The farmhouse kitchen is a timeless classic that never seems to go out of style.
With its rustic charm and cozy ambiance, the farmhouse kitchen brings a warm and inviting feel into any home.
With detailed descriptions and decorating tips, you’ll find plenty of inspiration to give your kitchen a stylish update while still retaining that classic farmhouse vibe.
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Display Vintage China on Open Shelves
One way to infuse vintage flair into your farmhouse kitchen is to display antique or vintage china on open shelves.
The key is opting for open shelving rather than traditional upper cabinets.
This allows you to exhibit your china while adding charm and character to your kitchen.
Aim for an eclectic mix of plates, teacups, and serving platters.
If you don’t have your own vintage china, you can find great deals at flea markets, antique shops, or secondhand stores.
Mix and match patterns, colors, and styles for visual interest.
Add interest by stacking plates or cups at different heights or propping up a cup or two.
Style tip: For a unified look, display china in one section of open shelving or over the sink.
You can also distribute your china throughout the kitchen.
Just be sure to style collections with intention, repeating colors or other elements.
The key to nailing this look is to avoid appearing cluttered.
Style your china collections thoughtfully and purposefully for a curated loo
The final effect should feel like a vintage style exhibit meant to be admired.
Open shelving showcasing an artful china display adds striking visual impact to any farmhouse kitchen.
Wooden Crates for Rustic Storage
Incorporating wooden crates into your kitchen design is an easy way to add vintage farmhouse character on a budget.
Crates make charming storage containers – use them to corral fruits and vegetables, store baking essentials, or hold cleaning supplies.
For fruits and veggies, opt for flat crates and line them with a towel or liner to absorb moisture.
Stack them on countertops, islands, or dining tables as attractive seasonal displays.
For cupboard organization, sturdy wooden crates can neatly hold packaged foods, dishes, or utensils.
Label them with chalkboard tags or stenciled lettering for a personalized touch.
For a cohesive look, stain your crates in a finish that coordinates with your existing kitchen cabinets.
Aged, distressed crates offer extra vintage appeal.
You can also repurpose crates as charming open shelving by mounting them on walls.
For easy access to cooking staples like oils and spices, mount smaller crates near appliances.
Tip: Pick up old wooden crates at yard sales, flea markets, or secondhand stores.
For a custom look, distressed new crates yourself using sandpaper and wood stain.
Repurposed Furniture Finds
Finding and repurposing flea market or antique store furniture is a creative way to attain that chic, vintage look in your farmhouse kitchen on a budget.
Keep an eye out for sideboards, hutches, dressers or kitchen carts you can adapt into kitchen storage and functionality.
For example, an antique sideboard buffet with glass cabinet doors could become a charming dining area hutch for showing off china.
Repurpose a cast-off kitchen cart as a movable island with storage and workspace.
An old dresser can become kitchen cabinetry with a distressed paint job.
Look for furniture made from materials that coordinate with your kitchen, like wood, metal, or marble tops.
Pay attention to potential “problem spots” in your kitchen layout and find creative ways to incorporate furniture that solves these issues.
A long, narrow hutch can fill an awkward empty wall space.
A sturdy kitchen cart on wheels brings flexibility to a cramped galley kitchen.
Don’t overlook pieces that need some TLC.
Sanding, painting, and replacing old hardware can give old furniture new life.
The imperfections and repairs add to the vintage charm.
By incorporating reimagined antiques, you can achieve the vintage style you love on a decorating budget.
Fresh Take on Vintage Signage
Vintage-inspired signage and typography add oodles of farmhouse character to any kitchen.
But why not put a fresh spin on this classic decorating idea?
Instead of expected farmhouse phrases like “farm fresh eggs,” get playful and display fun, punchy text for a modern take.
Try framing a piece of typography art that fits your personality.
Or create your own artwork displaying your family name in bold vintage-style lettering.
