12 Design Essentials for the Perfect Country Kitchen

Today's swan-neck faucets may recall a bygone era, but there's no doubt they have more cool features than your grandmother's did! The "Annabelle" high-arc faucet from Moen features a pull-down design, burnished bronze finish, and a coordinating soap dispenser.

Related: The New Bronze Age for Fixtures

Whether used at the windows, on the table, or elsewhere in the room, cheerful fabric patterns are a must in country kitchens. Delicate plaids and checks are classic choices as are small-scale botanical prints. This pretty gingham swag from Country Curtains is available in ten color variations.

Related: 13 DIY Window Treatments to Dress Up Your Space

Beloved for the practicality of their deep, wide basins, apron-front sinks have made a comeback in contemporary kitchens. Although these sinks are still available in their most iconic style, pure white porcelain, you might choose one of several updates, including embossed patterns on the front or sleek, stainless steel.

Related: Sink Style—10 New Forms and Functions for 21st Century Kitchens

Beadboard is a remarkably versatile element in country kitchens. It might be used as wainscoting on the walls, to cover the lower part of a work island, or to line the inside of open shelves or glass-front cabinets. Although it is most often painted white, beadboard also looks wonderful when coated in a pale hue like green, yellow, or blue.

Related: How to Install Beadboard

Spindle-back chairs exude true country spirit when placed around a kitchen table. You might choose a classic icon like this Windsor design from Windsor Chairmakers, in Lincolnville, Maine, a ladderback style with woven cane seats, or a selection of mismatched flea market finds, united with a single color of paint.

Hanging lights are practical in any kitchen, and especially well suited to country interiors because of their vintage appeal. Designs range widely from metal shades in many finishes to glass shades in milky white and various colors. Recessed lighting elsewhere in the room adds illumination while allowing the pendant lights full focus.

Whether rectangular subway tile or simple squares, white tiles in a country kitchen look clean and crisp. To enliven the arrangement, play with placement or consider smaller accent tiles in a hue that coordinates with fabrics or paint colors used throughout the room.

Related: I'm Dreaming of a White…Kitchen—10 Bright Beauties to Behold

Calling all cooks, renovators, and home connoisseurs: each week, we select an interesting, innovative, or inspiring design to serve up on a platter as our Kitchen of the Week—see this week's now!