5 Amazing Tips For Your Farmhouse Kitchen Remodel
The kitchen is the heart of the home. Whether you live in a tiny apartment in the city, or a big farmhouse in a small town, your kitchen is where all the magic happens. When you think of a homely, inviting kitchen, you think farmhouse style, right?
Remodeling a kitchen can be a bit of a beast of a task. Unlike some of the other rooms in the home, a kitchen has so many more elements to consider, like layout, ergonomics, not to mention function and form, and color.
Literally, from top to bottom, there are numerous things you can change to create a farmhouse-style kitchen. But, deciding where to start is the challenge. Not to worry though, below are 5 of our best tips for your farmhouse kitchen remodel so that you can get the kitchen of your dreams.
About Farmhouse Kitchen Design
As this is possibly one of the most versatile kitchen designs, the farmhouse kitchen style can work on pretty much any kitchen. But, whether you have a large space to work with or a smaller kitchen, there are a few principles to consider.
One of these is space. In the old days (and still now), the kitchen is the heart of the home and should be a focal point in the home. However, if your kitchen is on the smaller side, there are ways to create the illusion of space by using certain design elements.
Another principle to consider is lighting. Farmhouse kitchens love (and we mean really love), natural light. Think big windows to let all that beautiful sunlight filter in.
Another principle is color. Whether it’s natural wood or bright colors, choosing the best color scheme for your kitchen remodel is very important. Farmhouse kitchens generally have quite a neutral color scheme - often with wooden accents. But, the style is versatile so you can make it as modern or as traditional as you want!
5 Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Farmhouse Kitchen Remodel
Now that you know a little more about the farmhouse kitchen design, here are 5 tips to help you achieve the look and feel of a farmhouse kitchen.
Install A Farmhouse Range Hood
Back in the old days, when kitchens made use of fire, chimneys would have been a staple in the kitchen. A range hood is reminiscent of that but in a modern way. Installing a farmhouse range hood in your farmhouse kitchen will add a touch of old-world charm while keeping your home modern and up-to-date.
A range hood is also a great way to create the illusion of space. The lines that extend the eye line upwards create the illusion of height.
There are quite a few custom range hood options available. The Tuscan style is always a beautiful choice, but there’s also the bell curve style and, of course, the farmhouse range hood.
One of the great things about installing a range hood is that it too can be customized to match the overall style of the remodeled kitchen. You can choose to paint it white or you could add wood paneling and stain to add to the natural rustic color scheme.
Think About Arched Windows and Entryways
As we’ve said before, farmhouse kitchens love natural light. One way you can accentuate the windows in your kitchen are arched window frames.
Window arches are great for two reasons. For one thing, if your current window frames are in need of some TLC, they can provide insulation and are sealed. They also work well with farmhouse kitchen designs and add the element of traditional kitchen charm you’re looking for.
If you think of an old home and its entryways, you can definitely picture the arched entryways. As we’ve mentioned before, the farmhouse kitchen needs to create the illusion of space and arched entryways add to that - drawing your eye line upwards.
How to add this element to your farmhouse kitchen remodel? Well, the windows would be a great start. Adding arches to the window frames increase the amount of light you let in and adds the touch of farm-style chic to the kitchen.
Next, the entryway from, say, the living room or dining room can be updated with an arch. It’s a great way to create transition and separation between rooms, without adding a door.
If you have a separate pantry, you could add an arched entryway here. You could then add a door, or you could leave it open, which also makes space look bigger.
A Vaulted Ceiling Brings The Farmhouse Style Together
Here we are again talking about space, but it’s a really important design element when remodeling a kitchen to a farmhouse style. Vaulted ceilings are not only a beautiful design element, but they also create the illusion of space.
If you think of the traditional farmhouse kitchens, they originally had high ceilings with exposed beams. The kitchens were large, airy rooms, with lots of natural light and airflow. Homes are built differently now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t design the interior with a throwback to the good ol’ days.
Vaulted ceilings are a great way to emulate the classic farmhouse style. They increase the visual size of the room. Installing a vaulted ceiling also allows you to play around with the lighting. If you really want to take it to the next level, chandeliers pair really well with vaulted ceilings.
With so many options available , from cloister vaults, to cross vaults, the sky’s the limit (almost).
Cabinets & Open Shelving
When it comes to cabinetry, there are quite a few options in line with a farmhouse kitchen style. You can decide to choose one, or the other, or a combination of them all.
Open shelving is a popular farmhouse kitchen shelving option. It creates the illusion of space and also adds to the rustic farm style. You could decide to do most of your upper cabinets all as open shelving, or you could do it above the kitchen sink or on either side of the stove.
If you decide to go with closed cabinets, there are also so many options. You could go for a classic white kitchen cabinet - It’s timeless and works well with any countertop, range hood, or stove style.
You could also go for a natural wood cabinet or shaker-style cabinets. They’re rustic, charming, and low maintenance. Where painted cabinets may fade or chip over time, natural wood is more forgiving and can take more knocks. Not to mention, it looks great. Paired with a white countertop and white apron sink, you’ll have a stunning farm-style kitchen.
A great tip is to mix up the styles, colors, and types of cabinets. Feel free to get creative! For example, you could have open shelves on either side of your stove, the rest of your top cabinets could have glass doors and the bottom ones could have wooden doors painted a color.
Get The Color Right
The color rule is particularly important to consider when designing a farmhouse kitchen. Monochromatic color schemes are great and work well too, but if you follow the 60-30-10 rule , you’ll take your farmhouse kitchen remodel to the next level.
60% of the color used should be white or cream, definitely not a dark color. This would be the color of the walls, the ceilings, and even the floor could be a lighter color.
Next, 30% of the color could be a color, like blue, yellow, or green. Natural wood also works great here as the secondary color. If you’re going for a more rustic farm kitchen, natural wood is perfect. If you’re going for a more modern farm kitchen, then picking a color would compliment the style well.
Lastly, you’ll need to pick an accent color to tie everything together. Here, a darker color works beautifully.
If you decide to go for natural wood as your secondary color, black works well. So, your accessories, door handles, and utensils can all be black.
Or, if you choose light green as your secondary color, for example, you could add accents of greys or browns as your accent color.
Getting the color right is equally as important to the design as the construction elements. It’s what ties everything together in the end, so make sure you choose well.
In A Nutshell
Whether you decide to only change the range hood in your kitchen, or go for a full overhaul, it’s always good to get all your facts first. Make sure you understand the process, how long it’s going to take, how much it’s going to cost, and, of course, whether it will work in your home.
There’s no use dreaming about installing a massive arched window if you live in a tiny apartment. You could however add a gorgeous range hood above your stove and change the color scheme.
Whatever you decide, it’s important to get a professional’s advice. Talk to a pro at Archways & Ceilings for advice on how to remodel your dream farmhouse kitchen.