You can easily design something yourself with readily available fonts on graphics sites and programs.
Another idea is to display lighthearted food-related quotes, lyrics, or poem excerpts around your kitchen.
For example: “She fried up some chicken and biscuits, and then she made gravy from scratch” or “After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody, even one’s relations.”
Tip: Frame your creations and hang them gallery style down a wall, above doorways, or above your sink and stove.
Opt for simple black frames so the words take center stage.
With this decor concept, you can incorporate trendy farmhouse signage while making it distinctly you.
The personalized, unexpected phrases will put smiles on family and guests’ faces.
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Unique Backsplashes
While standard subway tile is a farmhouse staple, unique vintage-inspired backsplashes breathe new life into the traditional kitchen aesthetic.
Some creative backsplash options include:
-Antique tin ceiling tiles: Cover walls behind countertops or ranges with real antique embossed tin ceiling tiles.
Their intricately patterned, aged patina is striking.
-Repurposed china: Create a collage using a collection of mismatched vintage china plates, cups, or trays.
Arrange them in an artful design and affix to walls with adhesive.
-Mosaic tile: Choose tiles with classic motifs like geometric shapes or floral designs.
Penny round mosaics offer a vintage vibe.
Install them in eye-catching patterns.
-Wallpaper: Use removable wallpaper printed with retro inspired prints.
Florals, geometric, or subtle patterns work nicely.
Whatever you choose, pick up one or two accent colors from the backsplash to carry throughout the rest of the kitchen.
The gorgeous focal point will bring your farmhouse space to life!
Curated Gallery Wall
Gallery walls crammed full of framed photos and art are a staple farmhouse decorating idea.
For a more curated, styled look, apply the minimalist design trend to your farmhouse kitchen gallery display.
Carefully select just a few meaningful antique photos, prints, or pieces that reflect your tastes.
Arrange them asymmetrically on your wall with plenty of breathing room surrounding each piece.
You want the display to look artfully styled, not haphazardly cluttered.
Include some key elements:
-Vintage family photos
-Botanical or floral prints
-Antique cookbook pages or utensil illustrations
-Framed handwritten recipes
-Black and white imagery
The goal is to evoke a sense of nostalgia and tradition while still feeling fresh and designed.
Limit your color palette and reuse coordinating frames to achieve a collected yet curated look.
This thoughtful approach makes your gallery wall feel special versus busy.
Unexpected Colors
When decorating a farmhouse kitchen, people often stick to traditional color schemes like white, wood tones, black, and red.
Why not get creative and incorporate some unexpected, vibrant colors for a fun twist?
Some ideas:
-Turquoise lower cabinets: Make a bold statement by painting lower cabinets in a soft turquoise or robin’s egg blue.
Pair with white uppers for pleasing contrast.
-Mustard yellow island: Painting your kitchen island in a muted yellow hue like mustard adds retro flair.
Tie in accents like yellow mixing bowls and a SMEG fridge.
-Sage green shaker cabinets: For a trendy yet timeless look, opt for sage green cabinets.
Contrast them with marble counters and gold accents.
-Navy blue range: Navy is having a decorating moment.
Painting the range hood, oven, and lower cabinets surrounding the range in a deep navy color packs visual impact.
Colorful tiles, window treatments, and decor accessories let you incorporate multiple shades for a layered look.
Just make sure your color scheme still feels cohesive.
Bold color choices give the farmhouse kitchen an energetic and current twist!
Window Treatments
Don’t overlook the power of window treatments to amplify the vintage style of your farmhouse kitchen.
Cafe curtains, roman shades, and valances are perfect options to outfit farmhouse windows.
Crisp white cafe curtains trimmed with ribbon or trim have a wonderful old-fashioned charm.
For built-in shelving or banquettes, frame out the window with a DIY valance made from burlap, ticking stripes, or floral fabric.
Roman shades offer clean lines and a tailored look.
Select soft linen in muted solids or subtle patterns.
