If you’re looking to remodel your kitchen, you’ve probably started to do your homework about the different types of kitchen styles that are out there. While the most common style of kitchen is still the Transitional Kitchen, the 2019 Houzz trends study reveals that the Farmhouse style kitchen is quickly moving up the ranks in home design. “It all has to do with the feeling it brings to families,” says Scarlett Knuth, an interior designer and founder of The Decor Diva. “[A farmhouse kitchen is reminiscent of] that old fashioned time of life when things were more simple—when families worked hard during the day tending to their farm, growing their own food, and gathering around their homemade wooden tables at sunset when the bell was rung for dinnertime to draw everyone back home.” (via Apartment Therapy).
We sat down with Zeny Santos, one of our amazing in-house designers to see what really makes the farmhouse kitchen so special, and to get some tips on how you can recreate this style for yourself! “The farmhouse style is definitely one of my favorite styles”, she says. “Whether you’re looking for a family friendly environment, or something perfect for adult only cocktail parties, the kitchen is the heart of your house, and the farmhouse style can really suit any type of household!”
Natural Elements
(via American Institute of Building)
So, you may be asking yourself, what are some common features of a farmhouse kitchen? “Natural elements!” Zeny exclaims, “Whether it’s rustic wooden shelves, steel fixtures, or high ceilings with aged beams, keeping natural elements is super important when it comes to designing a farm chic kitchen.” If you live in NYC however, getting exposed wooden beams is a rare find. Fear not! There are many clever tricks to recreate this look on your own, and get that rustic look you’ve been aiming for. Better Homes & Gardens, provides an excellent guide for the DIYer, but if you’re looking to cut out the manual labor, consider giving our us a call for a free consultation, to see how we can give you the beams of your dreams without you having to lift a finger (except to dial our number!).
If your looking to get natural wood in your kitchen without adding beams to your calling, consider adding in an island that has a butcher block for the countertop, or maybe heading upstate to see if you can snag any reclaimed barn wood to use for some rustic shelves! Hardwood floors are another great way to incorporate natural wood into your kitchen. By keeping the stain of the wood dark, it will still give the room a warm homey vibe, but the dark hue will things sophisticated and classy. If you’re worried about the upkeep of hardwood, there is a great work around! Some of our amazing tile partners like Porcelanosa have stunning porcelain tiles that you would never be able to tell weren’t solid hardwood floors. This is a great way to get the look and feel of hardwood with the ease and durability of tile!
Apron Sinks
(via Vigo Industries)
The defining factors of this style don’t stop at the natural elements though. “You can’t forget the apron sink in a farmhouse chic kitchen!” Zeny reminds us. The apron sink is definitely our favorite feature in the farmhouse style kitchen. These sinks are where function meets beautiful design. They are deeper and wider than traditional sinks, but also are flush with your countertop due to the way they are installed. Apron sinks are under-mounted, meaning that while the front of the sink sticks out past the edge of the counter, the sides and back sit under the lip of the countertop. This style makes it easy to brush crumbs into the sink, turning cooking cleanup into a breeze, and they are perfect for filling big pots, or stacking dishes after a dinner party. Apron sinks come in a wide variety of colors and designs ranging from gleaming copper, to polished stainless steel, to gorgeous stone- and are meant to be a focal point of your kitchen design!
Shiplap
(via Clark and Homes)
Shiplap is a major style choice, and one that is often seen in farmhouse kitchens, beach houses, and country homes. It is composed of wooden boards stacked horizontally on top of one another and can be an interesting way to bring visual interest and texture to your walls! If you want to go this route, we recommend keeping the colors clean and neutral; shades of white or ivory would work best. Shiplap will automatically give your space a more homey, historical feel, but by keeping the colors light, the appliances stainless steel and the rest of the space simple and uncluttered, you can totally make this unique style element work for you!
If you’re thinking about committing to this wall covering however, it is important to consider how it will flow with your entire apartment and space. Putting in this strong visual feature can be very interesting and instantly transform a space, but if the rest of you home is in a modern style, adding in a full kitchen of shiplap can create a disconnect between rooms. If this is the case, but you have your heart set on shiplap, consider an accent wall instead of a full shiplap kitchen!
