How to Decorate a Primitive Kitchen

Metal accents work well in a primitive kitchen.

If you prefer a timeworn, distressed look rather than glossy perfection, consider a primitive theme for your kitchen. The utilitarian space of a kitchen is the perfect setting for primitive decor, with vintage collections, junkyard gems, flea market finds, and family heirlooms being used for both functional pieces and decorating. Personalize your primitive kitchen with a tableau showcasing favorite crockery or old glass jars holding flowers, herbs, leaves, and branches from your garden.

Instructions

1. Gather inspiration from diverse sources. Your corner thrift shop and neighborhood yard sale may have old wooden furniture, shelves, doors, drawers, hardware, frames, textiles, and utensils that can give your kitchen a primitive look. Consider international decor styles that emphasize the rustic and vintage, such as French country, Tuscan villa, Mediterranean beach cottage, Spanish hacienda, Mexican colonial, and Japanese farmhouse. Clip out pictures of inspiring images and products, and keep notes of any design features that can transform your kitchen.

2. Integrate architectural elements that exude primitive style. A stone wall and fireplace evokes a French farmhouse, while exposed ceiling beams and wall posts in dark, weathered wood have rustic charm. Stucco walls have old-world style and wood paneling recalls a log cabin in the woods. Columns and arches, rather than dividing walls, give a primitive kitchen architectural prominence.

3. Paint your kitchen in hues that evoke nature and natural materials. Leave elements such as stone, wood, and hammered tin unpainted, or add a thin coat of antique whitewash to subtly brighten surfaces without covering underlying color and texture. Cream, pale yellow, or faded cornflower blue on walls keep the look light and natural. Stone gray or, for spaces low on natural light, rosy gray function as neutrals in a primitive kitchen. Embellish walls with stenciled patterns of fleur-de-lis or climbing ivy.

4. Furnish your kitchen with vintage, distressed, and mismatched pieces. A wide plank wood dining table with benches for seating highlights an eat-in kitchen, while a smaller kitchen benefits from a chipped wrought iron bistro table and wooden folding chairs. Look for solid wood pieces with finely crafted details, such as wood joinery, burnished trim, hand-painted images on doors, tile insets, wrought iron details, or chunky, oxidized hardware.

5. Accessorize your primitive kitchen. Brass and copper fixtures, table lamps and pendant lights provide work lighting. A pegboard can showcase a collection of wrought iron skillets, and a windowsill can display a group of jars or bottles. Faded florals, stripes, toile, and paisley work well for chair cushions, cafe curtains, and dish towels.

Tips & Warnings

• Hang leafy green plants in windows and around doors to blur boundaries between indoors and outdoors.

• Avoid matching all textiles so that individual details can stand out.

References

• HGTV: Primitive Kitchen
• Apartment Therapy: Tuscan Interiors With a Modern Touch