How to Design a Modern Farmhouse Kitchen
What do most of us picture when we think of a farmhouse kitchen? An airy room with a range cooker set into a run of shaker cabinets, a traditional mantel above it, stone worktops, a
and exposed beams. It is a comfortable picture, and a fairly recent one.
The Modern Farmhouse Kitchen at a Glance
A modern farmhouse kitchen takes the elements of a traditional working farmhouse kitchen, a range cooker, a central table, larders and pantries, an open dresser and a deep butler sink, and builds them into a fitted, hand-made kitchen with modern appliances and services. The look is informal and made of natural materials, but the layout works the way a contemporary kitchen needs to. You can use all of these elements or only the ones that suit the house. Handmade Kitchen Company design and hand-build kitchens of this kind from our workshop in Essex.
Where the farmhouse kitchen came from
In medieval great houses the kitchen was purely a place of work. The family did not go in. It was rarely one room either, but a large room with a heat source surrounded by smaller ones used as pantries, larders and sculleries. Smaller farmhouse kitchens were different. They had a large table in the middle where the household ate, with freestanding furniture around the walls, an open dresser and food storage. The scullery, where the sink was, took the preparation and washing. Electrical appliances and plumbed sinks arrived in the main kitchen through the 1950s, and by the late 1970s the kitchen had become the social centre of the house, with fitted furniture and seating. The modern farmhouse kitchen puts the older ideas back into that fitted arrangement.
A range cooker
A range cooker is the classic focal point, built into the run of cabinetry, often under a
. The AGA is the best known. Invented in 1922, it has been at the centre of country kitchens ever since, and owners tend to be evangelical about them. The cast iron radiates a steady, gentle heat, which suits slow cooking and keeps moisture in the food. Other options are covered in our posts on
and
.
A central table or prep island
The table in the middle of the room is the oldest farmhouse feature of all. It can be kept literally, as a freestanding prep table that works as an
and keeps the traditional look, or interpreted as a fitted island with storage and appliances built in. A freestanding table suits a period house and leaves the floor visible beneath it, which keeps the room feeling open. A fitted island gives far more storage.
Larders and pantries
Larders and pantries are the direct descendants of those small rooms around the medieval kitchen, and they have become popular again for the same reason: they keep food cool, organised and out of sight. They can be built in as a fitted unit or, where there is space, as a separate
. We also build a lot of
to house coffee machines, toasters and microwaves behind doors, so the worktop stays clear.
An open dresser
Open
are the piece that makes a farmhouse kitchen feel lived in rather than fitted. Plates, jugs and everyday crockery on display break up a run of closed doors and give the room some personality.
A butler sink
The
dates from the early Victorian period, and its shallow form was designed for places where water had to be conserved. There are many sizes and styles now, and a deep apron-front sink remains one of the quickest ways to give a kitchen a country character.
Modern Farmhouse Kitchen FAQs
What is a modern farmhouse kitchen?
A kitchen that borrows the elements of a traditional farmhouse kitchen, a range cooker, a central table, a dresser, a pantry and a butler sink, and builds them into a fitted kitchen with modern appliances, lighting and storage. The character is traditional; the way it works is contemporary.
What is the difference between a farmhouse and a country kitchen?
They overlap heavily. A farmhouse kitchen leans towards the working, informal end: a big table, open shelving, a range. Our post on the
classic English country kitchen
covers the broader style.
Do you need a range cooker for a farmhouse kitchen?
No, though it is the most recognisable feature. The look can be achieved with a conventional oven and hob set beneath a mantel, which also gives you more control over running costs.
What worktop suits a farmhouse kitchen?
Natural materials suit the style best: granite, other natural stone, or timber. Quartz works if you want the look with less maintenance, and a stone cold shelf in the pantry is a period detail that still earns its place.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company build farmhouse kitchens?
We design, hand-build and hand-paint bespoke farmhouse and country kitchens from our workshop in Essex, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London.
today for more information on planning your modern farmhouse kitchen. We look forward to hearing from you.
