Good, Better, Best: Creating A Farmhouse Kitchen

Some friends from high school are building a house and I’m so excited to help them create a farmhouse kitchen of their dreams. If you’ve been here before, maybe you’ll know that I started a series called “Good, Better, Best”.  It’s basically me decorating a space in layers and you buying the components when you can to make the room eventually look “best”.

Miranda sent me the layout of their kitchen, the samples of flooring, cabinetry, granite and paint (which all look awesome, by the way) and I got to work on the rest.

She said she loves Joanna Gaines and, let’s be real, who doesn’t? So with that in mind, here’s what I picked.

Good– 

Hardware.  Its kind of funny to put this into a category like “good” when its actually “necessary” but choosing hardware for a kitchen can really make or break the look you’re going for. For the drawers, I would use these great matte black cup pulls. For the cabinets, these coordinating black knobs. And I chose a faucet in the same finish. Years ago, when we redid our kitchen, we made it a point to choose a faucet that required one drilled hole into the granite. Easier to clean and less counter top clutter.
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Art. A free printable in white frames with a thick mat would add some personality to the space. You can get great frames and IKEA or Hobby Lobby. And I found adorable prints from The Cottage Market and  The Shabby Creek Cottage. They have aqua and white to choose from. If you like the little hint of color, I’d go with the aqua in a white frame with a white mat. They are made to be printed in 8×10 so buy a frame that is at least 11×14 and use a mat to make up the difference.
Table Redo. This is the table that they already own. It’s in great shape so Miranda is wanting to make it over.  Personally, I would keep the top stained. Even if you need to redo the color of the stain that’s on there, it’s the easiest finish with babies and toddlers and kids.  You could however, paint the base of the table and even the chair. I think black or grey would look great.
I love this makeover from Maple Leaves and Sycamore Trees. They planked their existing table. Just depends how much time and effort you want to spend on the makeover.
If you want to recover the chairs, I’d leave the current upholstery on underneath and choose a neutral outdoor fabric to cover them with. Something like this. It’s an outdoor fabric so it will be durable but also looks like linen..
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Also, I don’t know if you need more seating but we have these chairs for our girls and love them. They’re from ikea and they are junior chairs. They’re basically a replacement for ugly, bright colored booster seats. They are sturdy and much sweeter to look at. We have them at the ends of our table and it frees up our big people chairs when needed.  When the girls grow out of them, we can sell them or use them as plant stands. They’re pretty darn cute.
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Better–

Lighting. Lighting for a kitchen should also be under “necessary” but there are less expensive, contractor choices and then there are picks that will really lend to the modern farmhouse look that you’ve going for.

Miranda told me she needed a light for over the sink, island and eating area. It’s important to have coordinating lighting in a space so I picked matching lights for the island and sink.

First up, the island.  It looks like, from blue prints she gave me, that the island is wired for one light. This 3 light glass pendant is modern looking but the shade shape and metal accents make it a great option for a farmhouse look.  If there were only one pendant above the island it would look out of place and not balanced visually.

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Here is the matching, single pendant for over the sink. These will look great together and because it’s clear glass, won’t look heavy or stop your eye from moving around the kitchen.

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Joanna Gaines has used glass pendants very similar to these. This is even a white kitchen with black counters. So pretty.

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For over the dining table, I picked a chandelier with a farmhouse feel. It’s a little more ornate and fancy but the black metal and even the shape of the glass from the pendant light makes them coordinate well but keeps them from looking too matchy- matchy. *technical term. Ugh. I’m starting to want this kitchen..

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Bar stools.  Something industrial would look great at your island. I picked these stools. I love how they’re metal but still have warmth from the wooden seats. Make sure you get the right height.. that could be awkward : )

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Best–
Rugs. You certainly don’t need them but boy can that finish out a space. I picked this one from RugsUSA for under the kitchen table. It’s a great contrast from the flooring and a dark table and is an outdoor rug which is great for kids and dining tables. We have this same rug (different color) underneath our table and it stands the test of time. Great quality. I would get one big enough to give you at least a foot around your table, when the chairs are pushed in. Make sense? PS a couple years ago I bought this sweeper to help me keep it clean because toddlers= crumbs. Best. Purchase. Ever….said the boring adult.

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This rug coordinates without being too much pattern and would work great in between the island and the sink. AND its machine washable which makes things really easy for a high traffic, food prep area.

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Accessories. Not the most expensive on the list but also not necessary (that’s why I put them in the ‘best’ category), they can really help to pull a room together. I love this adorable tray. It adds to the farmhouse feel and brings in warm wood tones onto the black counter tops. You could use it on the island to display plants and a candle or use it as a tray for your coffee or cooking essentials or whatever else stays up on your counter tops. Mom, you buy this too. It’s cute.

Wood Edin Serving Tray
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This cup or mason jar rack would be so cute mounted on the wall, maybe that space to the right of the cabinets before the doorway? With a plant underneath?

Farmhouse Kitchen Accessories
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These awesome kitchen towels would bring in the aqua accent from the printable and give you a little pop of color. I try to buy fancy towels for display but my sweet, wonderful husband doesn’t treat them like the jewels they are…. oh well.

Aqua Mixed Print Kitchen Towels Set of 2
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Here you go Miranda! I hope you like what I’ve picked and I can’t wait to see pictures of your completed kitchen AND house!

*affiliate links used. Thanks for supporting House Homemade.

If you’re interested in a ‘Good, Better, Best’ room contact me at jessica@househomemade.us

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farmhouse kitchen design and links

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2 thoughts on “Good, Better, Best: Creating A Farmhouse Kitchen

  1. So amazing!!! I love it all! Thanks, Jessica!! I can't wait to start picking up some of these things now so they are ready when our house is finished!

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