calm and subdued clinker and metlakh tiles.
Rustic furniture
A significant component of rustic style is furniture. Massive tables and wide sets made of natural wood take up a lot of space in the kitchen and attract attention, setting the tone for the entire interior.
The main components of a country style kitchen are:
- big table;
- massive chairs and benches;
- wide kitchen cabinets;
- buffets and cabinets.
All of them are decorated with carvings, panels, grilles and paintings that you can create with your own hands. You should approach the choice of kitchen appliances very carefully: they should not look deliberately modern and progressive. It would be ideal if you manage to find models that are designed in a retro style, but at the same time have good functionality.
Decorating a kitchen in a rustic style requires simple, uncomplicated furniture. Give preference to open cabinets and shelves; try to avoid closed models, since in country style even ordinary dishes are part of the overall decor.
Large Scandinavian-style kitchens are complemented by rough oak furniture. It will go perfectly with the ceiling beams that are often used to decorate such rooms.
The furniture design of kitchens a la Russe is interesting. A feature of this trend is the use of benches instead of chairs, painted furniture and bright textiles. The key elements of Russian cuisine are also the stove and the chest, and it can be quite difficult to fit them into modern homes.
Decorating a kitchen in a rustic style requires simple, uncomplicated furniture.
Furniture is usually made of natural wood
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Brick
A brick wall would be a wonderful addition to a rustic decor. Sometimes natural stone is used instead of brick, but this style is completely unsuitable for small rooms.
Brick-like tiles will look beautiful and natural. This finishing option is suitable for walls, floors, and aprons.
Classic country cuisine
The advantage of the classic style, which allows it not to go out of fashion for centuries, is an amazing combination of simplicity and elegance in one interior. A competent approach to such a design requires a competent relationship between the colors used: red, white and black.
White color is always taken as the basis. This will make the kitchen space seem lighter and, therefore, more spacious. Using light shades of walls and ceilings, you can create an illusion that visually makes the area much wider.
A rustic kitchen should be simple and straightforward
It is advisable to use furniture made of dark wood
Dark shades of black, gray and brown are used mainly as a frame: furniture elements, ceiling beams, flooring. For this, it is better to use materials made from natural dark wood.
Red color makes the kitchen more vibrant and life-affirming. It is used in details and accents: towels, curtains, tablecloths. There may well be red furniture, but you should buy it very carefully so as not to overdo it in the number of red items. An unusual decorative element can be a red brick wall on one side of the room. Against its background, both white and black objects will look great.
See also: How to make a bar counter out of wood with your own hands?
Floor decoration
To create a rustic coziness, wood is best suited. This material is distinguished by its special comfort and unique elegance of finish. It always maintains a comfortable temperature and is pleasant to the tactile sensations.
However, before decorating the kitchen with this material, you will have to impregnate the wood with special preparations. And further maintenance of such a coating will become quite a tedious task.
Porcelain stoneware or floor tiles that imitate a stone base or rough wood with uneven cuts and remnants of knots remain a good option.
The flooring should not attract special attention, so calm, discreet colors are selected. Often the floor in a country-style kitchen is combined by laying more durable coverings near the work area, and the location of the dining table or kitchen corner is decorated with wood or laminate.
Materials and design
A country style kitchen is decorated with natural materials, solid wood, and wicker elements. There is no place for acrylic, chrome, an abundance of glass and glossy surfaces. The finish can be deliberately rough, aged, shabby and worn over time.
Floor finishing
The best choice for a country kitchen floor is classic ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles. Choose tiles in classic terracotta shades - they will make the atmosphere even warmer and more comfortable. Avoid flashy colors, modern designs and overly obvious imitation of other materials.
Ceiling design
Universal stretch ceilings are unsuitable for country style aesthetics. This is a rare case where it is better to spend money on leveling and painting the base or installing a plasterboard structure. A mandatory element of classic country style is rough and massive wooden beams under the ceiling.
Wall decoration
Decorating walls in a country style is the simplest option: just level them and paint them in one discreet color. Wood paneling is not the best choice for a kitchen, but ceramic tiles would be more than appropriate. Decorative plaster looks interesting in combination with bare stone or brickwork.
Use non-woven or vinyl washable wallpaper with a simple pattern: floral patterns, stripes, checks, leaves. Avoid paper collections: they fit well into the style concept, but will quickly become unusable in the kitchen.
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Furniture
Furniture in a rustic style is characterized by massive strength and solidity, durability and some brutal roughness.
The ideal option would be to manufacture custom kitchen items. If this option turns out to be too expensive, you can take advantage of offers at flea markets or rummage through the attics of friends' village houses.
At the same time, the antiquity and bulkiness of objects should not impair their practicality, so it will not be possible to do without high-quality restoration. A modern set can also be artificially aged.
The manufacturing material is solid wood from oak, cherry, pine. For cheaper options, MDF panels are used.
Private homes boast brick closets adorned with wooden doors. This will become a unique highlight of the interior. However, before installing such a monumental structure, you need to think about how it all will have to be broken down if the style gets boring.
A massive table is also created from wood. It is complemented by heavy chairs, massive stools or even rough benches. To create coziness, the seating areas are complemented with multi-colored pillows and cotton pillowcases.
Ceiling and floor finishing
A white stretch ceiling is not the best choice for a country-style room. But if there are no other options, a matte canvas may be appropriate.
The optimal solution is waterproof paint in milky shades. Often, lining, MDF panels, and decorative wooden beams are used.
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Natural wood flooring looks amazing, but for the kitchen such a solution will not be very practical. Ceramic tiles, laminate, linoleum, and wood-imitation porcelain tiles would be more appropriate here.
