Rustic Hickory Kitchen Ideas

Rustic Hickory Kitchen Cabinets

• Rustic hardware -- such as porcelain knobs or wrought iron or copper handles -- goes well with hickory cabinets. Dark-colored hardware such as wrought iron creates an appealing contrast with bleached or natural hickory finishes. Copper or brass hardware adds warmth to medium-to-dark hickory. For an updated rustic kitchen, matte finish knobs and handles blend a contemporary look with rustic knotty hickory. Hickory kitchen cabinets come in many shades from bleached, light, natural, warm browns and dark finishes.

Rustic Hickory Kitchen Features

• Matching a kitchen island or rolling cart to hickory cabinets increases the work space in the kitchen. A hickory-topped island offers a durable work surface for food preparation. For a small kitchen, installing an island with pub-height stools for dining creates options for a dine-in kitchen and socializing during meal preparation. Pub stools in rattan come in many finishes, making it easy to match your hickory cabinets with seating that's lighter in weight and generally less expensive than solid hickory. For a kitchen with room for a table, a hickory piece, such as a farm-style table with wide planks and plain or turned legs, continues the rustic theme.

Rustic Accessories

• A rustic kitchen usually plays up an old-fashioned country or cabin feel, with handmade accessories featuring natural materials. Wrought iron, copper, pottery, baskets and hand-carved accessories go with this theme. Choosing accessories for the rustic hickory kitchen involves adding functional elements that complement the hickory finish. For a light hickory kitchen with an old-fashioned rustic style, ironstone decor such as a butter churn, crocks, bowls and dishes displayed in a hickory corner cabinet or hutch work well. This strategy can also brighten up a dark hickory kitchen -- or add decorative elements in colorful crockery to create a dynamic effect and counteract the wood's dominance.

Color Schemes for Rustic Hickory

• Rustic kitchens generally use solid colors or subtle prints and include colors found in nature. Look for neutral and earthy colors to complement hickory's dynamic wood grains and knots. Forest green, medium to dark red, slate blue, tan, cream, white, black, rust, burnt orange and dark blue suit this style. Textiles featuring natural dyes and hand weaving -- such as braided rugs, Navajo rugs and saddle blankets -- offer an option for adding suitable colors and patterns to the hickory kitchen. The rustic look emphasizes natural materials such as cotton and linen for window treatments.