The country kitchen style has been popular for years now, but the one thing that puts a lot of people off is that they worry they have to sacrifice style over convenience. Happily, this is no longer the case because you can achieve the country look and still make it easy to clean and integrate all the amenities you would expect in today's modern kitchens. Read on to find out how.
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Mod cons and the country style can mix!
Choose a gas range
First off, the most critical item in any kitchen, modern or country style, is the oven. However, modern electric ovens with inductions plates on the top can definitely appear out of place in a shaker style kitchen and ruin the look that you are going for.
Luckily, there is another option, and it's to pick professional kitchen appliances like these dual fuel ranges that are now available. You see, they have the old-school styling of a more country kitchen with gas burners on top, but also have the option to run on electricity as well. A function that can not only be more convenient, and clean but also is something homeowners that are concerned with the environmental impact will prefer.
Integrate modern appliances
Of course, the oven isn't the only essential appliance in the kitchen, as most have dishwashers, large and even double door refrigerators, freezers, and microwaves. Some kitchens also have washers and dryers and other gadgets as well. For extra storage consider a compact chest freezer in a nearby pantry.
The problem here is that the more modern, shiny appliances you add to your kitchen the more you will be detracting for the look you are going for. That is why it is best practice to integrate any modern appliance into the build of your kitchen.
This means fitting into the layout as you would a cabinet and then have a matching door created to sit over it. This will then allow you to have as many conveniences at your disposal as you want, but also not disrupt the traditional country look you are aiming to achieve.
Choose granite worktops over wood
Another crucial element of any kitchen is are the work surfaces that you install. Thee need to both look good and be easy to clean, as well as be sturdy and long lasting. To that end, if you are going for a country style kitchen, your best bet is to skip over wood, because the repeated washing can leave them looking in poor condition very quickly.
Instead, go for something like granite which is a natural material and so should fit well with the shaker style theme, but will also be easy to keep hygienic and look great as well.
Pick a stone floor
Lastly, the element of a kitchen that can make or break the finished effect is the floor. After all, it's no good spending all your time hiding modern appliance and getting you shaker look just right, and then ending up with linoleum everywhere!
With that in mind, a stone floor is the best option here, for much the same reasons as granite is the best work surface listed above. You can even install underfloor heating if you are worried that stone will be too cold to the touch, and so achieve a functionally modern kitchen that looks both rustic and charming.
