Country kitchen ideas
Don't be fooled into thinking you must be surrounded by winding lanes and wildflower meadows to achieve a country kitchen - the clean yet cosy aesthetic can work equally well in both town and country. Whether you live in a London flat or an Oxfordshire cottage, this style is simple to achieve with the right guidance. From classic English examples to rustic French kitchens, via Delft tile-adorned inspirations and quintessentially Tuscan, we've found all the inspiration for country kitchens to inspire your own designs.
Country kitchen ideas
deVOL Kitchens1/47At the Castle of Trematon, near Saltash in Cornwall, House of Hackney founders Frieda Gormley and Javvy M Royle worked with DeVol to create this layered room. Their company’s ‘Plantasia’ wallpaper in sage has been paired with curtains in its ‘Trematon Stripe’ jacquard cotton in verdigris, both of which tone well with the zellige tiles from Mosaic Factory used for the splashback. The copper of the extractor hood and brass details on the range cooker, both from Officine Gullo, and the original parquet flooring introduce an authentic feel.
2/47Each of the four rentable shepherd’s huts at Aller Dorset has the same simple style of kitchen units painted a lively colour, coordinated with pretty fabrics and set against a reclaimed wood backdrop. This hut is Kittylands, which has units and open shelving in the pinky ‘Lake Red’ by Farrow & Ball. The fabric skirt below the sink is in an Ottoline print and the tiles are from Artisans of Devizes.
3/47Approached sensitively, contemporary design can work well in older buildings of different periods and complement the setting. In the Tudor wing of a listed house in Norfolk, Veere Grenney has used units by Orwells Furniture to great effect in this bright, effortlessly cool kitchen.
4/47A modern kitchen can work beautifully in rural settings, whether in a period house or a newbuild property. It will most likely be a more fitted and streamlined design than a traditional country kitchen and might include a few less obviously rustic material choices – interesting composites instead of natural stone, or metals rather than woods, for example. This can present an opportunity to create various striking contrasts, as can be seen in the house of Yorkshire-based architect Fred Collin. He installed Bulthaup units in a section that he had carved out of an adjacent room to create this large open-plan kitchen-dining space. The aluminium panels on the back wall provide an interesting juxtaposition with the lightly lime-washed Victorian pine panelling seen in the foreground.
5/47The kitchen dresser goes hand in hand with the range cooker
and scrubbed refectory table as classic elements of a traditional country kitchen. Part of their appeal is in their mix of utilitarian and decorative qualities: plates, cups, bits and bobs are all easily at hand, and you can create ever-changing displays of some
of your favourite pieces. One of the loveliest is this ‘Bath’ design in solid oak by Patrick Williams’ company Berdoulat, which features exquisite joinery details. DeVol and Neptune also produce both off-the-shelf and bespoke versions.
© Rachael Smith Photography Ltd6/47When designer Lucinda Griffith moved into her Welsh cottage, she says, she ‘played it safe and went for something smart’ in
the kitchen. Realising her mistake a few years later, she got out her paintbrush. Let it be a lesson to us all not to underestimate the transformative power of a lick of paint or a colourful fabric. Thanks to the yellow shelves (in ‘Goldcrest’ by Fenwick & Tilbrook), she says, ‘the sun shines even on a gloomy day’, while the repainted cabinets (now in ‘Mahogany’ by Farrow & Ball) take on a deep purple hue against the pink walls.
7/47Eye-catching textiles are central to this Oxfordshire project by Nadine Finnegan. The founder of Decurate Interiors chose Ottoline’s saffron ‘Sporty Stripes’ in practical polyester for the blinds and teamed this with a ‘Checkered’ pink and green jute runner from Tate & Darby.
8/47Kitchen dressers speak of an earlier time – of the unpretentious cottage kitchen or the simple, practical spaces usually associated with below-stairs activities in grand houses. Plain English made this dresser-style run of units for a project by the interior designer Rita Konig in County Durham.