In small rooms, a plain floor or two-color tiles laid in a checkerboard pattern looks ideal.
Textile
Wooden window frames must be decorated with curtains. Country style kitchen curtains are made exclusively from natural fabrics. They can be cheerful chintz, cool linen, soft cotton. As a design, select soft floral or folk patterns, checkered patterns, or polka dots. Large kitchens are decorated with light floor-length curtains; for small rooms, small curtains will look much more interesting.
Decorative thoughts, tablecloths, napkins, towels decorated with folk embroidery, lace, and ruffles will help create home comfort. In a too elegant kitchen, coarse canvas fabrics or burlap will dilute the excessive diversity.
Colors and prints
Looking at a photo of a country-style kitchen interior, you will notice that the room is dominated by pastel, calm colors.
There are no strict restrictions in the palette - colors from white to dark brown are used. Small prints, floral patterns, polka dots, stripes or checks are acceptable.
For wall decoration, beige, light yellow or olive colors are usually chosen. Bright decorative elements look great against this neutral background.
Decor
Country is simply created for the abundance of decor. It's these cute items that help complete the rustic look. And the objects should be just cute and old-fashioned things.
Walls and open shelves are decorated with decorative plates, earthenware and ceramic dishes, tins and tanks of cereals, kerosene lamps and antique hand mills.
Excellent items for creating a stylish atmosphere would be a samovar and kitchen utensils hung on rails.
Living plants will add additional charm to the decoration. You can even start a small garden of herbs and home-grown tomatoes and peppers. If you don’t want to bother with watering and fertilizing, the kitchen can be given a lived-in look with the help of dried flowers or bunches of herbs hung from the beams or placed on the table.
Wooden dishes, wicker baskets with fruit or skeins of thread, and forged elements will look great.
Finishing
In the interior of a kitchen in ethnic style, finishing occupies a special place. It is she who tells us about the style of the room and should make us think about the comfort and tranquility of provincial life. Even when entering a room with a bare floor, walls and ceiling, we already understand that this is a country house in front of us, and not a modern city apartment.
By the decoration you can determine the style in which the room is made
In a rustic style, natural wood is usually used for decoration.
See alsoKitchen in a country house
Walls
The main technique used to decorate the interior of a modern kitchen in ethno style is decorating the walls with wood. It’s great if the walls of the house are actually wooden. Otherwise, to create this effect you will have to resort to using decorative panels or wallpaper with wood imitation.
You can visually expand the area of a small kitchen with the help of photo wallpaper. Be sure to choose a design that will organically fit into your interior: an image of a birch grove is suitable for kitchens in the Russian style, floral patterns are suitable for Provence, and photo wallpapers imitating rough boards will look in the spirit of a Scandinavian interior.
Rustic-style finishing involves some roughness, so uneven textures, whitewash and plaster are quite appropriate here.
Wall decoration can be done with wallpaper, plaster or wood panels
You can't achieve perfectly straight lines
Whatever material you choose, the main thing is that everything is harmonious
See also: Photo wallpaper for the kitchen: a new look at design
Ceiling
Ceiling decoration in a country house has its own characteristics. Decor in the form of ceiling beams is actively used here. Usually these ceilings are quite massive, the material used is natural wood, and the color is chosen a little darker than the main surface of the ceiling. In the interior of a Russian-style kitchen, it is customary to decorate these beams with bunches of dried mushrooms, herbs and garlic.
For the manufacture of such ceiling structures, untreated logs or boards are usually used. Artificial materials are used much less frequently.
The disadvantage of this decor is that it reduces the height of the room. Therefore, it is used only in the interior of kitchens with high ceilings.
Ceiling decoration needs to be given special attention
You can often find ceiling beams on the ceiling
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Floor
Laminate with imitation wood is quite suitable for flooring. Its varieties depicting boards of different widths look especially interesting and natural.
A wooden floor made of oak planks will fit perfectly into the interior of a rustic kitchen. There is no need to varnish it; sanding and impregnation will be sufficient.
The room will look even more charming if you add several woven rugs, which are very popular in the interior of village houses.
Wood is usually used for flooring
You can lay tiles on the floor, it will look beautiful
The kitchen will look even better if you put a wicker rug on the floor
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Appliances
Modern technology is not at all suitable for a cozy old-fashioned style. Therefore, everything that can be done in an antique style, everything that can’t is hidden behind cabinet doors.
A nice rustic curtain will help cover the large refrigerator.
Lighting
Natural country is characterized by natural lighting. Large windows, not particularly shaded by curtains, are designed to provide this.
Artificial lighting is provided to be diffused and not harsh on the eyes. A massive forged chandelier with imitation of burning candles is used as the main lamp. Sometimes, instead of a heavy lamp, a chandelier with a lighter fabric lampshade trimmed with fringe is used.
Additional light sources are wall sconces in the same color scheme as the ceiling chandelier.
For the convenience of cooking, spotlights in warm colors are built into the work area.
Photos of a country-style kitchen always attract attention with its restrained simplicity, comfort of surroundings, and nostalgia for bygone times.
Kitchen-living room design in country style
The main decoration of a country style room is a large fireplace. It is rarely found in the kitchen, but would be appropriate in a spacious combined kitchen-living room with a separate dining area. If you live in an ordinary apartment, where there is no room for a massive stone stove, pay attention to modern electric models that simulate real fire.
To zone the kitchen-living room, use different materials: for example, combine floor tiles in the work area with rough solid boards in the recreation area. Pay special attention to the soft corner - that same leather sofa would be appropriate here. And replace the shelves for books and small items with wide, massive wooden shelves along the walls.
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