Guide to Creating a Country Kitchen

By Jackie Dishner

Shelly Riehl David of Riehl Designs Inc. says country is a style "with multiple layers, materials and antiques." The kitchen is a great place to honor this style, as it’s the center of the home, the space where families gather, she says.

Featuring natural materials, handcrafted furniture and timeless accessories, the style is easily recognizable. Think of these touches: Copper pots hanging from a wrought iron rack; a trio of old milk bottles sitting on a shelf; an image of the American flag gracing the front of an old tin lamp; an arrangement of antique cooking appliances on the wall. And if you can imagine a large wagon wheel with a glass tabletop surrounded by wooden chairs, you’ll get a good idea of what the country style could look like in the kitchen.

"Expose the rustic," says Dennis. And include "found" pieces in the space, says Hoffman, who once turned a miner's cart into a small table. If the cabinetry is made of knotty pine, the hardware is a tarnished brass, the floors are wide-planked wood, the backsplash is made of beadboard or tumbled tiles, and a quilt or afghan is tossed over a rocking chair sitting by a wood-burning stove, you have a good idea of what a county kitchen can look like.