This post is sponsored by HomePop, but as always, opinions are all my own.
Looking to give your kitchen a bit of the farmhouse flair? These 18 must-have for decorating a farmhouse kitchen will help you transform your space on a budget!
In case you hadn’t heard, farmhouse kitchens are a quite trendy and continue to increase in popularity.
You see them all over the place in the media – like on Fixer Upper and all sorts of Instagram accounts – and there is constantly new decor coming out in support of the farmhouse style.
I love the farmhouse style and routinely change up my decor to get a bit more of the modern, rustic flair.
If you’re thinking about adding some farmhouse style to your home, then this post will be a great starting point for designing your dream farmhouse kitchen!
Our Farmhouse Kitchen Transformation
To begin, I’m going to take you on a quick tour of our farmhouse kitchen transformation and then I’m going to share with you the 18 farmhouse kitchen decor ideas we believe are must-haves for creating a fabulous farmhouse kitchen.
Before
When we first moved into our home, the kitchen was truly dysfunctional.
No only was there a large wall separating the kitchen from the dining room, making the kitchen feel quite small, but the open space in the middle of the kitchen was just large enough that it was really difficult to work on both sides of it at the same time.
In addition, the previous owners decided it would be a good idea to install light pink cabinets. Yes, you read that right, the cabinets were PINK!
Here’s a look at how it was when we bought the house:
The wall on the right, with the fridge and stove on it, separated the front of the house (the dining room) from the kitchen and made this back half of the house very dark.
We quickly decided to take out the main wall down the center of the house and rearrange the kitchen to give a more open concept and accommodate an island.
To make the project budget-friendly, we reused all the cabinetry (and painted it ourselves), built our own island (out of a cabinet and a pre-built counter top) and installed our own hardwood floors (which also came from a discount site!)
After
And, here’s how the kitchen looks now:
Pretty crazy difference, right?!
Now, let’s talk about the farmhouse style for a minute. Two of the most common versions are rustic farmhouse and modern farmhouse.
I’d say our kitchen is a mix of the two, and here’s why.
Rustic vs Modern Farmhouse Style
What is rustic farmhouse style?
The rustic farmhouse style is typically a light mono-chromatic (meaning all light colors) theme with lots of vintage and industrial elements.
Think of white cabinets with light hardware, wood counter tops, linen towels, cream and wood stools.
Then pair that with very rustic elements, like brick backsplash, wood shelves, vintage metal baskets and bins.
What is modern farmhouse style?
The modern farmhouse style still uses the vintage and industrial elements like the rustic farmhouse style, but it tends to do that in a more high-contrast way.
Think lots of light colors paired with dark colors. For example, white cabinets with black hardware. Or dark painted cabinets with white counter tops.
The modern farmhouse style also tends to use wood as an accent rather than a majority.
So, as you can see, my kitchen is definitely a mix of the two, but with a lean towards the modern farmhouse style. 😉
I hope these easy and affordable farmhouse kitchen decorating ideas help you transform your kitchen like we have!
18 Farmhouse Kitchen Ideas on a Budget
I am so excited to show you what we’ve found to be the necessities for decorating a farmhouse kitchen!
If you’ve been craving that farmhouse feel in your kitchen, then these 15 ideas are the best way to get it.
1. Painted Cabinets
I know, I know, having stained wood cabinets is a big thing for some people, but if you want the farmhouse look, you really should consider painted cabinets.
White is one of the most popular colors, because it makes the space feel both brighter and larger.
Because we have young children, we chose to do two-toned cabinets, with white on top and grey on the bottom, to help minimize the issues with our kids getting the lower cabinets dirty!
2. Apron-Front Sink
Large, apron front sinks are a staple in the farmhouse decorating ideas for a kitchen.
It doesn’t have to be white either – there are some really neat copper and stainless ones too!
3. Open Shelves
Open shelves are almost always found in a farmhouse kitchen!
Use them to display dishes, decor or a hidden charging station.
4. Industrial Lights
I’m a huge fan of statement light fixtures, and think it’s very important that your lights add style to the space.
For the farmhouse look, go for something industrial – this could be clear glass with edison bulbs (like ours above the island), metal cages (like ours above the sink) or even the popular square wood-framed lights.
5. Butcher Block
Old, true farmhouse kitchens typically had some form of butcher block in them.
It’s very good at adding the rustic, warm wood tones to the space.
Try adding a single counter top of butcher block or even a large cutting board on top of your existing counters!
6. Brick
I love brick. No only does it add color and texture, but it also adds more of the vintage/rustic feel!
We added a faux brick backsplash in our modern, rustic farmhouse kitchen – but you could easily add small other brick accents if you didn’t want that much brick in yours.
You could also white-wash the faux brick if you didn’t want the red coloring in your space.
Or try making a DIY farmhouse sign with a faux brick back!
7. Stylish Stools
If you have any in-kitchen eating spaces – like an island, peninsula, bar, or breakfast nook, then farmhouse style stools are a must!
We recently got these buffalo check stools for our island from HomePop and they’re fabulous!
