Creating A Country Kitchen
Tuesday 25th September 2007 by Georgie Coleridge Cole
 The kitchen is the hub of the home. It’s where we’re all happiest gathered around the table for a cup of tea and a natter. In a country kitchen this is the case even more so. An aga providing warmth and cosiness, a sofa spilling with cushions and lots of general homeliness work to create a place where we feel at home.
 A distressed farmhouse style table will form the focal point of a country kitchen. It should be rectangular in its shape and the bigger the better: as one child, neighbour or friend arrives for tea and a biscuit, more will follow. Laura Ashley  and Belle Maison have an attractive selection of dining tables and chairs.
If you’ve the room for it then in my mind, a sumptuous sofa makes a kitchen. Don’t spend a fortune - it’ll be a mean feat restraining the dogs from lying on it - but pile it high with cushions and it’ll look delightful; if you haven’t the room to accommodate a sofa then a carver dining chair, rocking chair or wicker chair in the corner with a big comfy cushion pad is just as effective.
 Island units are more popular than ever. But if you live in an old house you most likely won’t have one built in. A butchers trolley will serve a similar purpose or visit Kit Stone where you’ll find chopping blocks and free standing island units that are moveable and look fantastic.
 Like any room in your house attention to finite detail is a must.
Adorn a decorative dresser (try Belle Maison , picture left and The Cotswold Co ) with family photos, pretty plates and cups hung off hooks along the front.
 Visit Emma Bridgewater or Burleigh Pottery and treat your busiest room in the house to a set of ever day dining ware or at least a teapot and matching cups.
And finally a Roger La Scelles clock, checked notice board or black board, egg cupboard (pictured above left, Country Cream), hand-picked flowers and enamel ware from Country Cream or Dibor will form the perfect finishing touches to any country kitchen.
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