Creating a Rustic Look Using Wood Beams in Your Kitchen

There are many beautiful ways to create a dynamic kitchen design, several of which have the kind of staying power that outlasts most trends. Creating this type of design makeover often means going beyond the conventional and creating a kitchen remodel that’s timeless as well as beautiful and functional.

Rustic kitchen designs often achieve this effortlessly. Whether you’re reaching for a modern farmhouse style or a true, classic rustic design, these kitchens have nearly universal appeal. With a lot of character and personality just from the materials used, rustic kitchens never fail to impress and will never go out of style.

One way that homeowners can help bring this style to life within the kitchen design is through the use of decorative reclaimed wood beams. Reclaimed wood is real wood that has been taken from old farmhouses and buildings more than 100 years old. The wooden beams may show patina, wear, saw marks, nail holes, and other character marks from their previous use. This creates a naturally rustic accent for your kitchen remodel, as well as a focus for the rest of your design.

Why Reclaimed Wood?

New cut wood beams are available that have been antiqued to give them a similar appearance, so why use reclaimed wood beams in your rustic kitchen design? The first reason has to do with authenticity. Reclaimed and antiqued wood beams got their patina and marks naturally. This gives them history and greater interest than something that was simply made to look the part.

Reclaimed wood is also more environmentally friendly than new cut wood, because it’s been taken from existing structures and given a new life. Cleaned and milled, reclaimed wood will last just as long in your kitchen as new cut wood, so you sacrifice nothing to get the beauty, dimension, and personality of true antiqued wood with a more eco-friendly past than new wood that has been made to look antiqued.

6 Design Ideas For  Using Reclaimed Wood Beams in Your Rustic Kitchen

Reclaimed wood can be used in all the same areas and ways that new cut wood can be. Take a look at these 6 kitchen ideas to gain inspiration and ideas for your next kitchen makeover. 

1. Hand Hewn Beams

There’s nothing quite like authentic hand hewn beams. This modern farmhouse kitchen features the wooden beams not only across the ceiling, but also as supporting columns on either side of the island. This helps frame and define the kitchen, while also adding a focus to the center of the room. Wood beams in kitchen designs help add a rustic flare to the entire room despite the stainless steel appliances and marble countertops. 

2. Subtle Contrast

The rich, warm color of these decorative rustic box beams adds a much needed contrast to the otherwise white kitchen. While white paint and white cabinets are some of the most popular colors for kitchens, it often leaves the space feeling cold and sterile. The warmth of the wood ceiling beam accents help the depth necessary to make the kitchen feel inviting instead.

3. Hand Hewn Shelf

Beams don’t need to be confined to the ceiling to be effective in your home design. This farmhouse kitchen creates a unique focal point by using a hand hewn beam as a shelf above the cooktop. This area of the kitchen is usually reserved for some kind of accent backsplash, so the beam makes a refreshing focal point that helps to cement the rustic theme.

4. Cohesive Design

The beams don’t need to contrast the rest of the space to make an effective interior design. These dark wood beams have the same rich color as the cabinetry, which creates a very cohesive design with a more subtle accent from the beams. The different vertical and horizontal placements of the beams helps add interest to the room, as well as the strategically placed chandelier. 

5. Cross Beams

Having a kitchen with very high, vaulted ceilings can often make it feel out of proportion. Having wooden ceiling beams cross the space at a lower level helps bring it back down visually. Adding the pendant lights to the kitchen ceiling beams themselves also adds more function and utility to the space that the extra-tall kitchen ceiling couldn’t bring. The nature of the box beams allows the wires to run through the beams, hiding them from sight.

6. Well Placed Columns

Wood beams don’t have to be confined to the kitchen ceiling to be effective. They can also be used to create support columns as well. Rustic wood beam columns made in the same color and texture as the flooring and cabinetry creates a cohesive, interior design, while also lending visual weight to the room at the same time.

Add Reclaimed Wood Beams to Your Rustic Kitchen

While there are many ways to create a farmhouse kitchen, adding authentic reclaimed wood to the kitchen renovation helps elevate the entire style. Reclaimed wood beams are functional and versatile, and can add a lot of personality to the room. Consider featuring some wooden beams in your kitchen remodel to get the style and character you want for your home decor. Reach out to our team of experts at Elmwood Reclaimed Timber to find the right beams for your kitchen design. We have solid wood beams and faux wood beams (that are still made from real wood), and they all come in a variety of lengths that can be cut to your desired size.