The Key Elements For The Perfect Rustic Kitchen

A luxury rustic kitchen is a perfect option for those of us who appreciate the great outdoors and the natural world. The rustic style brings these worlds into our home by pairing sturdy natural materials with a worn aesthetic. Despite its rougher edges, the rustic style is also a paragon of quality and comfort, giving you a unique look while still also allowing you to enjoy all the best creature comforts.

When it comes time for your kitchen overhaul, a rustic kitchen layout is an option worth considering. There are a few elements that are absolutely key to capturing this style in all its detail and intricacy. These involve materials, design styles, and the hardware you choose to install.

Wood 

Wood is key to the rustic design.

The importance of wood in a luxury rustic kitchen cannot be understated. Wood on wood designs is the most common, including wood-paneled walls, rustic wood cabinets, rustic dark oak dining tables, and rustic wood cabinets — and perhaps even kitchen essentials. On top of this, it is also common to have wooden barn doors and other wooden accessories as part of the design.

Simply put, the rustic design uses a lot of wood, especially pine, oak, and other sturdy wood materials that last a long time. For the true rustic look, you should try to use as much reclaimed wood as you can since this type of wood will have the worn look that is so central to the rustic look. 

Good Lighting 

Good lighting highlights the rustic elements of the design.

A bright rustic kitchen is crucial as this is what helps the various design elements to stand out and shine. Think large windows that let in lots of sunlight and plenty of lighting in various places so that no detail is left in the dark.

When it comes to lighting, statement lighting is the way to go. By this, we mean oversized lanterns, industrial-style filament bulbs, and candelabra fixtures. These types of lighting installations both stand out and fit in well with the rustic decor. Of course, you don’t have to go for these exact lighting fixtures.

In truth, any fixture that is made of wrought iron, copper, or even reclaimed wood will fit right into the design. LED bulbs allow lighting today to be much brighter than it was before, and there are now models available that are designed to look just like classic filament bulbs. 

Exposed Beams and Log Pillars 

Exposed timber beams are synonymous with a rustic design.

Wood is as important a structural part of a luxury rustic kitchen as it is a decorative element. Structural features such as exposed beams and log pillars are key features since they provide a rustic foundation that is well complemented by accenting other wooden design details throughout the kitchen.

There is also a significant variety of wood beam types to choose from. You can use exposed beams that have been machined into straight pillars, or you can even use a natural log and benefit from the aesthetic uniqueness of naturally curving wooden pillars.  Wood beams also are essential as they will contrast nicely with your rustic lighting and complement wooden ceiling panels should you choose to install them.   

The Weathered Look 

The weathered look adds character to a rustic kitchen.

It would not be possible to recreate the rustic design accurately without the weathered look. This worn aesthetic adds character and dimension to the design as the wear lines are literally a history etched into the kitchen’s materials. Wood, stone, and metal alike bear the marks of use, telling of their history and making the kitchen itself feel individualized to the people that use it.

This aged look also gives a vintage feel to the kitchen which just adds to the natural country charm of the design. Achieving the weathered look depends on which materials you decide to use. If you use wood, reclaimed wood will already have this worn patina that makes each piece unique.

However, even metals can be made to look worn with the right technique. For example, a copper sink can be made by being hammered into shape, thus giving it a unique weathered pattern that won’t come from industrial production.

Southwestern Flair 

Spanish design cues add a unique flair to the rustic design.

The rustic look overlaps with a lot of other designs, including the country design style, farmhouse style, and even the barndominium. As such, it comes as no surprise that there’s some Southwestern flair in the design as well. Drawing from indigenous, American, and Spanish cultural influences, southwestern designs are made up of a diverse range of aesthetic elements that make for a cozy and homely atmosphere.

To capture this atmosphere in your kitchen, it is recommended that you work on a few Southwestern design details. This means using wooden Spanish trestle tables, white upholstered stools, red clay tiles for rustic backsplashes, stucco-plastered walls, and wrought iron hardware such as doorknobs, light fixtures, and railings. Naturally, wood is a big part of the design as well, and Southwestern design typically uses pine more than other wood types. 

Bursts of Color

Add some Mediterranean flair to your rustic design for extra character.

The rustic style might sound kind of brown and drab, but it actually works even better with a burst of color. Indeed, colorful rustic kitchens provide a beautiful contrast to the weathered look of the dominant color palette. Rustic cabinets and furniture, for example, can be offset with a light blue rustic backsplash or complemented with a light white marble counter.

Additionally, a beautiful striped blue rug can be used to tie all of these motifs together with rustic color. Certain colors such as bright red, sky blue, sand, terracotta, and dark green will all fit quite nicely in a rustic kitchen if incorporated into design accents.

Stone 

Natural stone backsplashes and stone countertops add layering to the design.

Stone is another essential material in a bright rustic kitchen. Aside from its great durability, the stone is also great from a design perspective because it adds visual variety to offset the weathered rustic look in a tasteful way. Natural stone comes in many random shapes that make for an eclectic yet stylish facade when they are used for walls or rustic backsplashes. It also means that each natural stone facade will be unique as no two are the same.

In fact, stone works so well in rustic designs that you could even make a rustic kitchen design that is mostly stone instead of mostly weathered wood. Natural stone rustic backsplashes can even give a boost to your home’s value since it is universally desirable. It also doesn’t hurt that stone has great value as a material thanks to how long it lasts.

Industrial Metal 

Copper, iron, and steel are perfect for a rustic kitchen.

Metal is also key to the rustic design since it makes up most of the design accents. Faucets, rustic cabinet hardware, metal stools, metal table legs, iron light fixtures, stainless steel stovetops, and even galvanized metal countertops all add a shiny edge to the rustic design.

Much like wood and stone, metal lasts a long time and will get distinctive wear patterns through regular use. Metal will also add an industrial aesthetic to your rustic kitchen which many people will like quite a lot. If you want to go the extra mile with a rustic-industrial hybrid, a metal rustic backsplash is another design detail that will make your kitchen stand out in a cool way. Metal backsplashes add a sturdy industrial feel that will make your kitchen look even more unique than all the others.  

Texture 

A diversity of materials is crucial for the design.

The most important thing for a good modern rustic kitchen design is texture. This means a combination of materials that add multiple distinct layers to the design. The layered design is important because it gives dimension and character to your kitchen that it might not otherwise have.

The best thing is to avoid the “display kitchen” look that makes your kitchen look like it belongs more in a department store rather than a house. In other words, texturing the design with stone, metal, and wood is an effective way of individualizing the design.