Farmhouse kitchens are so popular. They hold a timeless appeal that takes us right back to the days of everyone eating around the family table. We think of visiting our grandparents and sitting around the table where we share a few of grandma’s homemade, fresh from the oven, chocolate chip cookies with a glass of cold and refreshing milk. You may be picturing something like this in your mind right now.
An Antique Look with Modern Day Style
In an effort to capture that feeling and hold onto it, even years after we lose the opportunity to go back and visit the older people from our childhood, we mimic the atmosphere with things like the qualities of a farmhouse kitchen. We hang vintage aprons and kitchen utensils, once functional and used every day, as timeless pieces of décor to add to the style.
These items all have one thing in common – their durability, and even though they are décor now, you could use them as successfully today as past generations might have when they were new. And if it is one thing that we do not want to sacrifice when updating the look of a farmhouse kitchen, is the durability.
That is what makes granite such a popular choice. Here are some suggestions for giving your kitchen a little farmhouse still while retaining that durability with granite. Check out the way that this eco-friendly material is used to capture a well-worn look while meeting today’s standards of green living:
– Painting the kitchen cabinets with a semi-gloss paint in eggshell white.
– Installing a big, open farmhouse style sink into a granite countertop.
– Adding marble countertops to hold up to the wear and tear of the kitchen.
– Running beadboard paneling in the kitchen, or maybe just on one accent wall.
– Using mason jars to store clutter to keep your granite countertop neat and tidy.
– Topping the kitchen island with a slab of granite counter in a contrasting color.
– Replacing upper cabinet doors with ones that have glass fronts and open shelves.
– Use eco-friendly floors, like bamboo or cork instead of traditional hardwood.
– Have a slab of granite counter used to top a farmhouse kitchen table.
As you can see from these suggestions, you can get the look of a modern day farmhouse kitchen that harkens back to the feelings you had visiting grandparents or growing up in a house with this type of kitchen as a child. Something else you may have noticed is that granite definitely plays a big part in this modern day version.
A New Granite Counter for Your Old Farmhouse Kitchen
Whether your home is an historic farmhouse renovated so that it has all the functionality of a modern home, or a sleek and stylish condo in a brand new apartment building, you can enjoy the look of a farmhouse kitchen with a granite countertop. In fact, granite is becoming the new standard in households across North America.
Granite is easy to maintain, resists scratches and chips (from normal, daily use) and are likely to outlast all the other materials in your kitchen combined. One of the most difficult things that homeowners struggle with, especially with farmhouse kitchens, is what color they should choose. Few people want to capture the image of the gold or olive Formica that was all the rage in the 1960’s and 1970’s, but luckily you have a whole spectrum of colors when it comes to granite countertops for your farmhouse kitchen.
Look at the overall size of your kitchen. If you have an open floorplan then you might choose a dark, solid color of granite. On the other hand if your farmhouse kitchen is tiny and cramped, then choose a white speckled or marbled countertop to make the space seem bigger and more airy. If you choose a colored granite countertop, then look at the overall shade of the color, i.e. pale salmon versus deep maroon or light sage over midnight evergreen.
There are two major finishes you could choose for a granite countertop in your farmhouse kitchen; polished or glossy finish, or honed and non-glossy finished. A polished finish complements things like glossy hardwood floors or gleaming, stainless steel appliances. Meanwhile you could choose a honed finish which might complement things like non-glossy porcelain tile floor or a honed finish backsplash.
However the thing about granite that best complements the timeless feel of your farmhouse style kitchen is that the countertop will sustain and outlast many of the other materials. Just like the timelessness of the kitchen will take generations to outdate itself, the granite countertop is likely to remain and outlast the rest of the materials as well.