Chances are we'll never have a real farmhouse kitchen, with high exposed beams and crumbling stone countertops and lovely golden provençal light streaming in through the windows. But a girl can dream! And perhaps there are some ways to achieve the rustic feel of a farmhouse kitchen in a city home? Still stuck on that provençal light, we went looking to Marie Claire Maison for inspiration and found these lovely rooms, some of them kitchens and others rustic dining areas. Certainly there are a few great ideas here that you can appropriate in your own home...

• Antique kitchen tools aren't always great for actual cooking, but they do look fantastic on display. Troll flea markets in search of interesting old tools and treat them as kitchen artwork: hang them from hooks above your stove or counter.

• Choose a rough-hewn surface for a countertop. We've seen counters made from slabs of reclaimed wood that are just gorgeous. Of course, installing something like this takes skill; if it isn't in your budget, consider a cutting board or cheese board made from reclaimed wood or even stone or slate.

• Look for tableware with a rustic feel. Mixing and matching flea market finds—iron or enamel plates; glass mason jars—can be a great way to achieve a farmhouse look. Or if you want a matched set, check out the Sundance catalog, which offers a lot of dishware made from recycled glass.

• For your kitchen and dining room fabrics, try using burlap, rough linen, or even muslin. Casual tablecloths and napkins are easy to fashion from these fabrics, or if you're ambitious, you can try café curtains or an under-the-sink skirt.

• Fresh flowers are an easy way to bring the feel of the countryside into your kitchen or onto your table. Choose wildflowers and leggy stems that look freshly plucked from the meadow, like Queen Anne's lace and thistles. Mix in some leafy branches for height and textural interest.

Even if rustic isn't your thing, Marie Claire Maison is loaded with great kitchen inspiration. Enjoy!

(Images: Marie Claire Maison)

You might also like