Martin Morrell9/47What is the key to using beautiful fabrics or wallpaper in a kitchen? Good ventilation perhaps – big windows that can be flung open and a really good extractor fan. The historic Château d’Aunoy, south east of Paris, has enviably high ceilings, but there are ideas to be picked up for more modestly proportioned rooms. The walls of the kitchen have been upholstered in a classic gingham fabric, which has also been used for an under-sink curtain and to line the doors of the glazed cabinet opposite.
10/47An eclectic approach has created an appealing look in the Cotswold house of Edit58 founder Lisa Mehydene. Rough masonry walls in ‘Pointing’ are combined with tongue and groove in ‘Dead Salmon’, both by Farrow & Ball, while vintage finds – including a florist’s table and 1930s Thonet chairs – sit alongside British Standard cabinets. The terracotta tiles add a pleasingly earthy feel.
11/47Simple white-painted units that virtually disappear against the white walls and a traditional, antiqued oak island with elegant, turned legs are gentle additions to this kitchen in a converted 16th-century granary in Hampshire, designed by Artichoke. The space is blessed with ancient oak rafters and, if you look closely, you will see that an extractor fan has been cleverly tucked in behind a beam above the electric Aga.
Martin Morrell12/47The stainless-steel island contrasts with the existing terracotta brick floor and oak cabinets in this fairytale house on Dartmoor with a warm, sanctuary-like interior by Retrouvius.
Michael Sinclair13/47Susie Atkinson designed the white cupboards in her country house to resemble an antique dresser base and commissioned Olive Tree Renovations to make them. She also designed the polished steel and oak island, which was made by Rupert Bevan.
© Rachael Smith Photography Ltd14/47In this Norfolk cottage by Anna Haines, together with the Crittall windows and larch ceiling, the polished concrete floor and walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Strong White’ create a stylish industrial look. Oak units in a custom dark blue stain are complemented by Carrara marble worktops, with three antique pendant lights from Nick Jones above. The oak-topped island is partnered by DeVol bar stools.
Paul Massey15/47In a country house by Carlos Garcia, reclaimed flagstones from Norfolk Antique & Reclamation and Plain English cabinetry are given a modern feel by splashes of colour on the island (Plain English’s ‘Nicotine’), table and door (below). The table legs are painted in ‘Deep Grès de Flandres Blue’ by Papers and Paints and the door in (Edward Bulmer’s ‘Naples Yellow’). Aviva Halter created the bespoke Aga splashback tiles.
Michael Sinclair16/47Rustic antique pieces, including a painted cupboard, a farmhouse table and French 20th-century chairs add character to cabinets from Howdens in Thea Speke's country kitchen.
Ollie Tomlinson17/47The kitchen in this Cotswold house by Tom Morris was already in a good state, it simply required decoration. ‘The Beautiful old welsh dresser was in quite a bad state. We painted it an Yves Klein blue and added a Swedish flat weave.’
Paul Massey18/47Plain English units painted in ‘Mash’ and an island in ‘Sauce’, with patterned Balineum tiles behind the cooker, create a modern country-house feel in this house by Rita Konig. The space under the island is used for dog beds.
DAVIDE LOVATTI19/47Another Country’s oak ‘Hardy’ chairs partner an old farmhouse table in this heavenly rustic kitchen in a 16th-century Italian house, restored to a glorious state by Maria Speake of Retrouvius.
Mark Anthony Fox20/47In the house of a filmmaker-turned-hemp-grower in the Cambridgeshire countryside, the kitchen combines rustic country touches with more modern elements. The splashes of soft yellow, along with the high ceilings makes the kitchen a bright, airy space.
Paul Massey21/47Lisa Mehydene, founder of online homeware platform edit58, was looking for a weekend house in the Cotswolds when she found this loftily proportioned converted barn on the site of a former spiritual retreat.