They’re super comfortable and the buffalo check pattern adds the perfect touch of farmhouse to the center of our kitchen.
HomePop makes all sorts of stylish, affordable stools and sells them on some of your favorite sites like Target and Overstock, so be sure click here to check them out if you’re in the market for some new ones!
We also have some basic metal stools at the peninsula for even more seating!
8. Rustic Fabrics
Like I just mentioned, buffalo check is one of my favorite farmhouse style fabrics (see all of HomePop’s buffalo check products here) and we’ve got that pattern on our stools as well as our curtains in the adjoining family room!
Other popular farmhouse fabrics are linen, grain sack, stripes, and gingham.
9. High-Contrast Hardware
If you’re going for the modern farmhouse look, try installing hardware in a contrasting color to your cabinets.
This includes your sink faucet and the drawer pulls and cabinet knobs.
I’m a huge fan of the black hardware, especially on painted cabinets!
10. Greenery & Flowers
One of the most important elements in the farmhouse decor style is foliage.
Whether that’s green plants (like the simple one I place on our kitchen island) or fresh flowers (like the ones on our sink) every farmhouse kitchen needs plants of some sort!
Don’t worry about having to have a green thumb – I’m AWFUL with plants and have found that many faux plants are just as lovely as the real thing. 😉
11. Accent Island
Add some fun contrast to your space by painting your island a different color than your base cabinets.
This could be a color found elsewhere in the space (like ours) or it could be a whole different color you want to bring into the room.
In our prior home, we had white uppers and lowers throughout the main kitchen and then a dark charcoal colored island.
Or, give the island a different counter top than the rest of the kitchen!
Use the island as a fun, focal point in the space by giving it distinct character different from the rest of the surrounding kitchen.
12. Vintage Decor
Add vintage decor to your kitchen for more of the farmhouse flair.
We have lots of vintage decor in our open shelving – a vintage scale, an old speaker, a chicken-feeder plate rack, and even some vintage blush glassware!
13. Extra Details
I love adding unexpected, extra details to a space. Like the corbels in the corners of our kitchen window, the legs on our island, or even the wood trim on the outside of our island cabinet.
Try adding some fun, extra details to your space – is there a place for a large “X” on the side of a cabinet? Or a spot for some corbels? Maybe add crown moulding?
14. Rustic Containers
Rustic containers are a great way to add storage and style to your kitchen!
Use vintage, metal bins or baskets, wooden bowls, or even old boxes or crates.
We use an old metal jug for our large serving utensils on the counter next to the stove and a wood bowl for our fresh fruits and veggies!
15. Wood Decor
Like I mentioned above, wood is a very important element in a farmhouse kitchen.
Add as much of it as you can – with bowls, cutting boards, signs, and more!
16. Vintage Rug
A lot of time is spent standing in a kitchen, so treat yourself to something cozy and stylish with a vintage rug!
I love the vintage patterned style because, not only does it fit in nicely with the farmhouse style, but it also hides stains really well. 😉
Choose one that incorporates your main colors but also adds a bit of fun flair to the space.
17. Coffee Bar
Having a designated coffee bar or coffee station is one of the most popular farmhouse style kitchen decor elements.
Try adding shiplap, a fun industrial metal mug rack, or a wood sign to the space for some added farmhouse style!
Not a coffee drinker? Create a “tea station” or “drinks bar” instead!
RELATED: HOW TO PAINT SHIPLAP – THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
18. Phrase or Saying Sign
Signs with a fun saying or phrase are one of the most popular items when it comes to farmhouse decor for a kitchen.
We have a few – the “EAT” over our stove and the coffee sign above our coffee bar as shown above.
To save on cost, try making these kinds of signs!
So, what do you think of these 18 easy ideas for decorating a farmhouse kitchen?
Obviously I love them, because I used all of them in OUR kitchen! 😉
Let me know in the comments which you plan to try, and be sure to check out all of the fabulous accent furniture from my partners at HomePop!
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The kitchen is looking bright and spacious! Loved it very much!
We built it ourselves out of a base cabinet, stair newels and a pre-fab butcher block counter top!
Where did you get the Island?
We did a color match to French Linen by Annie Sloan!
Looks amazing! In the process of painting now. What color grey did you use for your cabinets?
The Kitchen is looking amazing. I was not ready to re-invest my kitchen, but now I think that I should start thinking about renovating my kitchen. I really like the combination of black & white in the kitchen. I really want to use that combination for my kitchen as well. The other farmhouse ideas are also very innovative and creative. Thank you for sharing this great blog. Keep up the good work.
The Kitchen is looking amazing. I was not ready to re-invest my kitchen, but now I think that I should start thinking about renovating my kitchen. I really like the combination of black & white in the kitchen. I really want to use that combination for my kitchen as well. The other ideas are also very innovative and creative. Thank you for sharing this great blog. Keep up the good work.
Your kitchen looks awesome. Plan on “re-inveting” mine during the long, cold New England winter! Going to combine, black, whie and beige, 2″ white wood blinds on kitchen window, and not quite sure yet about french doors to deck? Ideas?