With its old-world charm the English country kitchen style has captured the hearts of interior designers and homeowners. It rejects the American obsession with the “all white kitchen” and introduces a more warm, traditional look with cheery colors, antiqued furniture, simpler hardware and a mix of natural materials.
Even in our smaller urban kitchens, there are ways to bring that look into our spaces without completely walking away from our American aesthetic OR spending an extra $100,000 to make it happen. Here are some elements to think about:
Cabinetry: For inspiration, leaders in this style are deVOL Kitchens and Plain English. As for specific types of cabinetry, flat panel fronts or shaker style doors are the best fit for this look.
However, unless you’re already planning on replacing your kitchen cabinets, just paint your existing cabinetry! Think historical colors of the types you find in the Farrow and Ball paint deck.
Color: Generally the trend calls for warm color palettes including greens, blush, cream and taupe. I’ve found some amazing options in Sherwin Williams’ Biome Color Pallet. Threshold Taupe (SW7501), Shiitake (SW9173) and Silvermist (SW7621) are my favorites.
Something I love about this trend is how welcoming it is to the existing Green Kitchen and Biophilic trends. Sherwin William does it again with their Expert Picked Green Color Family.
Hardware: For your plumbing fixtures and hardware, Unlacquered brass seems to be the most popular finish. I am personally not a fan of unlacquered brass, I simply dislike the patina completely aging away. However, I love the yellow tones of the many brushed brass options out there in the traditional and historically referenced styles. The Kohler Artifacts Collection, Lefroy Brooks, and Moen have a wide range of plumbing fixtures.
As for hardware, cupboard latches or cup pulls are very on trend. Emtek designs great hardware, and I especially love their cupboard latches. However, the most authentic budget option would be to use wood pulls and paint them the same as the cabinets.
Furnishing: For this trend, less is more. Think quaint! Open shelving rather than matching, bulky cabinets. Or a wooden kitchen console rather than the more common kitchen island. If you have an island, think of perhaps a different color from the cabinetry to move away from that “matchy” vibe.
There are beautiful options abound in every price point from Etsy and Wayfair up. For inspiration, here is one from Crate and Barrel that they call Basque:
Countertops and Floors: This is only necessary if you’re doing a complete transformation already. For a real English look, extend your wood floors into the kitchen. Large format distressed look porcelain tile is another great option.
As for countertops, I am a fan of low maintenance options. You can get beautiful quartz counters in matte and “leather” finishes that can complete the look for you. Another detail that will set your kitchen apart is opting for a more traditional edge trim detail. Cambria offers quartz countertops with Mesa and Cascade edges; a modern twist on a historical look!
What I love most about the English Kitchen trend is the warmth and comfort of it. And isn’t that what we want from our holistic and biophilic design trends? The kitchen is where we cook up health and wealth, after all.
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