How to Create Modern Farmhouse Kitchen
Hi Friends, if we haven’t met before, my name is Kristin! I’m an interior designer, mom of three, and a serious consumer of Rice Krispie treats…especially anytime after my kid’s bedtime. Because I know what it is like to be a busy multi-tasker, like YOU probably are, I created Postbox Designs . I exclusively do Interior E-Design to custom design rooms for my fabulous clients all over the country. After designing their room, I create a Room-Inside-A-Box full of their drawings, floor plans, shopping lists, and material samples and send it right to their doorstep. And while I work on every room of the house, today I have Kitchens on my mind! I have spent 13 years as a kitchen designer, working on everything from budget kitchens to six figure kitchens. And through all of the years I have learned a lot of tricks about how to make a kitchen look great on a budget. And today I want to share those tips and tricks with you guys. I created THREE different custom Mood Boards to share with you all today. I’m going to show you how to create a beautiful Modern Farmhouse kitchen, plus a bonus DIY island tutorial.
But in my spare time, I am a monthly contributor to Remodelaholic, which is the GO TO place for all things budget friendly design and fabulous DIY projects. So take a quick second and check out all of their amazing ideas. This month I shared this Budget Friendly Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Design with their readers. You can check out the original blog post complete with inspirational kitchens and a whole lot more info on creating your perfect kitchen!
Elements to Include in a Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Design
Today I’m going to share a custom Modern Farmhouse Kitchen design I created for my original Remodelaholic post.
I’m sharing the entire Free “Shop This Room” Guide + Shopping List for this Modern Farmhouse Kitchen…scroll to the bottom of this post to see how to grab it for yourself.
Rustic Wood Cabinets
I know white kitchens rule Pinterest, and I love them too. But I want to show you a different way you can achieve the rustic Farmhouse Kitchen look without going all white. Instead try a rustic stained wood such as Hickory or Chesnut (Item #11). The lighter the stain, the more natural variations you will see in the wood. Conversely, the darker the stain, the more these knots and graining will blend in. You can go with all stained wood cabinets in your kitchen. Or, just use it as an accent like in this island, or in a special section such as built-in, or coffee bar.
Open Shelves
Yup, open shelves just ooze Farmhouse Kitchen style. I love using floating wood shelves such as these (Item #7), or you can add some metal corbels underneath. Open shelves are also the perfect place to add some decorative touches to your kitchen. In my Farmhouse Kitchen Mood Board I created for you guys, I’m showing adding some decorative items such as a cake plate (Item #8) and leaning some black and white framed photos casually against your shelves. I would sprinkle in a few decorative touches into functional items, such as displaying your dishes or a collection. In my own kitchen I show off my collection of white cake plates on my open shelves!
Matte Black Metals
I love using a black matte finish for a Modern Farmhouse Kitchen. I used it in both the sconces (Item #3) and in the industrial kitchen faucet (Item #9). My clients often ask me “Can I mix finishes in a kitchen?” and my resounding answer is YES! In fact, I almost always mix at least two finishes when I’m designing a kitchen or a bathroom. It gives a more layered look and keeps you away from that “matchy-matchy” look if everything is the same metal finish. In this Modern Farmhouse Kitchen I added in some trendier pops of gold in the cabinet hardware (Item #15) and gold pedant lights (Item #17).
Light Marble Type Countertops
I remember years ago as a Kitchen designer loving the look of Cararra marble, but I would never put it in a client’s kitchen. Real marble is very porous which means it easily stains and etches. However, brilliant quartz countertop companies eventually came up with a way to mimic marble countertops while creating a durable and stain resistant material. These light marble-esque countertops with light gray veining in a beautiful way to accent a Modern Farmhouse Kitchens. Don’t love the look? Butcherblock countertops, light grays/tans/and cream countertops, or even a stainless steel countertop would also work beautifully.