For a romantic cottage feel, hang pretty lace sheers alongside other window treatments.
Consider tying in colors or patterns from elsewhere in your kitchen, like turquoise cafe curtains to complement turquoise lower cabinets.
Mixing and matching window treatments in each window can make the space feel collected over time.
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Rustic Wooden Signs
One of the easiest ways to infuse farmhouse style into your kitchen involves incorporating rustic wooden signs.
Handmade signs add homespun appeal while often relaying charming sentiments.
Some signage ideas include:
-A sign reading “Farm Fresh Eggs” or “Fresh Honey for Sale” hung near your back door.
-A family name sign made from reclaimed barn wood above your kitchen table.
-Quotes or blessings painted or printed on wooden boards like “Give Thanks” or “Bless this Mess.”
-Framed chalkboard signs where you can write seasonal messages with chalk or marker.
Look for signs crafted from aged wood, galvanized metal, or slate chalkboard.
Seek unique shapes featuring distressed edges.
Display them on walls, propped on shelves or mantles, or hung from railings or hooks.
Tip: Check out Etsy or local craft fairs to discover makers creating charming, customizable signs.
You can often request special phrases to personalize your decor.
Vintage-Style Lighting
Nothing sets the mood like lighting.
To imbue vintage farmhouse allure, use lighting fixtures that nod to bygone eras.
For pendants, look for untreated woven rope and woven wood basket pendants featuring Edison style bulbs.
Wrought iron fixtures with frilly filigree details also evoke a vintage vibe.
For sconces, opt for antique brass or carved wood armed sconces fitted with candelabra bulbs.
Position them flanking windows or above kitchen cabinets.
Multi-globed chandeliers work wonders over kitchen islands or dining spaces.
Seek out chandeliers featuring antique elements like curved arms, draped crystals, or warm metals.
You can mix vintage style lighting with modern elements like exposed Edison bulbs and streamlined silhouettes.
The key is selecting light fixtures with touches of old-world character.
Beautifully Display Houseplants
Incorporating houseplants is an on-trend way to bring life and vibrancy into your farmhouse kitchen.
Displaying plants in artistic ways (versus haphazardly sitting them on countertops) can make them feel like an intentional part of your decor scheme.
Some tips:
-Hang trailing plants like ivy or philodendrons in macrame or woven hangers near windows.
The dangling greenery makes a living valance.
-Tuck petite succulents, cacti, or air plants into open terrariums, hanging glass globes, or vintage teacups on open shelves.
-Group assorted plants on a kitchen hutch, buffet, or tabletop.
Use plant stands like stools, crates, or ladders at varying heights for dimension.
-Bring nature inside by displaying cut herbs like rosemary and thyme in jars, bottles, or galvanized buckets.
Take advantage of ample natural light in the farmhouse kitchen to showcase flourishing greenery.
The interplay between collections of houseplants, antique vessels, and vintage decor is so inviting!
Framed Vintage Kitchen Linens
Here’s a crafty decorating idea for displaying beloved vintage kitchen linens without hiding them away inside drawers.
Frame hand-embroidered flour sack towels, delicate tea towels, or your grandmother’s monogrammed dish towels.
Choose simple frames that don’t distract from the details of the linens.
Group framed vintage linens together in collage-style arrangements.
Hang them gallery style down hallways or display them prominently right in your farmhouse kitchen.
Not only does framing protect fragile linens, but it transforms them into works of art!
The farmhouse kitchen endures as a perennial favorite because of its comfortable elegance and timeworn character.
Breathing new life into this classic design means layering in creativity, personal style, and unique vintage elements.
Keep the vintage finds coming by shopping flea markets, antique havens, and your grandmother’s attic for treasures.
Display them artfully alongside modern upgrades like bold colors and typographic art.
The result is sure to be a welcoming, vintage-inspired kitchen space your family and friends will adore gathering in for years to come.
