15 English Kitchens That Will Transport You Across The Pond

One of the most classic interior décor styles is English country. It's also incredibly versatile, ranging from the more rustic and traditional to contemporary takes on the style. This style is often featured in period-piece films and shows, though your approach to it doesn't have to be as dated.

English country is just what it sounds like — inspired by English countryside cottages. It's romantic, homespun, and a little vintage. Contemporary English country design takes inspiration from the more classic elements of English country but modernizes them in various ways.

English country is a wonderful style to inspire your next kitchen remodel, with signature elements including wood, floral design, stone, and exposed or rustic architectural finishes, just to name a few. It's a timeless aesthetic with endless potential and room for growth, and in a room like your kitchen, can prove as functional as it is decorative.

Start simple by including a lot of the core English kitchen elements, but without going overboard. Wood countertops, gray or white cabinets, and an antique wood kitchen table and chairs could get you started. Modernize it a bit with terracotta tile flooring and modern steel appliances. 

Another way to modernize and breathe life into an English kitchen is with a mosaic tile backsplash. Opt for a simple, monochromatic color palette but use varying patterns to keep it from overwhelming the rest of the kitchen. Pair it with basic white and wood elements traditional to the style.

Mix English design with a slightly industrial influence with a large, eye-catching industrial light fixture. Enhance it with an edgy black sink instead of a traditional white apron front, gray cabinets that mimic steel in color, and a hanging steel bar for your kitchen supplies — both functional and decorative.

If you want a bit more of a traditional English country-style kitchen, lean into the more antique and rustic elements, such as rustic wood cabinets, exposed beaming, vintage furnishing, and kitchen supplies. Keep it from getting too heavy by incorporating bright pops of color.

For a brighter approach to a traditional English kitchen, go for white wood cabinets that are weathered or stripped, along with lots of light wood antique pieces. Brighten it up further with gold hardware and lots of flowers — real or fake. 

Copper is often found in traditional English kitchens, usually through kitchen tools more than hardware or appliances. Show this off by mounting your copper kitchenware to the wall as decoration, a solution that's again both functional and decorative.

Very old, Tudor-style English kitchens often have not just lots of old wood, but stone as well. Incorporate this in your kitchen with wood walls, or at least a backsplash. Keep it from looking like a boring sheet of rock with some mosaic tiles.

Traditional English kitchen elements like wood, brick, and stone can be arranged in a slightly different way to get a much more contemporary-style design. For example, a waterfall wood island, stone cabinets, and brick backsplash paired with some greenery and floral elements feel English but much more updated.

Sometimes, all you need is a fresh coat of paint to revive an English country kitchen. Wainscotting doors and cabinets, wood countertops, a wagon wheel-style light piece, and a long, farm-style dining table are all incredibly classic elements that can be livened and brightened up by updating it to white or cream.

If you prefer a little more color, go for a lovely, natural green shade instead of white. Pair this with some natural greenery (plants and flowers), as well as some other earthy tones like wood, wicker, copper, and brass to root it down.

Speaking of brass, it can be used similarly to copper to brighten up and modernize an English kitchen. Switch out your basic steel vent hood for an eye-catching, statement brass alternative, adding some necessary vintage charm to the style.

Steel can certainly be interesting if done right, even in an English kitchen. Stick with the basic silhouette and a few traditional elements — brighter hardware, vintage shapes, and softer wood tones — but opt instead for stainless steel cabinets and countertops for a sleek and modern upgrade.

Traditional English kitchens are definitely colorful, but not in a modern, saturated way. Incorporate some brighter blues and greens into the style through mosaic tiles on either or both your backsplash and floors, plus tie in with other classic elements like butcher blocks and gold hardware.

Another updated take on English country in your kitchen is through your hardware. Instead of either or both vintage hardware colors or silhouettes, go for a completely modern white sink, as well as modern cabinet hardware, brighter, contemporary colors, and light fixtures. Ground it with exposed brick and butcher-block countertops.

Brick is a great backsplash option for English kitchens, but if you want to brighten it up a bit, go for a whitewashed brick backsplash. The effect will be similarly rustic and cozy, but lighter and airier. Enhance it with traditional wood elements and vintage-inspired appliances like sinks and stoves.