Introduction
A horse farm kitchen needs to balance rustic charm with functional design. This week’s featured kitchen does just that, combining reclaimed wood, antique lighting, and equestrian accents with high-end appliances and lots of storage. Located on a sprawling property in Kentucky, the home caters to a family who breeds and trains horses. Their love for the equine lifestyle shines through in the kitchen’s charming details. However, it also serves as a hub for family meals and entertaining. With ample counter space, seating, and the latest smart technology, this kitchen has a relaxed yet luxurious ambiance.
Blending Old and New Elements
The kitchen features a wonderful mix of modern conveniences and vintage styling. Here are some of the ways the designers blended these elements:
- Backsplash: Handmade subway tile provides a classic look, while neutral grout modernizes the installation.
- Flooring: Reclaimed wood floorboards have an aged patina that contrasts beautifully with polished kitchen islands.
- Windows: Multi-pane windows with black trim match the home’s exterior and flood the space with natural light.
- Lighting: Industrial barn lights balance with pretty pendant lamps over the center island.
- Hardware: Matte black hardware gives a contemporary edge to the carved wood cabinets.
- Appliances: A massive La Cornue range is the room’s antique showpiece, grounded by surrounding stainless steel appliances.
- Furniture: The wooden farm table has generations of wear, while transparent barstools are sleek and modern.
Thoughtfully combining these rustic and modern elements creates a space with timeless appeal and livable luxury.
Equestrian Details for Horse Lovers
Since the home belongs to avid horse owners, equestrian themes inspire many of the kitchen’s accents and decorative details. Here are some of the charming highlights:
- Saddle racks on the walls display weathered leather saddles for decorative purposes.
- Feed bag pillows provide a fun country feel to the banquette seating.
- Horse prints and paintings hang throughout, featuring images of horses grazing, racing, and jumping.
- Barn wood open shelving brings the texture of the farm into the house.
- Bridle hooks on the walls provide places to hang leashes or display paraphernalia from the stables.
- Metal buckets serve as unique vessels for utensils near the prep sink.
- Whip vases in tall riding boot shapes display fresh flower arrangements.
- A horse weathervane mounted above the oven brings the outside in.
These thoughtful equestrian touches infuse personality and comfort into the kitchen for the homeowners who love horses.
Creating a Functional Layout
While this kitchen exudes farmhouse personality, the layout remains carefully designed for cooking and entertaining. Key functional elements include:
Triangular Working Zones
The L-shaped kitchen space has been divided into work triangles to maximize efficiency.
- The first zone contains the La Cornue range, prep sink, and expansive countertops for meal prep.
- Across from the range, the second zone houses the large farmhouse apron sink below a window with views of the stables.
- At the end, the third zone provides additional prep space near the walk-in pantry and refrigerator.
Two Islands
This kitchen actually has two large islands that delineate the kitchen from living areas.
- One houses the main sink and dishwasher, with seating for casual meals.
- The other provides extra prep space and breakfast bar seating with pendant lighting.
Smart Storage
Floor-to-ceiling white cabinetry around the perimeter offers incredible storage capacity, so everything has a place out of sight. The walk-in pantry provides supplemental storage as well.
High-End Appliances
The kitchen doesn’t skimp on appliances and actually has two of everything for serious cooking. Each island houses its own dishwasher, sink, and prep space. Plus, two large fridge/freezers flank the walk-in pantry.
Dining Areas
A large wooden farm table centers the kitchen for family meals and homework. The kitchen also opens to a fireside living space, and the breakfast bar provides extra seating.
Despite its beauty, the kitchen remains highly functional. These thoughtful elements support the homeowners’ active lifestyles.
Designing an Inviting Atmosphere
Beyond functionality, the kitchen also has an inviting ambiance for gatherings with family and friends. Design details that help create its welcoming feel include:
Cozy Banquette
A cushioned bench flanked by saddle bag pillows turns an unused corner into a cozy dining nook for two.
Natural Lighting
Abundant windows, glass cabinetry doors, and a skylight brighten the whole room with natural light.
Warm Materials
Wood, subway tile, leather, and woven textiles provide organic texture and comfort.
Stylish Landscaping
Horse sculptures, pillar candles, and lush potted plants bring life and greenery indoors.
Statement Range Hood
A brass hood engraved with vines makes the range area feel like an intimate hearth.
Open Floorplan
There are no walls dividing the kitchen from living spaces, creating an inclusive atmosphere.
Family Heirlooms
Personal collections, antique furniture, and photos make the room feel curated and nostalgic.
The thoughtful integration of these elements makes the large kitchen feel welcoming. It’s equally suited for everyday living or special gatherings.
Achieving a Luxurious Feel
While this farmhouse kitchen embodies laidback family living, the materials and amenities also create an upscale ambiance. Details that contribute to the luxurious feel include:
- Quartzite countertops with beautiful natural stone patterns
- Hand-carved wood cabinetry with dovetail joinery
- Top-of-the-line appliances like the massive La Cornue range
- Brushed brass fixtures and hardware for an elegant sheen
- Reclaimed oak floors with hand-scraped patinas
- Custom cabinetry concealing clutter like a bathroom, office, and pantry
- Triple-globe pendant lighting over the breakfast bar
- A built-in coffee and beverage station with designer barware
- High-arching faucets and gooseneck spouts in polished finishes
- Leathered granite backsplashes with tone-on-tone banding
- Access to outdoor lounge areas through French doors
While designed for a family, these upscale details give the kitchen glamour and sophistication. The homeowners enjoy furniture built to last as well as modern features and finishes. It’s the best of all worlds in one cozy yet opulent space.
