5 Rustic Farmhouse Kitchen Ideas To Give Your Kitchen an Inviting, Timeless Look

Create your own dreamy, one-of-a-kind cook space using our favorite country farmhouse kitchen ideas of all time.

1. Install Open Shelving

With three levels of open shelving, photographer Helen Norman achieved a beautifully layered look that is ideal for her ever-growing ceramic collection. To be sure you have enough room for items on your countertop (think coffee maker, cutting boards, etc.) as well as things on your shelves (think pitchers and platters), measure your tallest pieces, add an inch or two, and space out shelves accordingly before installing. This mix of upper cabinets, lower cabinets, island storage, and open shelving means there’s a place for everything.

2. Make a Small Space Live Large

To break up the kitchen’s white cabinetry, homeowner Bambi Costanzo repurposed an old wood dry sink she found on Facebook Marketplace by taking it apart and installing the pieces under the window as a makeshift built-in. “It was almost too perfect for the space,” she says. Her dishware storage doubles as display courtesy of more DIY ingenuity. For the countertop rack, Bambi sanded down a wooden box and added dowel rods for plate separators. Striped skirted fabric hides the dishwasher.

3. Contrast the Woods

While the phrase “cabin kitchen” may evoke images of dark woods and ruddy hues, architect Ken Pursley wanted this North Carolina home to feel light and airy but still reflect the simple mountain aesthetic. Rough oak floors stained in a warm finish set a welcoming cabin tone, while a pine ceiling sourced from a nearby forest adds understated texture. Durable yet modern concrete countertops, a pair of oversize lanterns, and industrial-style drafting stools round out the ultimate rustic-meets-refined space.

4. Skirt the Sink

Textile designer Heather Taylor complemented the yellow tones of the wood cabinets with sunflower-hued window treatments and a skirt beneath the 30-inch fireclay farmhouse sink. While small in stature, the cabin kitchen is chock-full of charm courtesy of high-impact updates, including an aged brass faucet, a vintage-style scalloped pendant light (so charming!), and petite flush-mount ceiling lights.

5.Build a Bigger Island

Guests love to gather around the walnut-topped island thanks to its room-for-a-crowd size and fun handmade counter stools. The natural stone wall is complemented by the moody Belgian bluestone backsplash behind the range and the room’s various woods—including reclaimed barn boards on the ceiling, vintage French white oak on the floor, and band-sawn knotty white oak on the flush-inset cabinets.