Kitchen · Farmhouse

Farmhouse kitchen ideas: 8 real kitchens, before and after

Q: How do you decorate the top of kitchen cabinets farmhouse style?

Use two or three groups of items rather than a full row: woven baskets, a large crock or jug, a wooden dough bowl or a trailing plant. Leave space between groups so the top of the cabinets does not look cluttered.

Eight ordinary kitchens, from a 1980s oak U-shape to a plain rental, redesigned in farmhouse style. Some came out bright and modern, others warm and rustic. Each one shows a different way to get the look.

What is a farmhouse kitchen? A kitchen inspired by country homes. The signs are simple shaker or plank cabinets, natural wood (often on the counters or open shelves), an apron-front sink, white or soft walls, shiplap or subway tile, and black or brass hardware. Modern farmhouse keeps it mostly white and bright. Rustic farmhouse uses much more wood, often reclaimed.

Modern farmhouse kitchens

Mostly white, bright and simple, with wood used as an accent. Drag each slider. Before photos are free Unsplash photos; after images are unedited results from DecorAI's Farmhouse style.

Before: rental U-shaped kitchen with white shaker cabinets, black granite counters and a black-and-white checker mosaic backsplash — Photo: Zac Gudakov / Unsplash

After: modern farmhouse with the same white cabinets, butcher-block counters, white subway tile, a wood plank ceiling and a pendant light — Photo: Zac Gudakov / Unsplash

1. White rental kitchen → modern farmhouse

The white shaker cabinets stayed, which is a good sign: you may already own the hardest part. The AI swapped the black granite for butcher-block counters, the busy checker mosaic for plain white subway tile, and added a wood plank ceiling and wall around the window with a single pendant light.

Steal this idea: if your cabinets are already white, changing the counters and backsplash alone can turn a plain kitchen into a modern farmhouse one.

Before: small kitchen with white cabinets, a wood worktop, grey mosaic backsplash and a washing machine — Photo: Evy Prentice / Unsplash

After: small modern farmhouse kitchen with white plank cabinets, white subway tile, butcher-block counters, a range hood and wooden utensils in crocks — Photo: Evy Prentice / Unsplash

2. Small kitchen → small modern farmhouse

A tiny kitchen can still be farmhouse. The grey mosaic became white subway tile, the cabinet doors got simple plank fronts and black handles, and a white range hood and shiplap wall frame the cooker. Wooden spoons in crocks and wooden boards add the farmhouse warmth. (The AI also swapped the washing machine for a second oven, so don't take that part literally.)

Steal this idea: in a small kitchen, keep the cabinets white and let the counter, boards and utensils bring the wood.

Before: bright kitchen with white shaker cabinets, a brown tile backsplash, taupe walls and a small dining table — Photo: Rune Enstad / Unsplash

After: farmhouse kitchen with a reclaimed wood ceiling and walls, metal pendant lights, open wood shelves, butcher-block counters and Windsor-style chairs — Photo: Rune Enstad / Unsplash

3. Kitchen with a dining nook → farmhouse with open shelves

This one sits between modern and rustic. The white cabinets stayed, but the AI added a reclaimed wood ceiling and wall, open wood shelves with cups and pans, metal pendant lights over the nook and Windsor-style wooden chairs instead of the modern ones. A woven blind softens the window.

Steal this idea: two or three open wood shelves and a pair of pendant lights do a lot of the farmhouse work.

Rustic farmhouse kitchens

More wood, more texture, more cabin. These kitchens went much further from where they started.

Before: empty galley kitchen with honey-oak cabinets, beige tile counters and a steel gas range — Photo: Brian Wangenheim / Unsplash

After: rustic farmhouse galley with an apron-front sink, reclaimed wood glass-front cabinets, white shiplap walls and ceiling, a wood beam and a lantern light — Photo: Brian Wangenheim / Unsplash

4. Oak galley → rustic galley with an apron sink

The most "farmhouse" result of all eight. The AI fitted a white apron-front sink, turned the upper cabinets into reclaimed wood units with glass fronts, clad the walls and ceiling in white shiplap and added a wood beam and a lantern light. Butcher-block counters run the full length.

Steal this idea: an apron-front (farmhouse) sink is the single piece people recognise most. If you're replacing a sink anyway, this is the one.

Before: kitchen with glossy cherry-wood cabinets, a beige granite counter and a diamond-pattern tile backsplash — Photo: Andrew Kayani / Unsplash

After: rustic farmhouse with a reclaimed wood island and two wooden stools, open shelves with canisters, a white shiplap backsplash and mixed wood cabinets — Photo: Andrew Kayani / Unsplash

5. Glossy cherry cabinets → reclaimed wood and an island

Shiny cherry wood is the opposite of farmhouse, so the AI went all the way: mixed reclaimed wood cabinets in several tones, a white shiplap backsplash, open shelves with metal canisters and a reclaimed wood island with two wooden stools.

Steal this idea: glossy wood reads as dated, matte wood reads as farmhouse. If replacing cabinets is too much, a matte, wood-fronted island alone shifts the look.

Before: single-wall kitchen with grey lower and white upper cabinets, a butcher-block counter and two small windows — Photo: Point3D Commercial Imaging / Unsplash

After: rustic farmhouse with a whitewashed plank wall, open wood shelves on black brackets with plants, mixed wood cabinets and three wooden bar stools — Photo: Point3D Commercial Imaging / Unsplash

6. Single-wall kitchen → whitewashed planks and bar stools

The layout didn't move: same windows, same cooker in the middle. The whole wall became whitewashed wood planks, the floating shelves got black iron brackets and plants, the lower cabinets became mixed reclaimed wood, and three wooden bar stools turned one end of the counter into a breakfast bar.

