The best country kitchen design ideas for today's country home decor. Simple and easy to follow steps to create a cozy kitchen to complement your country home decorating.Country kitchen decor doesn't always mean gingham curtains at the windows, hanging baskets and rooster salt/pepper shakers. That's great, but there are other ways to create a casual, welcoming and updated country kitchen.
Let's talk about the elements, or materials you will most often find in country kitchen decor. Of course, there is wood and more wood....floors, cabinets, countertops, dining tables and chairs...all of these may be wood products. Too much of a good thing could become a little boring, though.
How about a colorful, diagonal tile floor as shown in this photo? Complement this with an antique or reproduction wood table, soft painted cabinets, lots of green plants, your own unique collectables, and you have a great country kitchen design with an updated look and feel. An antique display cabinet would be an excellent addition to this space.
Wood flooring is still a great option in a country kitchen, with wide plank distressed floors fitting in quite nicely with the decor. A butcher block island as shown in the photo below complements the wood floor in this country kitchen design.
And, by painting the cabinets a soft cream and using a brightly colored countertop, the island becomes a focal point in the room. If everything else in this kitchen was wood, the beautiful island would be 'lost'.
What other elements are found in today's country kitchen decor? Color always makes a statement in country home decorating, and traditionally includes red, blue, and other bright colors and patterns. Oh yes, the patterns...farm animals, cookery, gingham, plaid...cutesy little things like that! There is nothing wrong with the tradition country kitchen, but there are other options to consider.
Today's country kitchens don't have to include the cutesy pieces, nor do the colors need to be so bold. Softer shades of green, yellow, blue, aqua, tan and cream, for example, can be used to create an updated country look. Combine antiques or reproduction pieces and paint them one in these soft colors.
Collectables, collections, green plants and exposed pots/pans will always be important elements in country kitchen design. The key to display is to know when enough is enough. And that is a slight departure from country kitchen designs of the past, where the more 'stuff' on display, the better.
If you have a large collection to display, rotate the items periodically. If you love to shop at thrift stores and flea markets, go ahead and purchase the unique pieces that will complement your country kitchen, but keep a watchful eye on when you are creating a messy look. Consider taking the fronts off of some upper cabinets to allow more room to display pieces without creating a cluttered space.

As you plan the design and decor for your country kitchen, be sure to use the colors, elements, materials and collections that you love, for then you'll be certain to find success with your project!