Smart Touches for Convenience
To support the bustling lifestyle of a large family, the kitchen incorporates smart design ideas that add convenience:
- Touch taps allow you to turn water on and off hands-free when cooking.
- Motion sensor under-cabinet lighting illuminates midnight snacks or early breakfast prep.
- ** outlets** integrated into the island provide charging access in a central spot.
- A built-in charging drawer keeps devices powered without cluttering counters.
- The fridge and freezer use internal cameras so you can check contents remotely.
- Self-closing drawers and cabinets make it easy to put things away in a hurry.
- Slide-out shelving in lower cabinets fully utilizes deep spaces.
- A hot water dispenser on the La Cornue range provides piping hot water for beverages in an instant.
- The pot-filler faucet makes it easy to fill stockpots, eliminating hefty lifting.
These clever features simplify time spent cooking and cleaning up after meals. They demonstrate how small touches can have a big impact on convenience.
Achieving an Equestrian Look Without a Big Budget
While this luxurious kitchen had a sizable budget, you can achieve an equestrian style without spending a fortune using these tips:
- Visit local stables or tack sales to find used saddles and horse gear for decor.
- Check secondhand stores for vintage crockery, feed buckets, and metal farm tools to display.
- Use affordable wallpaper with pastoral scenes or horse prints as an accent wall.
- Pour concrete floors yourself and stamp with horseshoe patterns purchased online.
- Display inexpensive prints of your own horses or generic farm images.
- Attach inexpensive hooks, like those for leashes, to hang bridles or ropes from.
- Craft a horse weathervane out of wood, wire, and spray paint using online DIY tutorials.
- Make a chandelier by hanging old mason jars from a round piece of repurposed barn wood.
- Use oil-rubbed bronze spray paint and hardware to update old furniture with an antique look.
With creativity and effort, you can infuse equestrian flair into your kitchen without the high price tag. Focus on sentimental objects, DIY projects, and secondhand finds.
Top Tips for Horse Lovers’ Kitchens
If you also want to design a kitchen catered to an equestrian lifestyle, keep these tips in mind:
- Incorporate saddle racks, horse art, and personal photos from the barn or paddock. These meaningful details instill comfort.
- Choose durable surfaces like quartzite counters that can withstand muddy boots and equipment coming through.
- Opt for brass finishes on faucets and lighting that will develop a handsome patina over time. Bronze works wonderfully too.
- Carve out spaces for hosing down gear, cleaning tack, polishing boots, and storing helmets.
- Maximize open shelving for quick access to bottled supplements, first aid supplies, gloves, and snacks.
- Include a deep farmhouse or apron-front sink for washing large equipment that won’t fit in a regular basin.
- Incorporate industrial lighting and hardware to reflect the aesthetic of barns and stables.
- Size appliances generously, as equestrian families tend to be active and often entertain.
- Select comfortable seating for decompressing after riding, like a fireside nook or breakfast banquette.
Keep these practical tips in mind when designing your own equestrian-inspired kitchen. Embrace your love of horses through design details that are beautiful yet functional.
Common Questions About Equestrian Kitchens
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about designing kitchens for horse lovers:
What kind of flooring is best for an equestrian kitchen?
For heavy traffic from outdoor gear, durable porcelain or concrete floors are best. Wood-look luxury vinyl works too. Avoid soft woods that dent.
Should I incorporate horse themes into my kitchen?
This comes down to personal taste. Subtle equestrian accents can instill comfort without going overboard. Avoid cluttering the space with too many horse items.
What colors work well in an equestrian kitchen?
Natural, earthy hues complement farmhouse style. Think warm woods, black, brown, taupe, olive, cream, tan, and terracotta. Aged metal finishes also pair nicely.
How do I integrate stable elements without smell?
Focus on non-porous items like aged leather, galvanized buckets, horseshoes, and wire baskets. Avoid anything absorbent that could retain odors like wood and fabric.
Should cabinetry have an aged, rustic look in an equestrian kitchen?
You could distress new cabinetry or purchase antique furniture. But sleek, fresh cabinetry contrasts nicely with worn elements. It depends on your style.
What appliances do equestrian families need?
Prioritize durable appliances in larger sizes like commercial-grade ranges, oversized refrigerators, and heavy-duty dishwashers to keep up with demand.
How do you decorate a kitchen when you also entertain in it?
When a kitchen doubles as an entertainment space, opt for eye-catching statement pieces like an oversized island, ornate lighting, and bold wallpaper or tile.
Conclusion
This charming equestrian kitchen blends vintage and industrial styling with smart functionality. Traditional horse-inspired accents interplay beautifully with contemporary finishes and technology. While luxuriously appointed, the thoughtful layout supports an active family life. Rustic patinas and upscale materials create an inviting, lived-in ambiance perfect for gatherings. Home chefs will adore preparing meals in this gorgeous, highly functional dream kitchen tailored to horse lovers. With its mix of downhome comfort and lavish details, this delightful space truly feels like home on the range.
