Farmhouse Kitchen Inspiration Board
From a farmhouse sink to white countertops and a reclaimed wood island, this is the place to look for some farmhouse kitchen inspiration!
I have been dreaming of a farmhouse kitchen for such a long time, and it’s been so fun for me to not only create an inspiration board, but also to start the design process and making selections for Old Salt Farm, which is now currently in the framing phase. We are so excited to be making progress, and I’m in the throes of making about 25 decisions a week, but I love it! All the specific kitchen choices haven’t been nailed down yet, but I thought I’d share what my plan is–then later when it’s all finished, I’ll definitely show you the end result and share the complete resource list.
I’m one of those people that believes white IS a color. I love a really crisp, clean look, but with the farmhouse style and rustic touches. My husband is teasing me that every single thing in our house will be white, and he might not be that far off! But lots of white also means I can accent with pillows and other decor, which is easy to change for holidays, and any time I want to infuse a new color.
(affiliate links included below–they aren’t my exact choices because I haven’t made them all yet, but I’m leaving the links so you have an idea what I’m talking about!)
Farmhouse Sink
We made our priority list before building, and always knew that we wanted to make a couple of splurges in the kitchen. It’s where we spend all of our time, both as a family, and when we have friends over. I had to make some “trades” in other areas of the house, which is par for the course wish you’re building a house and trying to stick to a budget, but I was happy to do it. The farmhouse sink and faucet were two things I knew I wanted, and would set the stage for the whole room.
I am in love with white sinks, and I prefer having just one deep sink as opposed to two smaller ones. I just like having the extra space to wash large cookie sheets and dishes.
Farmhouse Style Faucet
I really wanted a faucet that had farmhouse vibe, and I fell in love with this faucet by Moen. I’m still debating on the finish. The bright finish of the chrome really shines against the all white kitchen, but I adore the wrought iron too.
White Cabinets
In the last house we built, I really wanted white cabinets, but we didn’t get them. I have always regretted that decision, and this time around, it wasn’t even a question. One thing to know about white cabinets is that they can be more expensive than wood cabinets. With the cabinet company we’re using, there’s an automatic 15% up charge on any style we choose. That’s more common than not, so if you’re planning a white kitchen, it’s something to note for your budget.
I went with a Shaker style cabinet, and plan on flat black/iron knobs and pulls–I really love the contrast against the white!
Quartz Countertops
I absolutely adore marble countertops. I LOVE the look of Carrara marble, and it would be my number one pick if it wasn’t for the fact that they are so high maintenance, and both etch and stain easily. They are a natural stone like granite, but they are formed differently, and composed of mostly calcium. That means you have to be extra careful with anything acidic especially, and even water that’s left sitting on them can damage them. With six kids, there’s no way it would work–I would be a basketcase! I like granite a lot, and we’ve had it in all of our houses previous homes, but there isn’t any granite that even remotely resembles marble.
So…quartz has the answer! Over the years, they’ve gotten better and better at mimicking marble, and I’ve actually narrowed it down to five. Yes, that’s narrowed down! They are all similar, but vary in more grey and white backgrounds, with slightly different vein variations. I won’t be able to decide for sure until I bring my cabinet sample in and hold it up to each one. Samples can look one color, but when it’s next to white, they can look more yellow or more blue, so it’s important to put them together to make your final decision.
White Subway Tile
I’m so excited for the backsplash! The tile will go all the way down to the countertops, and placed in a traditional brick pattern. I’m pretty sure I’m doing white grout, but I might change my mind at the last second and do a light gray. Can’t decide.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
I love hardwood floors, and we’ve always had solid wood, but this time around I’ve going with engineered hardwood. It’s still wood, but much lower maintenance, and great for a farmhouse full of six kids! I’ve narrowed it down to two choices, but they’re both 5-inch hand scraped planks, and made of hickory–walnut color. Hickory is one of the strongest woods, so it makes it ideal for flooring. Softer woods like walnut will scuff and scrape much easier. Once again, we are making choices for high traffic and lots of kiddos!
Black Lighting–Lantern Style
I’ve been scouting around for pendants in this style, and I’ve found quite a few that I really like. I haven’t met with our lighting vendor yet–that comes after the electrical walk through in a few weeks–but I’m doing plenty of research now so it will be easier when it’s time to make choices. I’m planning on two over our island, and perhaps in the dining room, but not sure yet.
Reclaimed Barn Wood Island
I think I might be the most excited about the island. I originally planned on doing butcher block, but then we found an old 1800’s barn that was torn down and the wood being sold, and I changed my mind. I love the history of reclaimed wood, and it’s really beautiful. We’ve just started working on it, and pulling out all the nails is taking forever! I also went with a larger island–4×8–for several reasons. I love utilizing all the space of a large island, and do the vast majority of my kitchen prep there. I also want plenty of room for all of my kids to have stools around it, and be able to sit at the same time. It will definitely be the heart of the island, so wish us luck in the building process!
Stainless Steel Appliances
Selecting appliances actually has to come quite early on in the building process, because the specs are essential to ordering the correct cabinets. The depth and width of our double wall oven affected which cabinets would go underneath and above it, and sometimes you have to go back and make different choices because they just won’t work. Fortunately, all of our choices worked, with just minor changes to the range hood. That was kind of a debacle, which I will share in a future post. (I’m excited about what they’re going to be, but it was a process to figure it all out!
We’re doing a gas cooktop and separate double wall oven, plus the dishwasher and refrigerator. (We don’t need a new microwave, it’s going on the backside of the island.) My absolute favorite refrigerator is the french door style, with the freezer on the bottom. I feel like you get so much overall space, plus we always have an extra freezer in our basement so I don’t need as much freezer room. I also do not like having water in the door, but I know I’m in the minority because there aren’t too many french door styles without it! Not only do I not love the mess that can come from it, but you lose so much valuable space inside the fridge.
When buying stainless appliances, it’s important to stick to all one brand if you possibly can. The finish and color of stainless steel can really vary from brand to brand, as well as all the hardware and handles.
Pantry
I don’t know hot I got so lucky, but we will have 15 feet of pantry space, and we’re making bypass sliding barn doors to cover the entire area. And yes, I’m painting them white!
Decor & Details
If only you could see our tiny basement. I can’t complain though–it’s rare that an apartment will have a basement, and even though it’s small, I am so grateful for it. I started buying things for our house a few months ago, both for our budget’s sake, and to satisfy my patience, or rather lack of it. I know my house will not be completely decorated right away, and I ‘m looking forward to all the projects, but it will be nice to have a few things ready to go, and make it look like a home.
Some of the things I’m envisioning…
Boxwood wreaths, kitchen stools, a giant chalkboard, blue striped cotton dishtowels, white farmhouse table, old windows, flowers in pitchers, wire baskets…I can’t wait! I also just finished painting an antique buffet table (distressed white) which will be perfect for the dining area next to the kitchen.
One farmhouse kitchen, coming up!
I’d really love to hear about some of your favorite kitchen choices, or the things on your dream kitchen list! I’m always looking for great ideas and love to hear what YOUR style is!
If you want even more process pictures, come on over and follow Old Salt Farm on Instagram.
