As everybody knows, there’s something delightful about the British country lifestyle. It’s a mysterious combination of scent, homeliness, tradition, and worry-free living that has the ability to transport us to a simpler time before life was about beating the commute and watching the clock.

While your choices of décor, design, and appliances are important for every room in your country home, the kitchen is arguably where they’ll make the most impact on your lifestyle. So, put the kettle on and get ready to look through some features that will bring out the best in your country kitchen. 

The Rustic Kitchen Dining Bench

If your country home is large, there’s no reason to not have a formal dining room for entertaining. However, no matter the size of your country home, installing a simple, traditional dining bench in the kitchen is an instant evocation of a simpler time. 

Kitchen dining benches are great for getting family and friends together in a relaxed setting, while the addition of some cushions and a matched table-runner can easily add a splash of colour. Country kitchens should be about simplicity and family, and a dining bench achieves this with ease.

Get Weathered

To truly transport your kitchen back in time, kick out anything that adds a sleek, modernist sheen. Reclamation yards often have vintage floorboards that can leave your kitchen looking delightfully worn, while adding old-fashioned taps and salvaged stone tiles to your bench area can add warmth and homeliness. Even adding artful wear to a handful of features will make your kitchen feel delightfully lived in.

The Freestanding Fuss-Free Island Flow

To create a clever flow that promotes interaction, place an island in the centre of your kitchen where you can engage with family while preparing meals or join them for a board game on a Sunday afternoon. Leave the bottom of the island exposed for your rustic pots and pans and hang a few around the kitchen on hooks, as country kitchens should look loved, not fussy. 

To truly make the most of your kitchen space, add a soft leather armchair with some cookbooks or magazines nearby and hook an old ladder to the wall. It may sound messy on paper, but it can look delightful when artfully arranged.

A Belfast Sink

These gorgeous, chunky sinks are wonderful in their utilitarian approach, and can take the edge off the most onerous of dishwashing duties. Belfast sinks can be softened with some potted herbs and a window to let in the light, but are just as beautiful on their own-especially when the kids are doing the washing up.

A Warm Spot for the Aga

Nothing says ‘country’ like a classic cooker, and the Aga is arguably the most beautiful British heritage cooker around. Even if you don’t want an Aga, there are plenty of similar brands that offer an array of colours on the surface and an army of features beneath their humble exterior. 

You can choose to keep your cooker neutral in tone if you wish, but there’s no reason why you can’t opt for tones such as pistachio, rose, or deep crimson. You can even control some classic looking cookers via app, bringing the convenience of Smart technology into the most classic of settings. 

Get Exposed

By this we mean your beams of course. It doesn’t matter whether they’re weathered or polished, exposed beams can add the finishing touch to any country kitchen. Better still, they offer the perfect place to hang your pots, pans, and other assorted implements of culinary creativity. This feature alone can turn your country kitchen into an object of charm.

Be Proud of Your Panelling

Traditional tongue-and-groove touches tell of an era when everything was done with care and all kitchens, not to mention the cuisine created within them, was crafted with artful perfection. Even a small tongue-and-groove panel with a pegged shelf for the everyday teacups will raise a smile to the most cynical of hearts. 

Worn, whimsical, but always warm, the country kitchen will always hold a place in British tradition. It only takes a few touches to transform yours to something from another time. Welcome home.

For more information on how to create a country kitchen, get in touch with our expert team on 01280 821 002 or email us at sales@willowbankjoinery.co.uk.