Farmhouse kitchens evoke a laid-back country aesthetic thanks to their charming rustic materials, retro appliances, and hardware. This guide will focus on the most essential farmhouse hardware such as the faucets, knobs, and sinks. If you want to equip your farmhouse kitchen with new hardware, there are certain guidelines you should stick to not to sway from the aesthetic. Modern design and farmhouse kitchens are not the same things and you have to be careful about essential hardware selection. We’ll layout guidelines to help you enhance the value of your farmhouse kitchen below.
Who doesn’t love to decorate their kitchen in the farmhouse style? Parts of this style can be integrated into a modern kitchen because it adds warmth and a homely feeling to every home. There are a few things necessary. For one, you need a lot of wood. You also need metals and signs. The paint should carry pastel shades. This makes the kitchen look more laid-back like in an actual country home. After you nail the big stuff down, you should move on to the hardware that makes a kitchen… well, a kitchen. That is the faucets, the knobs, and the sinks. How do you pick out a sink that works well in a farmhouse setting? What faucet is ideal for this type of kitchen? Is it all going to be expensive? Let’s delve into it:
Farmhouse Kitchen Faucets
The faucet is one of the main DYI upgrades you can make to your kitchen to add a feeling of timeless grandeur. Farmhouse kitchen faucets have a certain timeless symmetry that can make a stylish statement even in modern kitchens. You want to purchase one that combines farmhouse allure with day-to-day functionality.
If you pick the right farmhouse faucet, this can add exponential value to the layout of the kitchen and set the tone for the other items as well. Not all farmhouse faucets are designed equal, and sometimes they may be tricky to install. You can choose from hundreds of potential styles, color combinations, finishes, and features. The choices you have can also be impacted by the hardware such as the sink you already have installed. Consider purchasing a sink and a faucet at the same time, so you don’t have to individually swap them out.
How To Select The Best Farmhouse Faucet
There are few general guidelines to abide by when you’re on the market for a new faucet. In general terms, most manufacturers these days offer lifetime warranties on their faucets so it really comes down to the aesthetics and compatibility more than the actual quality. There is also the budget question because some of these can cost several hundred dollars. The style has to match the sink and the dimensions have to be compatible with the actual sink for adequate installation. Make sure you tick the following:
- Style. With farmhouse kitchen faucets, you’ll have variations from vintage styles to traditional styles to industrial styles. You can also find faucets that combine vintage and modern functionality. If you don’t know where to start, think about the sink accessories and kitchen hardware you have. Pick a faucet that matches that style.
- Dimensions. Check the size of the sink and make sure the dimensions match up. There are a few essential measurements to take here: spout height, reach required, pipe size, compatibility, etc. You can take these dimensions to Home Depot and find a matching faucet.
- Maintenance. Each faucet manufacturer will lay out a set of maintenance instructions. If you order the faucet online, you can determine which one is suitable in advance. For instance, if the faucet is compatible with homemade cleaners like vinegar, this is generally a sign of a quality farmhouse faucet.
- Assistance. Get an experienced plumber on board for a short consultation to make sure the faucet is compatible before you splurge on an expensive faucet.
Farmhouse Kitchen Sinks
Farmhouse kitchen sinks are highly esteemed in interior design. For one, they’re very spacious and provide ample space for food preparation and dish-washing. They are also very beautiful and can create a distinct look in any area they’re integrated. There are a few things you have to keep in mind about farmhouse sinks that set them apart from other sinks. Most of them are built from white porcelain which is harder to clean and can break fragile dishware easily. You’ll have to be careful about the way you place your dishware in the sink and read up a bit on porcelain maintenance.
You have a few options in regards to farmhouse sink selection. The biggest distinction is in design – there are single-bowl and double-bowl farmhouse sinks. Similar to the material, you also want to check which design is more suitable for your kitchen. Make a decision based on your cooking habits. Do you spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing food and cleaning? You may need a double-bowl sink. The double sink will allow you can touch upon the dishes while you’re preparing food in the other sink. If you cook moderately and use a dishwasher, you’ll do fine with a single large sink. Remember to check out best garbage disposal for farmhouse sink to make more use out of your kitchen.
Different rules apply if you’re trying to install a farmhouse sink in a contemporary kitchen. The most important thing to be aware of is that you may have to change your entire kitchen countertop to install this type of sink. Farmhouse sinks tend to be much wider and deeper than standard sinks. This means you’ll either have to get a handyman to adjust your current countertop, or you’ll have to replace the countertop entirely. You’ll also have to check whether the cabinets below the sink can handle the extra weight of porcelain sinks (most farmhouse sinks are porcelain or heavy stone). For this, you can get away with minor reinforcements.
Farmhouse Kitchen Knobs
Farmhouse kitchen knobs stand out because they tend to have a vintage look. They can be integrated with your current cabinet doors. The knobs are the easiest to install and you can do this on your own as a DYI project to add more charm to your kitchen. Most farmhouse knobs have a dated bronze appeal with exposed screws. Those knobs and typical farmhouse raised-panel cabinets are a match made in heaven. The bronze paint gives the wood a solid and warm feeling. An alternative to bronze knobs are mosaic-glass knobs which are typically hand-crafted in vibrant art glass.