Pooky’s ‘Cookie’ pendant light in a now-discontinued shade of pale blue hangs above a 19th-century florist’s table from 1stDibs, which is teamed with Thirties bentwood Thonet chairs – originally from a cinema in the Czech Republic – also from 1stDibs. Three sets of framed botanicals (two seen) are displayed on the wall in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Pointing’ above a glazed sideboard from Belgium. A Swedish runner sourced by Lisa adds subtle colour.
Photography by Paul Whitbread22/47House & Garden award winner Edward Bulmer is a man of many talents: interior designer, architectural historian, and founder of a paint company, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Here, in his first book, The Colourful Past: Edward Bulmer and the English Country House, Bulmer takes readers on a tour of a Yeoman's house with an eclectic mix of styles. The core of the property dates back to the seventeenth-century, while the exterior is Jacobean, and the interiors are mostly Edwardian, with furnishings brought over from the Far East – but the effect is far from clumsy. The hall conveniently gives onto the cutting garden and herb patch to serve the flower arranger and the cook. The walls are painted in our Stone White and the hall beyond is in Buff.
Owen Gale23/47A chance viewing of a house on the last day of a Devon holiday led Ros Byam Shaw to up sticks and leave London for the countryside. The vintage star clock in the kitchen came from an antiques centre in Sidmouth, and next to it is some of my collection of pictures of cows. The cupboards were made by a local joiner, now retired, and are painted in Farrow & Ball ‘Cooks’ Blue’ to match the paintwork of the windows which we inherited. We also inherited the four-oven Aga, which dates back to the 1950s, and which we have had converted to electricity. The flags had been covered with three layers of Lino and are still recovering 20 years after being released.
Michael Sinclair24/47Keith Johnson and Glen Senk’s search for a retreat from Florida’s heat took them to a Grade II-listed house in south west England, which, after restoration and redecoration, is a refreshing amalgamation of creative American spirit and English country ideals. Designed by Patrick Williams of Berdoulat, this room provides easily accessible storage as well as housing the fridge. The half-glazed doors in Papers and Paints’ ‘H2106’ in a gloss finish lead into the kitchen, where the walls are lined in white ‘Harmony Field’ tiles from Francis Ceramics. The lantern below the skylight once hung in the stables at Buckingham Palace.
Martin Morrell25/47Faced with the daunting task of reviving this 17th-century cottage in the Cotswolds, Ben Adler and Pat Llewellyn enlisted the help of historic building consultant Hilton Marlton. Together, they restored its original features without losing sight of the need to make it a comfortable weekend base.
A Dutch 18th-century brass chandelier hangs over a George III farmhouse table, both from Bonhams. The 1770 oak and pine dairy dresser, with a space below for milk churns, was the first antique Ben and Pat bought together. It holds an array of blue and white china inherited from Pat’s beloved aunt. Part of the couple’s collection of carved Welsh love spoons, given as symbols of love and devotion, is displayed over the door.
Michael Sinclair26/47A move to the house on the North York Moors that has been in her husband’s family since 1899 has provided textile designer Natasha James with inspiration and the ideal showcase for her colourful block-printed linens. The Plain English cabinets and preparation table in ‘Pale Powder’ and ‘Hague Blue’, both Farrow & Ball, set off the original checkerboard terracotta floor, said to have been inspired by Monet’s kitchen at Giverny. The blind in Natasha’s ‘Pushkar’ linen for Tasha Textiles is complemented by a trio of Scottish spongeware plates on the wall. On the mantelshelf, Claudia Rankin plates are displayed with Katrin Moye cups. A watercolour of apples by Emma Tennant hangs below them.
Photography by Belle Daughtry27/47While it was love at first sight for the exterior of this 16th century manor house in Langport, Somerset, the interiors were a labour of love for owner Sarah Southwell. One year on and the house has a new lease of life, with warm, colourful interiors designed for family life.
“When the marble for the kitchen was delivered and installed - that was probably the highlight of the whole renovation”.
