By Hayley Gilbert

Think of a typical warm and welcoming kitchen and it’s often a cosy country-style design that comes to mind. Features such as Shaker kitchen doors, a larder cupboard, kitchen pantry and wooden cutlery tray are all elements of a farmhouse kitchen that makes us long for hearty homecooked meals and spending time with the family in this heart of the home.

While country kitchens are a style that many of us look to create within our own homes, it can often be thought of as difficult to achieve in a modern property. True cottage kitchens can be impractical and come with a high price tag if you go down the truly bespoke, tailor-made route. If you want to keep costs down while also adding high-tech design elements to keep it functional and fun for modern living, Masterclass Kitchens has the perfect solution with its range of rustic kitchens that won’t break the bank and can include all the mod-cons you need.

Here’s how to create a country-style kitchen that blends a nostalgic feel with the latest culinary innovations.

(A traditional kitchen with light blue Shaker kitchen doors)

Wood-effect drawers

While the cabinet doors and drawers need to look the part from the outside, they also need to enhance the country kitchen look from the inside. A farmhouse kitchen typically features wooden drawer interiors expertly crafted from walnut or oak. These timber drawers, inserts and fittings give the kitchen drawer unit an authentic, artisan look that no plastic cutlery organiser can replicate.

(A walnut cutlery tray in a kitchen cabinet drawer) (Country rustic farmhouse kitchen with wooden kitchen drawers)

The Masterclass Kitchens teams craft their kitchen drawer units with full wood-effect cutlery drawer organisers that are indistinguishable from the real thing. It may seem a small detail that no-one sees when the drawers are closed but it’s this attention to detail that makes your kitchen stand out as a real rustic kitchen that ages well over time.

Kitchen handles and doors

When planning your farm kitchen with a modern design, it’s important to get the basics right. This means creating a traditional kitchen feel with the perfect choice of kitchen doors. Typical styles for a country kitchen are the five-piece Shaker or a classic cabinet door with beading.

Choosing the perfect kitchen cupboard handles is also key. T-bar handles and other modern kitchen cabinet handle designs don’t work. Instead, look to the classic handles range such as D, cup and knob handles, as these are more in keeping with the traditional look.

(Traditional kitchen cupboard doors featuring a range of kitchen handles)

So far, so traditional. To achieve a more modern effect, choose traditional painted doors like Masterclass Kitchens’ Ashbourne range but in a bold colour. Windsor Blue, Beach House or Vintage Rose all work well, or a durable vinyl-wrapped door such as the Kensington slim Shaker style, which is ideal for families with children, as it’s hardwearing and easy to clean.

Kitchen islands with seating

Country kitchens are synonymous with strong family connections. Generations have used their dining tables to form bonds and weather storms yet modern homes don’t always have space for a family dining table in the kitchen. This is why the experts at Masterclass Kitchens often recommend including a kitchen island with seating within your design.

A carefully selected freestanding kitchen island is perfect for everything from breakfasts and morning coffees to a working lunch and family meals as well as providing the ideal platform for socialising, entertaining and preparing food. It creates the warmth and connection that a kitchen table delivers while also adding valuable storage space, so much so that even a smaller kitchen can achieve the desired effect.

(A cottage kitchen island with a wine drawer)

(A kitchen island with a chunky rustic wood dining table bar and barstools)

This modern twist on the traditional farmhouse kitchen set-up gives far more aesthetic flexibility. As well as cupboards and a kitchen island worktop for instance, you can add a wine rack, open shelving and any number or decorative and practical inserts that combine function with flair.

Modern larders and pantries

When visualising a country kitchen, it’s hard not to imagine the roast dinners, hearty stews, casseroles and home-baked cakes that are created within them. It’s for this reason that a larder or pantry cupboard should ideally be included within any modern country kitchen design – both if you have the space. Masterclass Kitchens has plenty of pantry storage options and rustic larder cupboards to choose from. There’s the Hathaway pantry, the Lansbury corner pantry, the Lansbury corner pantry and the SpaceTower larder, all of which will help keep your kitchen organised and clutter-free.

(Corner kitchen pantry cupboard with walk-in-pantry storeroom capabilities)

(Butlers’ pantry shelves, drawers and pigeonholes in a kitchen storage cabinet)

Any of these pantries and larders offer full flexibility with pigeonholes, shelves and drawers as well as energy-efficient LED lighting to make them quick and easy to access.

For further advice and inspiration for your country kitchen with modern convenience, check out Masterclass Kitchens’ full range of kitchen storage to suit every need.