The American Country Kitchen
Posted: Saturday, July 29, 2006
by Tom Watson
They are the center of family life. Everything in the country kitchen seems to look and feel comfortable. It is where people seem to spend most of their waking hours at home. Everyone, whether in a log cabin, farmhouse, suburban ranch, inner city house or luxury high rise, strive to capture the warmth, flavor, feeling and fragrance of an American Country Kitchen.
Recipes are passed down from generations. Cooking tools and utensils as well. The coffee pot seems never to be empty. The sensuous aroma of cinnamon and spices fill the air. Grandma’s famous biscuits, cookies or pies are in the oven. What a feeling of heart and home! Its like an invitation for everybody to stop and stay for awhile.
There is definitely a yearning in all our hearts for a country kitchen as the one described. If your kitchen, or cooking space is too modern and lacks that warm, cozy, traditional feeling, it is now time to change that. Put your creative juices to work: do some research, gather pictures of kitchens from magazines, get an idea for a color scheme, take some measurements and decide what country décor could make you feel comfortable.
Modern, “cold" kitchens can be transformed by perhaps adding some bead board to a wall or under counter tops. Add some antique finishes to that. Maybe wood flooring and other wooden “country type" decorations can be added for accents. Wood cutting boards, cutlery stands, butcher blocks and wooden paper towel holders are plentiful in the marketplace today. Don’t forget the wallpaper, printed curtains and window treatments as well.
Another way to incorporate “country" into your kitchen is with wrought iron decorative accessories. Wrought iron is durable, virtually rustproof and long lasting, with that traditional country look and feel. Wrought iron holders for your plates, paper towels, napkins and candles will add that touch of warmth and country you are looking for.
Visit a kitchen and bath, or home improvement store, and if you need input, talk to a salesperson. He or she can come in handy here if you need a second opinion. Take a color scheme or sample with you, and use your imagination from the research you have done. Visualize the kitchen you want. Think of your Grandma’s kitchen. You can make it happen!
Your country kitchen can still hold your modern cooking ranges and other appliances, the durable stone countertops and stainless steel. It’s the addition of those “country" decorative accessories, family and friends that will make it your American home and kitchen. Don’t forget to add Grandma’s recipes!
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