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.

Farmhouse Kitchen Inspiration

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.

UPDATE! We’ve now moved in to Old Salt Farm, and I have so many projects and design ideas I’m sharing. Check them out here!

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13 Comments

  1. Dear Kierste,

    I love, love, love your posts on Old Salt Farm. We built our own “Little House in the Big Woods” a couple of years ago. And even though I’m glad not to be back in the throes of doing it all over again, I am thoroughly enjoying following YOU as you go through the whole planning, building, and shopping process!

    I love all of the pictures and ideas. Thanks so much for taking the time to share.

    I wish you all the best as you and your husband plan and build your dream home!

    God bless you! :o)

    1. Oh, Tisha, thank you so much! I really appreciate your well wishes, and I’m glad you’re enjoying the process after building your own “Little House in the Big Woods”. Building is definitely a full-time job, isn’t it?! Thanks for coming along on this journey with me! xoxo

  2. Hi Kierste,

    I’ve been enjoying your website and watching the growth of your farmhouse plus the other many items you put out there in your blog.

    I love white too! My only thought for your kitchen in an effort to bring in a little more rustic tones, is to do the faucet in bronze and the door in a dark walnut…just to give it a little more contrast with wood tones. The white will be awesome! Do you plan to antique the doors at all or just white/white?? I’m sure it will be so pretty. Looking forward to more updates!

    BTW – stainless steel appliances…yes! Get the frig that doesn’t show handprints! I saw a commercial that they are “finally” catching onto this “NEED”. 

    Love these bar stools – – to match the barn door wood. Just two areas to bring in the wood tones. If you like the look or want to change the color…spray paint is your best friend (could be the pop of color you are using whether that be teal, orange, or go back to white!). Plus with the dark legs, it won’t show as many marks to those dangling/kicking legs our children like to do to our bar stools! 

    https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/seating/stools/pair-of-rustic-swivel-bar-stools-backs/id-f_522229/

  3. Hi Kierste,

    I’m also looking for a quartz that looks like marble…would you mind sharing with me the 5 choices that are in the running for your kitchen?

    Thank you,

    Kelly

    1. Yes, of course! Do you need it right away? I’m planning a post in the next couple of weeks on marble alternatives, but if you need it sooner, I’m happy to email them to you!

  4. Hi Kierste, I’m so excited to see your farmhouse. I’m sure it will be amazing. We recently did a major remodel of our kitchen including taking down two walls. We also did a lot of white. I never tire of it. It always looks so classic and timeless to me. One thing we did that makes me so happy is using mostly drawers in the kitchen instead of lower cabinets. They are so much easier to use and organize. Just something to consider. I think they also look better.

    1. Thank you, Vicki! And I agree with you about the drawers–I’ve put them every single place I could!! :)

  5. It sounds like you have an awesome plan! This all seems like it will go together quite nicely. It’s going to look fantastic! Great post! Thanks so much for sharing!

  6. What style are your interior doors? I am needing to replace our doors which will be white. Thanks!
    Diane

    1. The style is called Santa Fe! I love them, and think they can work with several different styles!!

      Here’s a link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milliken-Millwork-36-in-x-80-in-Molded-2-Panel-Planked-Santa-Fe-Smooth-Primed-Solid-Core-Composite-Single-Prehung-Interior-Door-Z009472L/207020379?cm_mmc=Shopping%7CTHD%7CG%7C0%7CG-BASE-PLA-D30-Doors%7C&gclid=CMv_0d_A6s0CFcxZhgodOzcFJQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

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