Farmhouse kitchens had their moment, but country-inspired design is evolving beyond shiplap and mason jars. Homeowners are craving something with more soul and less Instagram filter.
Fresh takes on rustic charm are breathing new life into kitchens across America, while some questionable alternatives are trying to muscle their way into the spotlight. Let’s explore what’s worth embracing and what deserves a hard pass.
1. Soapstone Sinks With Fluted Aprons
Move over, white farmhouse sinks. Soapstone’s rich, velvety texture brings instant gravitas to any kitchen. Unlike its pristine predecessor, these dark beauties develop a natural patina that tells your kitchen’s story.
The fluted apron front adds architectural interest without screaming “I watched too much Fixer Upper.” Practical too—soapstone resists heat, stains, and bacteria, making it as hardworking as it is handsome.
2. Unfitted Furniture-Style Cabinetry
Grandma’s hutch is having a moment. Standalone pieces mixed with traditional cabinetry create that collected-over-time feel that cookie-cutter kitchens lack.
A weathered oak cabinet for dishes. A painted armoire repurposed for pantry storage. Maybe even a vintage workbench as an island.
The charm lies in the imperfection—slightly different heights, depths, and finishes that feel authentic rather than mass-produced.
3. Hand-Glazed Zellige Tiles
Subway tiles are taking the train out of town. Zellige—those gloriously imperfect Moroccan tiles—bring texture and depth that flat white rectangles could only dream of achieving.
Each slightly irregular tile catches light differently, creating a subtle shimmer across your backsplash. The handmade quality honors traditional craftsmanship while the irregular edges and varied glaze add soul.
They’re basically jewelry for your walls.
4. Plate Racks & Dish Drying Shelves
Function taking center stage! Open dish storage—the kind European kitchens have embraced forever—offers easy access while creating visual interest.
Wooden plate racks display your everyday dishes like art. Wall-mounted drying racks eliminate countertop clutter while letting plates drip-dry right into the sink.
Bonus points if yours is crafted from reclaimed wood or antique components. Martha Stewart’s been doing this forever for good reason.
5. Earthy Clay & Ochre Paint Colors
White kitchens are taking a well-deserved nap. Warm, earth-derived hues—terracotta, ochre, olive, and clay—are painting a more soulful narrative.
These colors ground the space and connect to nature in ways stark white never could. They hide smudges better too (parents rejoice).
A mustard-yellow island or rust-colored lower cabinets paired with cream uppers creates depth while maintaining that cozy country feeling we all secretly crave.
6. Patinated Copper & Brass Fixtures
Matte black hardware had its fifteen minutes. Now kitchens are warming up with living finishes that age gracefully—unlacquered brass that darkens where touched, copper that develops blue-green patina over time.
Bridge faucets with cross handles. Aged copper pendant lights. Cabinet latches with verdigris.
Skip the polished perfection. The beauty is in watching these metals tell time through subtle color shifts, creating authentic character no Instagram filter can fake.
7. Quiet Checkerboard Floors
The classic checkerboard is back but with an inside voice. Forget harsh black and white—think cream and terracotta, sage and putty, or navy and natural stone.
Softer colors and tumbled edges give this pattern country credibility without the diner vibe. Limestone or encaustic tiles add texture modern vinyl can’t touch.
Like good jeans, these floors work with everything while developing character over decades of footsteps and spills.
8. Workbench Islands With Character
Massive kitchen islands pretending to be spaceships are out. Repurposed workbenches and farm tables with history written into every scratch are in.
Look for turned legs, tool drawers, and surfaces worn smooth by generations of use. The perfect island might be hiding at an estate sale or flea market.
Height matters less than soul—a simple platform can raise a too-short table, while wheels add flexibility for smaller spaces.
9. Vintage-Inspired Lighting With Patina
Edison bulbs dangling from black pipes? Hard pass. True country kitchens embrace lighting with provenance—restored schoolhouse pendants, copper lanterns with verdigris, or porcelain enamel shades from old factories.
The key is authenticity. Hunt for actual vintage pieces or reproductions with honest materials and craftsmanship.
Lighting should feel like it’s been illuminating family dinners for generations, not assembled from a DIY kit last weekend.
10. Integrated Hearth Cooking Areas
Remember when kitchens revolved around the hearth? That cozy focal point is making a comeback—not as a precious showpiece but as a working cooking zone.
Think built-in pizza ovens, restored vintage ranges, or cooking fireplaces with pot hooks and trivets. Stone surrounds, copper hoods, and brick details add to the gathered-around-the-fire feeling.
Even a simple wood mantel above your range creates that hearth-centered vibe.
11. Faux Industrial Overload
Factory chic without factory function is fooling nobody. Exposed ductwork in suburbia. Warehouse pendants hanging over granite countertops. Black pipe shelving supporting nothing but decorative objects.
Authentic industrial spaces earned their looks through function. Your kitchen didn’t.
Instead, incorporate single industrial pieces with actual history—a baker’s rack from a shuttered bakery or a light salvaged from a real factory—among softer country elements.
12. All-Gray Everything
Gray is the beige of our generation, and it’s equally soul-sucking. Gray cabinets. Gray floors. Gray countertops. Gray backsplash. Gray life choices.
When every surface is the same flat, cool tone, your kitchen feels like it’s stuck in a perpetual winter—and not the cozy kind with hot cocoa.
If you must go neutral, warm it up with creams, taupes, or actual wood tones that don’t look like they belong in a corporate office.
13. Word Art Overload
Your kitchen doesn’t need to spell out its function. “EAT” signs above the table. “GATHER” over the island. “COFFEE” next to the… you guessed it.
We know what kitchens are for. We promise.
If walls need dressing, hang actual art—vintage food advertisements, botanical prints, landscape paintings, or family photos that tell your story better than mass-produced platitudes ever could.
14. Faux Distressed Everything
Artificially aged furniture that was built last Tuesday isn’t fooling anyone. Cabinets with random sanding marks. Tables with painted-on water rings. Floors with machine-distressed “character.”
Authentic patina happens naturally through years of use and care—not from a DIY aging kit.
Better to start with quality materials and let them age naturally. Or source genuinely old pieces with honest wear that tells a real story.
15. McMansion Mix-and-Match
Identity crisis kitchens are everywhere. French country corbels supporting industrial pipe shelves. Tuscan tile backsplashes behind farmhouse sinks. Colonial moldings framing modern appliances.
When styles clash without intention, the result feels confused rather than collected.
Country kitchens should feel grounded in place and time—not like they’re auditioning for every design show simultaneously. Pick a lane and stay in it, with thoughtful, cohesive choices.