Farmhouse kitchen style is more popular than ever. Because of TV make-over shows like HGTV’s “Fixer Upper”, more and more people are loving the look. You can thank Chip and Joanna Gaines for the popularity of farmhouse kitchens — or blame them, if you’re not a fan.

While this type of kitchen was a “thing” before their show got popular, Joanna’s signature decorating style is what everyone seems to want these days. Could it be a reaction to the minimalist trend that we see in every magazine?

What It Is and How To Get It

Farmhouse style is traditional but not fussy, classic but not stuffy, and comfortable in a way that makes everyone feel right at home.

It’s not difficult to create your own farmhouse kitchen. Let’s take a look at the components of farmhouse kitchen style.

1.) Shaker Style Cabinetry

The Shaker style is easy to recognize with its simple frames and flat center panels. Shakers were known for their modest life style, where everything was plain, with no ornamentation. So it is with today’s Shaker door styles.

Their popularity comes from their versatility; they fit in with every possible decorating style – especially the modern farmhouse kitchen. The Shaker door works well with any cabinet style, whether inset, overlay or beaded inset.

It’s possible to get some detail on the doors, if square is too plain for your taste, by specifying a shaped outside edge and/or inside frame bead. In the example above, the Shaker door was modified by giving it wide stiles and rails.

Also, you can get beadboard center panels, wire mesh panels, or even louvered center panels that look like shutters for something really different that expresses the farmhouse style.

2.) White Painted Finish

White painted cabinets are the most popular finish for a farmhouse kitchen. But really, any neutral color, like cream, beige and gray, will work well.  Neutral colors are an important part of any modern design, and including one in your new kitchen will go a long way to creating a farmhouse kitchen-inspired style that isn’t anything like your grandma’s kitchen.

All one finish color doesn’t have to be the only option. Blue cabinets paired with white is popular, and shades of green are timeless favorites. One designer always recommends green for the kitchen because it comes it so many shades, from pale celery to dark forest, providing something for everyone’s taste.

Since the modern farmhouse kitchen is all about including time-worn features, consider a specialty finish technique for your cabinets, such as glazed, antiqued, or distressed.

They were popular with the Tuscan-style kitchens back in the 1990s but have found their way back into popularity with the upswing in farmhouse kitchen style.

Scratches, knots, and nicks add to the authenticity of the look.

3.) Shiplap

If Joanna Gaines is credited with the increased popularity of the farmhouse kitchen look, she’s also responsible for bringing shiplap to the attention of homeowners across America.

Shiplap is the rough-sawn paneling often used in barns. Homeowners are getting shiplap built into their new kitchens as island fronts and sides, as custom range hoods, and on walls.

4.) Farm Sink

A farm or apron front sink is the quintessential farmhouse kitchen element. Big, open, hefty sinks were a must on the farm to hold lots of produce fresh from the garden, babies that needed washing, chickens that needed plucking, and mountains of dishes and pots used to cook for hungry farm hands.

Often made of fireclay and cast iron, they can also be made from many other materials, such as copper, zinc and stainless steel. Apron front sinks are charming and utilitarian.

5.) Wood Countertops

Butcher block countertops are practical and add a natural material into your new space. In addition to butcher block, all forms of rustic wood are acceptable in today’s farmhouse kitchen style.

If an entire kitchen full of butcher block is too much butcher block for you, it can be installed on just the island, or by the stove top.

6.) Beadboard

Beadboard is a farmhouse kitchen classic. It can be used on walls, ceilings, wainscot panels and as center panels in doors.

It can be the main focus of the room or an accent only.

7.) Open Shelves

Once upon a time, kitchens had nothing but open shelving for storing dishes. Then along came enclosed wall cabinets, and that style has remained constant until now, when the resurgence of the farmhouse kitchen style has created a demand for open shelves.

You know what they say: what’s old is new again.

8.) Glass Front Cabinets

Glass front cabinets used to be a luxury, but now these cabinets have become a part of the farmhouse kitchen style. You can get a “down home” style in your kitchen design by specifying glass front cabinets.

In addition to being beautiful, they serve a function by breaking up the monotony of a repetitive run of cabinet fronts. Plus you can display decorative dishes and/or cherished keepsakes.

Cabinets with glass in the doors creates an illusion of depth that makes smaller spaces seem larger.

9.) Wood, Wood and More Wood

Wood is an essential element for today’s farmhouse kitchen style. Think hardwood floors with wide planks and exposed beams on the ceiling.  

Hardwood floors are easy to maintain and they are extremely durable. Even though time leaves its marks on the floors, it only gives them character and patina. 

The atmosphere in a farmhouse kitchen is always more warm and inviting when there are exposed wooden beams on the ceiling. Whether they stand out and contrast with the background color or blend in, they make the room feel very cozy.

10.) Vintage-Inspired Items

Every farmhouse kitchen incorporates vintage-inspired items. Chalkboards work well with the rustic feeling.

You can have a chalkboard center panel in a cabinet or two., or chalkboard can be the front of an island, perfect for children who need a place to get creative. Formica now makes a writable chalkboard surface that fills the bill quite nicely.

Another rustic, vintage-inspired feature that fits in with today’s farmhouse kitchen style is the “X” cross piece on an island end.

11.) Barn Doors

In farmhouse kitchen design, the best accents are ones that also serve a function, so look for items that not only look good but are useful as well. Sliding barn doors can be substituted when you don’t have space for a regular interior door that opens out into the room.

Also, they look great, and what says “farmhouse style” more than barn doors?

Are Farmhouse Style Kitchens Here To Stay?

So, where’s the trend headed? Should we even call it a “trend” if it has as much staying power as it’s proven to possess so far?

If the past few years are any indication, farmhouse kitchens are here to stay.

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KDP exists to offer insight and advice about all things related to kitchen remodeling. Our goal is to connect homeowners with talented, experienced kitchen designers who live and work in their communities. We are a serious resource for anyone preparing to remodel their kitchen so they can make the best possible choices about designers, contractors and products.