Showing posts with label farmhouse kitchen. Show all posts

Thursday, 27 October 2011

French Country Kitchen Tables

French Country Kitchen Tables: The Centerpiece of Your Room

A Hallinan

In the center of the French Country kitchen stands the sturdy farm table, a symbol of the resilience and steadiness of the life of French Country peasant farmers over the centuries. The French Country dining table can be synonymous with the the kitchen table. Of course, the layout of your home will ultimately determine this, but historically they've been one and the same.

French Country dining tables are made of solid wood, the choice of which is the consumers. This is a piece you want to consider as an investment. It is where your children and, hopefully their children, will sit down to eat meals,and mark various events in the seasons and throughout the years. In addition, it is often where children will complete daily homework, where families will discuss important matters, and where family vacations will be both planned and remembered. As Albert Einstein once asked, A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?"

The selections available today are truly unlimited. Thanks to the custom nature of furniture design now available to consumers, any table you can imagine can be created. There are a few principles to keep in mind when choosing a table that will fit with the French Country theme.

Top: The top of the table must be able to handle daily use and abuse. This includes the ability to be stain resistant or have stains removed easily, the toughness to stand up to nicks and cuts, and yet retain the warmth so that the room remains inviting. This is another reason why French country is such a a great style for families. It truly invites living. Rather than worry about a scratch or dent in the table, the French Country look actually benefits from a time worn appearance. This is not to say that the table will look shoddy. No, the bulk and density of the woods used in a piece like this prevent real damage from being done.

Cherry and antique pine are two of the most sought after finishes. Many want their tables to appear older and opt for a distressed look to accomplish this goal. Tables can be finished with a whitewashed look as well. Liming, which is a centuries old process originally designed to prevent termites and other insects from attacking furniture, is often an option for the base of the table, whether pedestal or legs, but is not recommended for the table top due its frequent contact with liquids.

Base: A round French Country table is often accompanied by a large center pedestal base. The advantage of this is that no one person will need to be seated near a table leg. The round table is usually smaller, with a maximum seating for eight. More traditionally the rectangular base will be sturdy legs, whether straight and spindled or cabriole, and may have the option of self-storing leaves. Seating can be expanded through the use of leaves.
Seating: One can't forget the seating when discussing French Country tables. Seating, too, offers many options. If a more casual look is desired, an eclectic collection of farmhouse chairs, perhaps with some handmade seat cushions in various farmhouse designs is a great look. If you desire a matching set of chairs, be sure to look for a traditional pattern such as ladder backs or schoolhouse chairs. You can even find chairs with a farmhouse motif such as roosters. Caned seats are a great choice as well.

When choosing a table for your French Country kitchen, be sure to view it is an investment decision that you will have for a lifetime. With the quality of furniture available in today's market, this is a real probability.

Monday, 24 October 2011

Farmhouse Kitchen Ideas

Decorating a Farmhouse Kitchen Beautifully - Lazaro Hester

Farmhouse kitchen style will be perfect idea if you want to have family gathering in your kitchen during meal time. There are a lot of ideas in decorating this certain kitchen beautifully and attractively. Besides, kitchen in this certain style also will not make you spend a lot of money because most of the accessories are offered in affordable price. Here are some best ideas in decorating your farmhouse kitchen attractively.

Color will be a great idea to select the theme of your kitchen. The most common colors used in decorating kitchen in this certain style is red, blue, apple green, honey gold, beige, and white. You can use of those colors or make a combination of two match colors.

To tie the theme, you can use country theme border in your kitchen. You can find a lot of popular wall borders in the market with several attractive designs. The most popular designs are including fruits such as apples, berries, floral baskets or country plates. Some designs such as stars and hearts are also quite popular as well. Or, you can choose a wall border with farm animal theme. Cows, horses, pigs, sheep or ducks will be perfect border design for your farmhouse kitchen.

In decorating the wall, you can simply hang weathered wooden signs in various sizes and colors. You can also hang vintage kitchen utensils or a wall pot rack complete with its hanging old pots and pans. Painting with rural or country scenes is also appropriate to be placed in this certain kitchen.

For the furniture, you can choose table and chairs that are made of solid wood such as oak or pine. It will add the touch of traditional rural life in your kitchen. Surely, you can choose furniture in distinct splash of color such as red or blue.

To add more beauty, you can put some rustic containers in your kitchen. You can put tin bowls, old tea pot, or small wooden buckets as vases. You can stick twigs into your container too add more authentic feeling.
You can simply apply those hints in order to get a beautiful farmhouse kitchen in your home. You can get those supplies or accessories to decor your kitchen easily in any stores or suppliers near your home.

Creating the Ideal Farmhouse Kitchen

Creating the Ideal Farmhouse Kitchen - R Davenport

Farmhouse kitchens have become timeless classics that are now replicated not only within spacious country properties, but have also become a popular choice amongst city dwellers, looking to bring some of this relaxed country style to their properties' interiors. Depending on your point of view, this style has never been completely 'on-trend' or has never been out of vogue so you can be safe in the knowledge that a farmhouse kitchen is a shrewd investment.

Classic farmhouse kitchens tend to combine a good mix of natural materials, earthy granites, oversized thick timber tops and chunky end-grain butchers blocks. The cabinetry tends to be in-framed but simple, perhaps with a chamfer or small cock-bead detail around the frame, often hand painted in buttery cream tones. This may also be complemented with the occasional oak piece. However, the detailing tends to be kept simple with the focus being on natural products.

When it comes to handles, pewter drop perhaps with porcelain inserts and pewter knobs are a popular choice given their practicality. Timber knobs can also be used to complement the laid back look of the kitchen and tie in with any areas of timber worktops. An increasingly common introduction to the farmhouse kitchen is granite worktops, which are often used with timber in high use areas around a Range or Aga and often teamed with a chunky end grain chopping board.

Often a period style mantle shelf will be the main focal point above an Aga or Range, as this helps to frame the main cooking area as well as being a practical feature by providing extra shelf space to house pots and ornaments.
Another key feature of the farmhouse kitchen is a large/double Belfast-style ceramic sink, with a bridge tap over to make maximum use of a practical sink area.

Most farmhouse kitchens also have a separate free-standing welsh style dresser, often with a timber top, which may present the opportunity for further shelving space. This reinforces the main concept of the farmhouse kitchen, that most kitchen items are in sight rather than stored away.

The overall farmhouse look is gained by a large number of cabinets with a generous area of worktop, often with decorative features such as bookshelves and plate racks as this helps to give the kitchen a real lived in feel without requiring much effort.

Introducing a few farmhouse elements into the home can make a potentially unwelcoming modern kitchen seem more homely and appealing. However, the complete farmhouse kitchen is set to remain a popular style, especially amongst families and those with large eat-in kitchens as it is an easy to live with practical choice. The style also suits most types of house, from the modern house through to period properties and barn conversions.