Kitchens in the English style: characteristics and features

The kitchen in the English style equates aristocracy, but at the same time it is a symbol of home comfort. That is why this interior design has not lost its popularity at the present time.

The English style kitchen is recognized as a classic in interior design. That is why this style does not recognize newfangled trends in finishes or materials.

The style is characterized by the following.

• The kitchen is loaded with furniture, dishes and details, but at the same time the room looks cozy and neat. That is why the English style will be the best option for a large kitchen.
• The color scheme remains unchanged for quite a long time. The main shades are considered pastel, green, brown, beige and all shades of red. Acidic or bright colors are unacceptable in this style.
• Materials for decorating a room in this style should only be natural, as a rule, this is wood, but you can use brick or its imitation. The wooden surfaces of the furniture can be artificially aged, which will add even more comfort to the kitchen. Textile products should also be made only of natural material (cotton, linen), synthetics, satin are completely unacceptable. Metal objects such as furniture handles can also be artificially aged.
• The main prints of such a kitchen are a cage, lines (both horizontal and vertical), animalistic or floral motives.
• Accessories and decor should be handmade or resemble antique items. Plates, paintings, photographs, dolls, towels, or even food can act as decor as such accessories.

Distinctive features of such an interior is the "kitchen island", which is located in the center. As such an island, it can act as a dining table, which must be massive, or a work area. When decorating a working area in the center, as a rule, an extractor hood and a hanging shelf with dishes are formed above it. As for the dishes, it is customary to place them in conspicuous places: it can be a frying pan, a saucepan, a ladle hung on hooks. There may be many pots on the worktop.

When designing a kitchen in the English style, no detail should be overlooked. So, when decorating the floor, only wood or its high-quality imitation is used. And also the flooring can be made of tiles, but always in the color of wood. Installation of tiles with a pattern is possible, but only in squares. Such a tile can be laid out in such a way as to imitate a checkerboard.

Wall design can be done both by painting and by using wallpaper or tiles. But the most popular is the combined finishing method. So, the upper half of the wall can be painted with paint, and the lower part can be decorated with wooden panels. It should be borne in mind that the color scheme should be in harmony with each other. If the paint is chosen in pastel shades, then the panels should be the color of light wood. As a rule, only the work area or the so-called kitchen apron is decorated with ceramic tiles.Tiles with imitation of brickwork look original. When choosing a tile, it is worth remembering that this style does not imply the presence of patterns or embossing on such a surface.

When choosing wallpaper, you should opt for a plain texture or with a floral print. And also a popular pattern are vertical and horizontal lines, a cage on the wallpaper. When decorating a small room, it is worth making a choice on wallpaper in light colors or with a slight print, for example, small flowers. When decorating a kitchen with a larger area, you can use wallpaper in darker shades. The most popular are burgundy and green, while they can be combined with white or pastel shades.

The traditional lighting in the kitchen is natural, warm, yellow light. That is why preference should be given to one large chandelier with many lamps in the center of the room and several sconces or wall lamps. However, they can be in the form of a lantern or simple forms. The lamps may contain floral decorations, such as flowers, and glass and wood elements are also appropriate.

Curtains for such a kitchen should be functional, of high quality and at the same time reflect the traditions of the English style. Light colors should also be present in the kitchen curtains. They should be only made of natural material and rather dense, in this case, jacquard is the ideal option. Horizontal blinds, drapes and curtains that reach the middle of the window will also be appropriate. An original solution will be a weightless long curtain and a dense textile fabric that gathers on the sides. Cage, flowers, most often roses and stripes remain unchanged decor of curtains.

Furniture and household appliances must comply with the canons of English cuisine, but at the same time, you should not lose touch with the times. That is why modern kitchens are furnished with fashionable appliances. An important condition is that all of it must be built-in or a headset hidden behind the walls.

Undoubtedly, an important and main place in the kitchen is an oval or round table. Preference should be given to natural wood such as oak. Chairs with a high back should also match the table. It is undesirable to choose ordinary stools. Textiles for the table and chairs should be selected according to the general color scheme of the room. A tablecloth made of natural material in light colors or with a small floral ornament can be placed on the table. Chair covers can also be present, but only in one combination with a tablecloth. However, there may be small pillows on the chairs.

It is better to choose the sink from ceramics, and the countertop from natural stone. In this case, it is better to buy a large and deep sink. Above the sink, as well as above the working area, there can be wall cabinets and hooks on which the dishes are located. At the same time, there should be no glass elements in the decoration of cabinets and tables, since they do not fit into this style.

Undoubted accessories of such a kitchen are plates on the walls, wicker baskets with fruits or dried flowers. The shelves can contain containers with spices, art and cookbooks. On the walls there may be paintings with London style: a red telephone booth, double-decker buses. On the walls, in addition to paintings, there may be posters of English musicians or actors, but this should not stand out from the general concept of the kitchen.

Experts also note that Russian motives fit perfectly into this style: dishes for Gzhel, a samovar, clay pots and trays. From additional textiles, you can use kitchen towels, which most often serve as a decor, than they play a primary role. Such towels can be made in floral patterns with the application of the English flag, or simply be in a Scottish cage.

The modern interior of English cuisine is a little different from tradition. There is minimalism in these kitchens. Therefore, the kitchen can contain a minimum of details of the English style. It could be two pictures, a fruit basket on the table and a clock on the wall.

In the next video, you will find the characteristic features of the English style in interior and architecture.