Steal this idea: black iron shelf brackets are a small, cheap detail that says farmhouse instantly.

Before: dated U-shaped kitchen with oak cabinets, white laminate counters, a black-and-white vinyl floor and a fluorescent ceiling light — Photo: Brian Wangenheim / Unsplash

After: rustic farmhouse with reclaimed wood walls and a barn-door style panel, a white plank ceiling with the skylight kept, and a stainless range hood — Photo: Brian Wangenheim / Unsplash

7. 1980s oak U-shape → barn-style rustic

The fluorescent light panel became a skylight in a white plank ceiling, the walls turned into reclaimed wood, and a barn-door style panel appeared at the front. The AI kept the U-shape and part of the patterned floor, which shows how it works: it restyles the room you have rather than rebuilding it.

Steal this idea: replacing an old fluorescent panel with warmer lighting changes how a kitchen feels more than you'd expect.

Before: 2000s condo kitchen with maple-veneer cabinets and dark counters, open to the dining and living area — Photo: Point3D Commercial Imaging / Unsplash

After: very rustic farmhouse with multi-colour reclaimed wood cabinets, an apron-front sink, a dark planked range hood, a wood ceiling with a beam and a shiplap backsplash — Photo: Point3D Commercial Imaging / Unsplash

8. Sleek condo → full rustic farmhouse

The biggest change: smooth maple veneer became multi-colour reclaimed wood, with an apron-front sink, a dark planked range hood, a beamed wood ceiling and shiplap behind the counter. Even the living area at the back picked up the rustic look. It's a strong style for an open-plan condo, so check you'd like it in the whole space.

Steal this idea: in an open-plan home, a rustic kitchen pulls the living area with it. Repeat one wood tone in both zones so they feel connected.

Modern vs rustic farmhouse kitchen

Same idea, different amounts of wood. Pick by how bright you want the room and how much you're willing to change.

	Modern farmhouse	Rustic farmhouse
Cabinets	White or soft-coloured shaker	Natural, reclaimed or distressed wood
Counters	Butcher block or white stone	Thick butcher block
Walls and ceiling	White subway tile, painted walls	Shiplap, wood planks, beams
Hardware	Black or brass, simple	Black iron, heavier
Feels	Bright, clean, easy to keep tidy	Warm, cosy, like a cabin
Examples above	1, 2, 3	4 to 8

Want something in between? That's often called rustic modern farmhouse: white cabinets like the modern version, plus one big wood feature such as a beam, an island or a plank ceiling, like kitchen 3.

Farmhouse kitchen backsplash ideas

Three backsplashes came up again and again in our eight results:

White subway tile, the classic. Clean, cheap and easy to live with (kitchens 1 and 2).
Shiplap or painted planks, for a softer, cottage feel (kitchens 5 and 8). Seal it well near the cooker.
Whitewashed wood across the whole wall, for a rustic look (kitchen 6).

If you rent, peel-and-stick subway tile over the old backsplash is a common shortcut.

Farmhouse kitchen decor checklist

Wooden chopping boards leaning against the backsplash.
Utensils in a ceramic crock next to the cooker.
Two or three open shelves with everyday cups and bowls.
Pendant lights or a lantern over the island or table.
Black or brass handles and a gooseneck tap.
Fresh herbs or a small plant on the windowsill.
A runner rug in a simple pattern.

What to change first

You rarely need a full new kitchen. Going from the smallest job to the biggest:

Decor and lighting: boards, crocks, pendants. A weekend.
Hardware: swap handles for black or brass ones.
Backsplash: white subway tile or planks.
Counters: butcher block, like kitchen 1.
Cabinet fronts or paint, then a sink, if you go further.

Decorating the top of kitchen cabinets

The gap above the cabinets is a classic farmhouse spot. Use two or three groups of things rather than a full row: woven baskets, a big crock or jug, a wooden dough bowl or a trailing plant. Leave space between groups, and keep it to items you don't need every day, because they will gather dust.

Cabinet colours

White is the classic, and it's what the AI chose in our modern examples. Sage green, soft blue or black lower cabinets with white uppers are popular farmhouse alternatives if white feels too plain.

Farmhouse kitchen questions

Not sure farmhouse is for you? See one kitchen in four other styles on our AI kitchen design page.

What is a farmhouse kitchen?

A kitchen style inspired by country homes: simple shaker or plank cabinets, natural wood, an apron-front sink, open shelves, white or soft-coloured walls and black or brass hardware. It looks practical, warm and lived-in.

What is the difference between modern and rustic farmhouse kitchens?

Modern farmhouse is mostly white and bright, with clean shaker cabinets, black hardware and a few wood accents. Rustic farmhouse uses much more wood, often reclaimed or distressed, on cabinets, walls and ceilings, so it feels warmer and more like a cabin.

How do I decorate a farmhouse kitchen without remodelling?

Start with decor and light: wooden boards, a utensil crock, a couple of open shelves, pendant lights and black or brass handles. Those changes alone move a plain kitchen a long way toward farmhouse.

Can a small kitchen be farmhouse style?

Yes. Keep the cabinets white, add a wood counter or open shelf, use white subway tile and black hardware, like kitchen 2. You get the look without making the room feel crowded.

What does farmhouse style look like in other rooms?

The same ingredients, white walls, warm wood and black metal, work in living rooms and bedrooms too. See farmhouse on a living room on our interior design styles page.

See your kitchen in farmhouse style

Take one photo, choose Farmhouse and Kitchen. Your first 2 designs are free. How to take a good photo.

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