Worktops are Italian Arabescato marble, walls are painted in Bauwerk Colour's Ibiza lime wash, the pendant lights are from deVOL, and the butlers sink is by Shaws of Darwen. Kitchen cabinets designed by British Standard Cupboards (they come in a range of standard sizes, starting at £590 – an average sized kitchen comes in at around £8,000).
Christopher Simon Sykes28/47Cath Kidston's book, 'A Place Called Home', takes us through the design process for her Cotswolds house, Paradise.
Having previously owned a house with a large kitchen/sitting room which meant that the family never used the rest of the house, Kidston was keen to prevent the kitchen here from becoming a sitting room as well. Nevertheless, it needs to be a cosy room, and it has all of the elements of a classic country kitchen: an Aga, flagstone floors ('one of the reasons I fell in love with the house'), a stone fireplace, and big, comfortable Windsor chairs handmade by a craftsman in Devon.
Painting both the units and walls in white gloss gives the kitchen the clean and simple feel favoured by Kidston, and honed Welsh slate countertops are also a classic choice. For colour and pattern, she prefers to simply change the china and tablecloths on the generous scrubbed pine table.
Simon Upton29/47A photograph of the kitchen is what first drew its owner, Miranda Alexander, to this house in Dorset. Reclaimed Blue Lias Flagstones sells salvaged stone flooring similar to these from £150 a square metre. Above her kitchen table, Miranda has hung a white pendant light. The ‘Cobb Rise & Fall Small Pendant’ from Original BTC is similar. It has a shade diameter of 22.5cm and costs £195. Matthew Cox’s oak ‘Sawbuck Table’, £2,640, is very like the one here. It measures 74 x 160 x 70cm.
Andrew Montgomery30/47The bright and airy kitchen at Wardington Manor in Oxfordshire features a cream Aga, rustic wooden benches and stone flooring. The period property is the family home of Bridget Elworthy and also doubles as the base for garden design company, The Land Gardeners, of which Bridget is half. A fire in 2004 meant that when the Elworthys moved in, the house had been recently carefully restored so as to maintain its character.
31/47Without any drastic aesthetic change - the old Delft tiles above the sink survived - this Oxfordshire cottage kitchen just works and looks better thanks to Colefax designer Emma Burns. Emma brought in joiner Chris Bell to create units an inch shallower than the existing ones - a tweak that makes a huge difference to the sense of the space. Elm was chosen for the worktops and the units are painted in 'Farrow's Cream' by Farrow & Ball.
Paul Massey32/47Ett Hem - the Swedish for 'a home' - is a hotel designed like our ideal home! Interior designer Ilse Crawford is responsible for the look. The wall cabinet in the kitchen was designed by Studioilse, and the company also sourced many antiques, including chandeliers lit by real candles. The furniture is mostly modern but the accessories, such as the light fitting, add a touch of country to the aesthetic.
Ngoc Minh Mgo33/47When interior designer Harriet Anstruther took possession of her run-down Sussex farmhouse, she put her eclectic mark on it, while keeping its original features. The scullery, which is accessed through the kitchen in Harriet Anstruther's restored farmhouse, features a butler sink and a curtained under sink area for a classic countryside style.
Lucas Allen34/47The panelling in Katie Fontana's kitchen is painted white, which makes the small space feel light and bright. Vintage knick-knacks decorate the shelves and small paintings complete the eclectic scheme. This is country meets kooky.
Paul Massey35/47The raku-fired hexagonal floor tiles in Robin Muir's Cotswolds kitchen are by Karak. Edwin Lock Furniture built the drawers and cupboard using reclaimed timber. As with his other houses, the kitchen features a dresser with ceramics.
Paul Massey36/47In the kitchen of the Duchesse de Magenta's Renaissance Chateau, copper pans are prettily arranged, hanging from wooden strips in rows. This makes for a creative storage idea - a great way of using wall space efficiently while adding a cosy country feel to your kitchen.
Sharyn Cairns37/47The white Aga in the kitchen of interior designer Ben Pentreath's country house was installed in the Sixties. Ben added the wooden floor, painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Hardwick White', and found the glazed wall cupboard in a junk shop.