Create a DIY Kitchen Island Tutorial
To add some color to our Farmhouse Kitchen design I’m showing a deep navy island. You can order cabinets already in a navy color, or you can create a DIY island…and I’m going to show you how below!
Painting Your Island Cabinet
For our DIY island tutorial I started with some simple Shaker style cabinets. You can either match the style of the rest of your kitchen cabinets, or use a different cabinet style for your island. You can use unfinished cabinets or paint over existing ones. Need a cabinet painting tutorial? Here is a great one to get you started from Remodelaholic: How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinet In a Weekend For this DIY island, I used Sherwin William’s “Indigo Batik” (Item #20) for a rich, deep navy. I would recommend using semi-gloss or gloss paint for your island, as it will be a lot easier to wipe clean.
Budget Friendly Island Countertop
One of the most economical ways to add a countertop in your kitchen is with a butcherblock (Item #13) kitchen countertop. They are both inexpensive and beautiful, and with a few tips you can keep them looking beautiful. Want to learn how to make your own wood countertop…using wood floor material? Check it out: a DIY Butcherblock Countertop Tutorial
Add Some Bling to Your DIY Island
The very best way to glam up inexpensive cabinets is to add an amazing, eye-catching cabinet pull. While these gold hex cabinet pulls (Item #15) might be a bit more expensive than some others (but still a steal at $10/each), you will only need a few of them, so I think they are worth every penny. To further glam up an inexpensive cabinet door, you can add a bit of style with these gold L-brackets (Item #12) . Place in the corner of each cabinet to mimic the Campaign style and add some extra flair. I wouldn’t do this in your entire kitchen, but adding to a single piece of furniture, or a focal point such as your island will go a long way. And to pull in that gold color, I also paired it with these inexpensive (around $50 each) gold light pendants (Item #17).
Make Your Island Functional
You can add a little extra function to your island by making the use of it’s sides. I used a gold bathroom towel bar (Item #14) attached to the side of the island for a DIY kitchen towel holder. Install on the side of your island and you can hang your towels (Item #19) for easy access.
Create An Eat-In Island: The Dimensions You Need to Know
Want an island you can snack at? I love it! There are just a few dimensions to keep in mind if you want to use your kitchen island for eating. You will want a minimum of a 12” overhang and maximum of 18” overhang. And you will need corbels or cabinets for support of your overhang. If you are going to be eating actual meals at your island, I would suggest 15-18”. You also want to allow a minimum of 24” for each person to comfortably eat. You can always go more, especially if you will have larger barstools.
Island typically are at one of two heights: 36” high (standard kitchen cabinet height), or 42” high (typically called bar height). Either is fine-it is completely your preference. However, you want to make sure you get the right barstools for your countertop height! Typically bar stool seat heights between 24-27” will work well for your 36” high counters. Bar stool seat heights between 28”-33” will work for the taller 42” bar height counters.
If you are tight on space, choose a backless barstool such as these bright yellow metal ones (Item #21). They will fit right under your overhang when not in use. And a bonus tip, coming from a Mom of three: skip the rattan or fabric stools if you have small children. Stick with metal, wood, or even vinyl bar stools.
Get the Free Shopping List + Guide for this Modern Farmhouse Kitchen
I have all three of these Mood Boards, including this DIY Kitchen Island located in my FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY. Included are the sources for everything you see, so you can simply click and buy what you love. When you sign up for my Free Resource Library you will get full access to these as well as the dozens of other Design Freebies in there. Inside you will find FREE Design Guides, Shopping Lists, and Mood Boards for just about every room of your house. Just click on the image below to sign up, and you will get an email with your password and instructions for accessing everything.
I hope you got inspired to create some budget friendly beauty in your new or existing kitchen. Use now or save these ideas for later when you are ready to tackle your project. A huge thanks to the entire Remodelaholic team for letting me share this blog post originally on their site. You can find out more about How Online Interior Design Works or drop me an email at kristin@postboxdesigns.com and we can chat all about Y-O-U and your project.
Cheers, Kristin
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