Rustic Kitchen Design Guide

What’s the Difference between a Rustic Kitchen and a Farmhouse Kitchen?

The farmhouse kitchen is a relative of the rustic kitchen, and they share many characteristics. Both styles are rural and old-fashioned, but the rustic look draws more from upper-class European sources like country estates while the farmhouse look looks more to American middle-class roots.

Color and materials are a good place to look. Farmhouse kitchens are often done in light colors with lots of tile and painted wood, while rustic kitchens tend towards natural finishes, like dark stained wood and stone.

So What Goes Into Rustic Kitchen Design Style?

There’s no one true design or pattern book for a rustic kitchen. Take a look at some of these elements and imagine how they’ll look in your home.

One signature element of rustic design is dark wood, usually stained. This wood can go anywhere: tabletop, cabinets, floor, maybe even the range hood. Dark stains show off the quality of the wood, and the visible grain emphasizes the old-fashioned rural aesthetic. It’s also good to add some subtle color for contrast – warm reds nicely complement rich browns, for example.

Painted Wood Cabinets

There’s no law that says you have to have dark natural finishes. Painted cabinets can be rustic too, especially in nice earthy blues and greens. This can be a good way to make an older kitchen look new and fresh – a fresh coat of paint can work wonders on old wood. If you like a more distressed wood look, you can recreate that with paint, for a time-worn country kitchen style without sacrificing modern convenience.

Rustic Kitchen Cabinet Styles

Let’s dig a little deeper on the look of your rustic kitchen cabinets.

For Starters, Try Shaker-Style

Shaker-Style cabinets are timeless, and a dependable way to add some class to any kitchen. If your home leans toward the farmhouse end of the spectrum, Shaker-style is practically perfect. Add a little ornamentation in the hardware if you want them a little less sleek and polished.

Do They Need To Be Stained, or Can They Be Painted?

Your classic rustic kitchen uses dark-stained wooden cabinets that showcase the grain. That’s not your only option, though. A lighter color of stain is perfectly good, and could pair even better with a darker brick for a beautiful kitchen that doesn’t feel as overwhelmingly dark.

Paint can work too. Look at some earthy greens and blues. This can be especially good if your kitchen look is built around stone or brick. Your painted cabinets can be the contrast to your more natural stone elements.

Or, You Could Opt for Glass-Front Cabinet Doors

Glass is a wonderful counterpart for dark woods, and can do wonders to lighten up the visual weight of your kitchen design. It’s a great way to show off your best kitchenware too. Frosted glass or textured glass is often better than plain glass, which can look a little too contemporary.

Go For Open Shelving

Open shelving can be a nicely rustic look. If you’ve got great wood for your shelves, perhaps something reclaimed, don’t cover it up with a door. Show it off!

Salvage Some Wood

Rustic looks are lived-in looks, so lived-in materials are a great place to build from. If you’re particularly handy and resourceful, build them yourself, collecting wood from old barns or in your friends’ garages. The nature of your salvaged wood will define what your final look will be. Let the wood tell you whether to stain or paint.

Grain Is Good

Rustic kitchen cabinets don’t need to be smooth and sanded. Feel free to leave some grain and rough-hewn edges on the wood, and emphasize these elements with a good stain. Make sure to keep functionality in the front of your mind. A naturally rounded edge can look great on your countertop, but a natural divot in the middle will only cause you grief.

What About Handles and Hardware?

The same principles that guided your choices of cabinets should guide your choice of hardware. Natural texture is a key element of the rustic kitchen, so don’t go too polished and generic. Feel your hardware options instead of just looking at them, and maybe try some antiqued brass, brushed nickel, or iron. A little bit of ornament and detail is a good thing too.

More Ideas For a Rustic Kitchens

Here are a couple more ideas you can think about when designing your rustic kitchen.

A Wooden Range Hood

The range hood is sometimes an afterthought, but it shouldn’t be. It’s a large piece, usually centered or close to it, and around eye level. The range hood can make or break your design.
For a rustic kitchen, leave the stainless steel at the store and opt for either wood, antique copper, or brass for your range hood. You could try something unique, like matching the range hood to your wooden cabinets or use paneling made of reclaimed wood.

Another option would be to use wooden beams and create an arching range hood similar to a fireplace. French country houses often have beautiful ornamentation here, so if you’re feeling Continental, look at this as a place to add some élan to your kitchen.

Put In A Stone or Brick Hearth

Old kitchens were built around a wood-fired hearth since that was the only way to cook. Old-fashioned kitchens can get a lot of mileage out of a hearth, both for looks and as a place for people to gather.

Hang Your Pots and Pans From the Ceiling

It always comes around to materials. Natural-finished wood and stone pair beautifully with copper pots and cast iron pans. Show off your cookware with a hanging rack. This is also a great way to make the kitchen feel cozy. The hanging rack of pots and pans takes up visual space to bring in the scale of the room without taking away an inch of actual floorspace.

Match the Lighting Fixtures to the Style

A rustic kitchen doesn’t stop once you get over eye level. Choose your light fixtures carefully to complement the rest of the kitchen. Take a look at some nice bronze fixtures, or possibly some wood. This is a nice place for some reclaimed wood, as the look can be amazing even if the touch wouldn’t hold up in a more interactive area.