Heart of the Home

As a contractor, Mel Culver helps his clients build stylish and efficient kitchens. When he and his wife, Renee, decided to transform the modern kitchen in their Bear, Delaware, home into a space that captures the look of an old farmhouse, they relied on some tricks of the trade. Here are Mel’s professional tips for creating the country kitchen of your dreams:

Classic cabinets. Choose rustic wood species and natural stained finishes, such as pine, oak or alder. Traditional country cabinet and drawer styles include Shaker, beadboard, flat panels and raised panels.

Homespun hardware. Add a finishing touch to cabinetry with vintage hardware or new hinges, knobs and pulls that look like they were forged by a blacksmith. Hammered textures and black powder-coat or oil-rubbed bronze finishes are great options.

Barnboard backsplash. To create a timeworn, yet hard-wearing, look on the wall above the counters and around the stove, consider installing porcelain floor tiles that resemble weathered barnwood.

Creative counters. For the appearance of natural stone, without the ongoing maintenance, quartz is gaining popularity over granite as a countertop material. The easy-care surface comes in a wide range of colors and pattern variations. You can even get quartz with honed edges or an embossed treatment that gives it the look of matte limestone or textured slate.

Fab flooring. Wide-planked hardwood floors are synonymous with country style. Flooring retailers sell new flooring and salvaged flooring that has been re-milled and is ready to install.

Inventive island. Design an island that functions like a farmer’s table with a large work surface and dining area that accommodates two to four stools. Add electrical outlets to the island. They come in handy for plugging in appliances or charging smartphones.

Layered lighting. Use recessed LED lighting in the ceiling above work areas to create task lighting. Install primitivestyle fixtures, such as wooden multiarm chandeliers and metal sconces with dimmers for ambient lighting.

Gather cherished objects, such as heirloom cookie cutters, and combine them with greens, berries, pinecones and gingerbread cookies in a wooden bowl to fashion a heartwarming kitchen centerpiece.