The Ultimate Country Kitchen

A quintessentially English country kitchen can be the perfect antidote for those looking to avoid the sleek, streamlined minimalism of an uber-modern design. 

There’s nothing wrong with adopting a zero-clutter tolerance for your worktops, of course, or sticking to a strict colour scheme. If you’re looking for something a little more forgiving, however—a space that is more suited to the rigours and disorder of a busy life—the classic country kitchen is the style choice for you.

By all means keep those modern luxuries, but incorporate them into the rustic charms of flagstone floors and painted wooden cabinets, and enjoy the best of both worlds. 

Let us guide you through some compulsory items to add to your classic country kitchen checklist.

Large wooden kitchen table

If there’s room in your dream country kitchen for a large wooden table, then you should move heaven and earth—or just a cabinet or two—to accommodate one. The bigger the better.

Opt for an aga

Is there anything more inherently English, something that just screams country kitchen, than an Aga? Although Swedish in its origins, the traditional cast iron Aga has been built in the UK since the late-1950s and has remained a culinary staple of the English kitchen for decades.

Despite its vintage aesthetic, the iconic heat storage oven and cooker has managed to evolve with the times and is now available in an array of different enamelled colour tones to complement both modern and timeless kitchen spaces. The combination of the traditional Aga design with a litany of contemporary features (the modern Aga can now be controlled by an app!) is the cornerstone for any country kitchen. See more images for the below country kitchen project.

You can’t beat panels

The addition of tongue-and-groove panelling is a really great way to invoke that antiquated country quality into your kitchen. As a traditional cladding method, used throughout the Shaker, Victorian and Edwardian eras, you can’t help but be transported back in time with this iconic design option. 

Keep the wooden panels exposed or finish them with a paint colour of your choice.

That ceramic sinking feeling

Another must-have for your country kitchen should be a large ceramic sink. Belfast sinks are a popular choice, but equally desirable are the farmhouse and butler options.

Not only are they a stunning feature, their practical design, their classic boxy dimensions, make them ideal for any number of culinary and domestic tasks. Washing pots and pans, peeling carrots, soaking oven trays; they’re a dream addition to any rustic country kitchen.

Island nation

If space is a premium in your kitchen, and there’s not quite enough room to house a large oak table, perhaps a practical solution is the addition of an island unit. The perfect combination of form and function. 

Not only can a beautifully handcrafted island act as a place for dining, it can also incorporate any number of different cabinets, shelving, drawers, sinks and workstations within its structure to make it an essential feature of your country kitchen.

The composition of your island is entirely down to you. Choose the exact size, dimension, materials, fixtures and fittings to suit your precise needs. A well-designed island can be an indispensable component of your kitchen.

Freestanding furniture

To accompany your charmingly rustic wooden table, why not sprinkle in a selection of freestanding furniture pieces. A shelving unit to hold your cookbooks, an open-faced cabinet to display your copper pans, some beautifully-crafted carver chairs. Whatever your preference, some carefully positioned free-standing furniture, with plenty of character, can really add dimension and personality to your space.

Avoid uniformity

If you’re looking to steer away from the strict uniformity that can often be associated with a modern kitchen, and favour instead the relaxed aesthetic found in a country kitchen, it’s a good idea to take a more eclectic approach when settling on a design.

Although assembling a kitchen entirely of freestanding pieces isn’t always the most straightforward of tasks, particularly if space isn’t in abundance, it is possible to create the same country feel by introducing an assortment of unmatched pieces. Mix up your furniture, alternate your stone and wood finishes, be creative with your colour combinations. If your aim is to establish an informal, lived-in ambience within your kitchen, you can achieve this by avoiding regimented uniformity with your design choices.

Stone floors

To round-off your rustic country kitchen, the perfect final flourish can be the addition of weathered flagstone flooring. There’s no limit to your choices when it comes to installing stone pavers; you can create a real statement in your space by incorporating different colour combinations, and the stones can be cut to any shape or pattern you desire. 

If you’re worried about the floor being too cold—especially on those frosty winter mornings—there’s always the option to install underfloor heating for that extra dose of comfort. 

There’s no perfect recipe for creating the ultimate country kitchen. Tastes and practical demands vary from person to person. But if this is a style avenue you’re considering, with this guide—along with our expert advice and direction—you can find your ultimate country kitchen.