Saker Cabinets & Open Shelving Header
Shaker style cabinets, which are easy to recognize by their recessed pane and simple frame, are a staple in this kitchen. They are usually painted in a light grey, white, or left bare, however, designers today are having more fun with this traditional style, by staining cabinets in a dark, moody finish, or painting them in bright fun colors.
With storage being extremely important in your kitchen, particularly in NYC kitchens, you’ll want to keep it as practical and accessible as possible. If you’re really looking to get the effortlessly laid back vibe a farmhouse kitchen gives off and keep storage accessible, you may want to scale back on the number of overhead cabinets all together! One of the reasons farmhouse kitchens feel so open and accessible, is due to the open shelving they feature. Putting shelves around your sink rather than closed, bulky cabinets, creates a feeling of space and high ceilings. This alternative to traditional cabinetry is a great way to show off your favorite dishes, serving platters, or other fun decor items (mason jars are always a good idea!). This style of storage doesn’t only offer a great way to display items though, it also provides accessibility to guests. Open shelving (or cabinets with glass doors) allow guests to easily see where plates and glasses, among other items live, minimizing the need to ask or awkwardly stumble through cabinets trying to find a water glass.
Neutral Color Palette
(via Studio McGee)
Light and airy, are the main two words you will hear about the color palette for the farmhouse kitchen. Shades of white and grey dominate these spaces with an emphasis on natural light and creating the feeling of open space (recall that the open shelving means to also create the illusion of open space and high ceilings). “It’s all about natural colors for this style”, Zeny says, “You can’t go wrong with a lot of white and some warmer wood tones.”
If you’re looking to make your farmhouse kitchen a little more modern however, Real Simple suggests adding in some darker hues of navy or grey. These calming colors will give the room some contrast and visual focal points. A good way to tie in these darker colors would be with your cabinets, range hood, or even with your appliances! The best part about this style is that though there are some guidelines to follow, there are no hard fast rules, allowing you to be creative and create a unique, chic space with a rustic down home flare!
A Modern Take on A Timeless Style
(via All and Nxthing)
The Farmhouse Kitchen isn’t losing any steam in the arena of kitchen design. More and more designers are giving this classic look a modern twist with beautiful geometric tiled backsplashes, matte black finishes, and modern light fixtures. Zeny recommends adding subtle touches of modern elegance to classic charm, “Try going with a subway tile or stone backsplash,” she comments,“it’s a great way to bring a sleek contemporary flare to a farmhouse kitchen!”
Industrial touches such as pendant lights in a matte black finish with Edison bulbs are a great way to combine the old world charm of a classic Farmhouse kitchen. These small rough edge touches, ground the space in tradition, while still keeping the space trendy and fresh. It’s not just the hardware and details that can bring a modern twist to the space. “Rather than the traditional shaker style cabinets, a slab style would give the space a much more modern edge”.
(via Sita Montgomery Interiors)
The modern farmhouse kitchen strikes a balance between contemporary and traditional aesthetic that many homeowners are looking to achieve. This is actually one of the most difficult challenges facing homeowners who delve into this style, “Having the proper balance between the clean lines you see in modern styles and incorporating the farmhouse elements to make it more homey can sometimes be difficult.” This task can sometimes seem daunting and overwhelming for DIYers, so having an experienced designer by your side to help combine the modern touches with the traditional Farmhouse style, will help take the pressure and stress off of your shoulders, making the final product a homey feeling kitchen that is well suited for the sophisticated nature of NYC.
It’s Not Going Anywhere
(via House of Jade Interiors)
Now that you know how a farmhouse kitchen is designed and styled, should you invest in it? A kitchen renovation is a major step, and of course you want it to be something that will not only suit all your needs and wants, but stand the test of time. If there is one thing we can confidently say about the farmhouse kitchen it is that it is not going anywhere! “With famous designers like Joanna Gaines designing spaces in this style, it has definitely grown a lot within the years.” Zeny tells us. If you scroll through the boards of Pintrest, or the never-ending feed of Instagram, you’ll see exactly what she means. Countless influencers and bloggers are showcasing kitchens done in this timeless, easy going style. With the natural lighting and neutral color palette, the room will always have a sense of space, and the feel of the room can easily be shifted by changing up decorations and accessories to create a whole new experience! Many designers, including our own agree that this style is not only a fixture in the design community, but will only continue to grow in popularity, “I don’t see this style dimming anytime soon, farmhouse style is here to stay!”