'Although we did a lot of rescuing, it doesn't look over-restored,' the designer says. 'The kitchen floor, for example, needed replacing. As there was a patch of old stone flagging, I had hoped there would be more beneath the linoleum. Of course, there wasn't, so we simply glued wooden boards on top of the existing floor and painted them dove grey. It looks really nice and happily maintains the fiction that nothing much has happened here in the past 200 years.'
Simon Upton38/47Interior designer Flora Soames found solace – and the focus to design her first fabric collection – in decorating this former gamekeeper’s cottage in the West Country and filling it with her most treasured possessions. In the kitchen, the cabinets are painted in ‘Indigo’ by Edward Bulmer. An antique Swedish refectory table from Talisman is teamed with Arts and Crafts chairs with seat pads in leather from Soane.
Michael Sinclair39/47The kitchen of a 19th-century cottage perched on the wild Pembrokeshire coastline, with interiors by John McCall. John designed the units, which were made by Mark Stone’s Welsh Kitchens. The worktops are made from hammered black granite.
Ngoc Minh Mgo40/47The wooden kitchen island strengthens the rustic, countryside feel of this room. 'You really have to listen to a house like this,' designer Harriet Anstruther says as she crosses the stone threshold of her restored farmhouse in Sussex, worn smooth by the centuries of stomping feet, through the back door and into the scullery, which connects to the kitchen. 'There are no straight lines here, and there is nothing that doesn't have a hole or a chip or a bird in it. But if you spent your time worrying about spiders and symmetry, you wouldn't live here.'
41/47This country kitchen in Hampshire belonging to designer and antiques dealer Max Rollitt is furnished with a simple wooden island, terracotta tiles and grey wooden sink units, over which a pole is fixed to the walls for hanging pots and pans. The brown orange floor bring warmth to the cool, neutral scheme.
Davide Lovatti42/47British sculptor Emily Young's residence and studio is a former monastery on a hilltop in southern Tuscany. The kitchen was once the sacristy of the church. Attention is drawn to the amazingly high ceiling through a clever use of colour - the lower half has been painted white while to the upper section has been painted a blue that mimics the colour of the sky. Emily has brought the Tuscan countryside indoors.
Paul Massey43/47In this tiny barn decorated by antiques dealer Christopher Howe, an eighteenth-century Norwegian dresser is used for storage and food preparation in the kitchen.
Simon Brown44/47When Emma Burns inherited the former stables that her parents had progressively converted as a weekend retreat, she put into practice the principles that guide her professional work as one of the leading interior design directors at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. The original kitchen had an old pine island built around a structural post in the centre of the room. The post was removed and the beam it had supported was reinforced with a steel plate fixed to its underside with coach bolts to make a more harmonious space. An Aga was installed, the lino floor was replaced with flagstones to match those in the hall, and reclaimed doors were found for the cupboards.
Paul Massey45/47Alastair Hendy was initially reluctant to buy the Grade II listed 16th century property in Hastings. However, the house took a grip on Alastair and, although much had been obliterated, the skeleton and several features were original. He bought it, not realising that it would be the start of a five-year restoration project. After taking a crash course in historical building practices, salvaging materials and engaging local craftsmen, he returned the house to its former glory. The kitchen, with its original beams and wood-clad walls, is full of cosy charm.
46/47The kitchen of architect Mario Connio's home in Andalucia harks back to the building's origins as a farmhouse. It boasts original terracotta floor tiles and simple whitewashed walls. The traditional wooden beamed ceiling is painted a vibrant green.
Simon Brown47/47One of the cosiest rooms in this 16th-century farmhouse in Suffolk is the kitchen, with its Aga surrounded by Delft tiles, split-level brick kitchen floor, wooden worktops and idiosyncratic art. The house belongs to antiques dealer Tarquin Bilgen and his wife Isobel, a garden designer.