Kitchen & Bathroom Design Blog

Rustic kitchen design has a warmth and charm, emanating coziness from your kitchen, the heart of the home.  Whether your house is big or small, urban or rural, you can bring rustic beauty to your kitchen remodel and source materials to emulate your local area’s history and architecture. Here in Bucks County we take pride in our historic stone farmhouses, covered wooden bridges and scenic countryside. Rustic kitchen design connects us to the past and to our surroundings, incorporating natural wood, stone, reclaimed barn wood, beams, and distressed style kitchen cabinetry. If you are aiming to evoke a country or farmhouse style, consider what elements appeal to you and how you intend including them in your kitchen remodel.

RUSTIC OR FARMHOUSE?

Despite being very similar, Rustic and Farmhouse kitchen design have crucial differences. Rustic has a rougher look with thicker cuts of natural wood which are usually dark, distressed and often have exposed joints. It is very naturalistic and harks back to a simpler time. Farmhouse is fresher with painted wood and lighter, more complex but homey feeling.

WOOD

Reclaimed wooden floors, ceiling beams and distressed cabinets bring nature indoors in the rustic kitchen design. Wooden elements are essential to achieving this aesthetic and their grains, creaking and scars connect us to the past. Dark wood is especially warm, particularly with accents of barn red. Why not add a sliding reclaimed wood barn door for the ultimate rustic touch? If your space is more dimly lit then consider pine or bleached, stained or painted white wood to bring airiness to beams, tables and kitchen cabinets.

This impressive purpose-built coffee bar is reminiscent of the past but with a light modern feel in this Washington Crossing, PA kitchen remodel.

STONE

Stone is another staple of rustic kitchen design, with fireplaces, river rock feature walls and quartz or granite countertops. Flagstone is great alternative to a wooden floor, layered with richly colored rugs for coziness. Frame an entry way in locally sourced stone, like the kitchen design in Washington Crossing pictured below left or create a custom stone hood like the kitchen remodel below right.

The less polished your stone and wood elements, the more individual they appear.  Embed chips of mother of pearl, shells, sea glass or mirror in a section of a concrete floor for a twist on incorporating elements of nature. Stone, along with other materials from the great outdoors will add to the feeling of being at one with nature.

ECLECTIC KITCHEN DESIGN

If you are not ready to go full on rustic in your kitchen design, consider incorporating elements of rusticism into a more contemporary, updated aesthetic to reflect your individual style. For example, sleek white kitchen cabinets and stainless-steel appliances contrast beautifully with wooden floors, ceiling beams and barn doors. A Shaker-style island could be surrounded by natural wood stools. A kitchen remodeling professional will help you enjoy the best of both worlds in a cohesive kitchen design.

COLOR

Rustic kitchen remodels should include nature-based colors like browns, blues, greens and muted pastels. Animal hides, natural fabrics, metals and stone are great ways of adding shades of nature. Balance rustic kitchen design elements with industrial features like exposed brick or light bulbs and tie everything together with white walls and furniture.

ACCESSORIZE

Rural-themed art might seem like obvious choices to put in a rustic kitchen, but your overall kitchen design will have done enough to create a rustic aesthetic. Go with another style to introduce variety and surprise. If you do want a few rustic accessories, then rugs, textiles and handmade chairs would be ideal along with salvage pieces, pot racks, vintage cookware or kerosene lamps.

CREATING THE MOOD

Add a fireplace to your kitchen remodel to achieve the feeling of times gone by and give the room a warmth and glow.  Either an heirloom or wood-cook stove will bring that country aesthetic to your rustic kitchen design and possibly, the smell of freshly baked bread!

Letting in natural light also will elevate your mood. Aside from reducing electricity bills, bright windows that open up your kitchen to nature will work perfectly with your rustic feel.

Check out our gallery for more inspiration or contact us today to let our kitchen design experts guide you through our many options for rustic kitchen design in your home.