Home Kitchen

Update the country charm of your kitchen

If you want to update your beloved country kitchen, there are plenty of things you can do without spending a lot of money. The following ideas can help dress up your kitchen and freshen it up a bit, without making major changes like flooring, new appliances, or even new cabinets.

Starting with a clean base, making repairs is key to any successful job. If your cabinets are in good condition, but you’re tired of the same old look, consider painting or repainting them; Or how about painting just the top or just the bottom cabinets? This paint style lends itself to a country kitchen like no other design element.

Adding some hardware or changing existing hardware might be the most expensive thing you do, but it doesn’t have to be. There are many attractive and inexpensive knobs and pulls. You can think about mixing and matching different styles or go for antique glass.

Changing the backsplash is a bit more involved, depending on what you have behind the counters now. A simple painted backsplash is the easiest to upgrade. You can use old tiles or new tiles. The bead board is a tried and true field accessory. There are flexible plastic-like “tin tiles” available at home centers that can be easily cut to fit and trimmed with wood trim to match your cabinets, painted or natural. You could think of the veneer in the tradition of the old diners; wear a diamond pattern for a country look too.

Depending on the style of your cabinets, if you have paneled door fronts, you can remove the panel and insert cut-to-fit glass panels. Your local window or glass store will have a variety of glass to choose from, including sanded, seedless, and ribbed, to name just three. They would all make a huge statement in a country kitchen. I would recommend using this idea only on upper cabinets, for security reasons.

If your cabinets are in poor condition, consider removing one or two doors, leave the hole open and add baskets or bins in a material that suits your style; baskets and containers can be used to store tubers or anything suitable for an open container.

How about removing some upper cabinets all together? If you feel like your walls are too bare, add a bead board on the wall from the counter to the ceiling, then get some attractive iron brackets or rustic corbels and add some open shelving. Use the space to store your everyday dinnerware for easy access or store serving bowls and platters up high where they can be easily seen but out of the way for everyday use. If your dinnerware is colorful, displaying it is a great way to add color to your kitchen. If it’s white, try adding a pop of color to the backsplash.

Another easy solution for an updated look is to change the lamp. There are so many clever ways to make a country statement. Take a colored strainer and turn it upside down; or purchase a hanging kit, available at the home center, and create a fun and colorful accessory above your sink. Let your imagination run wild a bit here. Select an outdoor light fixture or fixture that is typically used outside of a barn; dust it off and install it, and you have an instant country look.