18 Must-See Ideas for a Gorgeous English Country Kitchen!
The furniture and accessories used in English country design are both endearing and sophisticated. It combines traditional and modern elements to create a practical and functional abode. Due to the popularity of television programs such as Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, and The Crown, the English country style of interior design is more popular than ever.
The following are a few simple suggestions that will help your kitchen take on the appearance of an English cottage kitchen.
1. Wood Kitchen Island
The wood kitchen island is a popular feature in English-style kitchens. While cooking, it’s essential to have everything you need in one convenient location, and the wooden island helps precisely this.
If the kitchen island contains cabinets, it also serves as storage space. However, a typical kitchen island is a plain wooden table with a farmhouse style. Having a kitchen island that isn’t fixed in place also gives you more flexibility to move it about or even take it out entirely as needed.
2. Open Shelving
The majority of serving platters and kettles used in English households are typically placed on open shelves, where they can be admired by everyone who passes by. They could have beautiful flower designs or scenes from the English countryside printed on them. No matter what your style is, open shelves are a great way to show off your collection of flatware and china.
3. Brass Pot Filler & Kitchen Hardware
Installing a pot filler above the stove is one of the most valuable English kitchen decorating ideas. This is one upgrade to a kitchen that needs a little extra help, but it’s a feature many people are looking for nowadays. Hardware made of brass is another popular trend in modern English kitchens. You’ll notice the brass swing arm light and bar pulls in this country kitchen. Copper cookware makes the room feel warmer, which contrasts nicely with the cool marble backsplash.
4. Scullery
Old English castles frequently had sculleries installed. There are still a few homes that use them today. Sculleries are small kitchens or washing rooms in the back of the house used for dishwashing and other housework. It could be used as a kitchen for extra people or as a laundry room. Most of the time, the sink is smaller, and the counter space isn’t as big. It is sometimes next to the central kitchen and can be used as a butler’s pantry.
5. Vintage Furniture
The kitchens of English country houses are famously known for their collection of vintage furnishings. Many furniture items, much like the houses themselves, have been handed down over the years and are now treasured as antiques by the respective families. Many English country homes have antique tables, chairs, and even stools. These antique pieces are still in great shape after all these years because they were made to last. An English kitchen benefits significantly from a blend of modern and traditional elements.
6. Copper Cookware
Copper is the best material for pots, pans, kettles, and other types of cookware. Here you can see a copper urn for storing dishes and a copper pot for boiling water on the stove. A large copper pot with a lid is on the bottom shelf near the floor. Copper can be pricey, but it is the best material for making cookware. It looks beautiful with the black range and the marble-topped wood storage cabinet in this room.
7. Use Patterns Throughout
An English country kitchen is about making the home’s heart, i.e., the kitchen, feel warm and cozy. Use patterned fabrics like curtains and throw pillows to soften the space. Choose traditional patterns like chintz florals, botanical prints, plaid, and tweed, but make sure the color palettes work well together, so you don’t end up with too many styles that aren’t compatible.
8. Invest in Wooden Tables and Chairs
Nothing is as charming as an English cottage kitchen with a worn pine table, old wooden chairs, or bench seating. You can also use chalk paint to give the dining room furniture a more modern or eclectic look. Remember that the key to a good English cottage kitchen is to make it look like, over ages, the same family has lived, loved, and cooked in the same kitchen
9. Floors and Architectural Features
In English cottage kitchens, the floors are often made of slate, flagstone from a quarry, or wood. Slate is a natural stone that is strong and easy to keep clean. Quarried flagstone can be hand chiseled for a rough look. Dark hardwood floors are a more modern choice that is sometimes used in the English country style. Adding architectural details like wooden ceiling beams, rustic cottage wood doors, and a brick backsplash makes the English country style look even better.
10. Accessories
You can add to the English country style of your kitchen by hanging framed pictures of the wilderness, hunting scenes, or animals from the farm. Show off copper pots, old pitchers, collections of teapots, cups, and saucers, or old kitchen tools on open shelves or in cabinets. Set vases of fresh wildflowers, roses, or lavender on a kitchen counter, island, or table to add to the English country feel.
11. Choose Earthy Tones with A Pop of Color
When you think of an English cottage kitchen, you probably picture a room with dark, warm colors. A classic English-style kitchen has a lot of greens, blues, browns, and creams. If you want your kitchen to look like an English country kitchen, earthy tones, soothing colors, and warm colors that give off a soft and natural vibe can be a good place to start.
12. Simple Door Styles
Almost all of the door styles are either Shaker or modern Shaker (wider rails and stiles). Most of the time, the top drawers are flat, meaning there is no decoration on them other than the hardware. The beaded, inset door style is still considered the best, but some styles are more straightforward and don’t have any beads. The latter gives a cleaner look, but the bead is a hallmark of quality, as only higher-end cabinet makers can do that well.
13. Mantle Over Range
The mantle that is hung over the range serves as the main point in the majority of traditional English kitchens. Even if the mantle is kept simple, it makes a big impression. Some mantles are held up by corbels, while others sit on deep alcoves with shelves on either side for spices, olive oils, etc. You can show off old treasures like oil paintings or pewter trays on the mantle.
14. AGA Range
The AGA range has been the best in England for almost a hundred years. AGA ranges are made of cast iron and use radiant heat for cooking food, which is different from most American ranges. Their ranges are used for more than just cooking; they can heat the whole house. AGA ranges come in 17 colors, from pewter to pistachio, with “British Racing Green” being a popular choice.
15. Crystal Chandelier
Using a crystal chandelier as a source of light in the kitchen is typical in the English country style. This charming lighting fixture gives a bit of elegance and beauty to any place, but it’s especially useful in the kitchen, where things can become messy quickly!
16. Fancy Tea Sets
If there’s one thing in your English cottage kitchen that demands your full and undivided attention, it should be your tea set. Tea consumption holds a major cultural significance in England, and when it comes time to serve tea at home, the English like to have a diverse selection of teapots, cups, and saucers from which to pick. This is one of the more reasonably priced ideas that we have for decorating an English country kitchen. It’s uncomplicated, yet at the same time, it gives the kitchen a lot of personalities!
17. Wood Ceiling Beams
The open wooden ceiling beams that are common in English farmhouses are a characteristically rural feature of the country’s architectural style. If your kitchen contains original wood ceiling beams, leave them as they are. Beams made of rustic wood on the ceiling create an inviting and warm atmosphere in the kitchen. It has the look and feel of a country cottage and will infuse your home with unlimited character and charm.
18. Larders
Before refrigeration was invented, cold larders were used to keep food at a cooler temperature. They were often vented outside, and cheese and butter were kept cold on a marble slab. In the U.K., this idea is coming back into fashion. But even when they aren’t used for cold storage, larders are still a great addition to the kitchen. A larder is a place in the kitchen where dry and canned foods can be stored and organized. It is often tucked into a corner of the space.
