Low-Cost Country Kitchen Ideas

Laminate floors and countertops in dark tones contrast the white cabinets, appliances and subway tile from big-box stores. A $25 galvanized barn light juxtaposes a girly-chic chandelier found on eBay.

A metal caddy scored at a thrift shop holds canning jars that keep everyday forks, knives and spoons handy.

Though builders proposed upper cabinets by the window, Shannan opted for open shelving to save cost and showcase colorful dishes. New shelving units with brackets that look like repurposed yardsticks fit her casual style.

 A pair of $4 cloth napkins gains new purpose as cafe curtains when hung from a tension rod. Switch them out throughout the year for a quick refresh.

Shannan and Cory picked out old moldings and doors at Green Oak Antiques in Rochester, Indiana, where workers then constructed the 5-foot-long island. "It anchors the room and gives us that pop of color," she says. Plus, it hides a trash can and stores bakeware on the sink side.

To close off the mudroom, Cory designed a simple track-door system for $50. Casters at the bottom of a salvaged schoolhouse door bear the weight. Eye hooks at the top glide on a rod of conduit piping. 

"I had no idea what I was going to do with it," Shannan says of the retro battery rack she snagged for $30. "When we moved into this home, it came to me that it would be a great place for our thrift-store coffee mugs."For more on Shannan's home and family life, visit flowerpatchfarmgirl.blogspot.com.

Builder Miller Brothers Builders, 1819 E. Monroe, Goshen, Indiana. (574) 533-8602; millerbrothersbuilders.comCommunity housing developer LaCasa Inc., 202 N. Cottage Ave., Goshen, Indiana. (574) 533-4450; lacasainc.netCabinetry Franklin maple in Glacier. Wellborn Cabinet Inc. (800) 762-4475; wellborn.comCountertops AG361 Graphite Talc. Pionite High Pressure Laminates. Panolam Surface Systems. (877) 726-6526; panolam.comDishwasher Bosch. (800) 944-2904; bosch-home.com/usFaucet Delta Faucet Company. (800) 345‑3358; deltafaucet.comFlooring Shenandoah hickory. Timeless Impressions collection. Inhaus Surfaces. (888) 255-3412; inhaussurfaces.comHardware Lowe's. (800) 445-6937; lowes.comIsland Custom from reclaimed doors and moldings. Green Oak Antiques, 3024 S. 425 E., Rochester, Indiana. (574) 223-5702; greenoakantiques.com Color: 5007-8A Twilight Meadow. Valspar Paint at Lowe's. lowes.comLighting Galvanized outdoor barn light. Lowe's. lowes.com Chandelier. eBay. ebay.comMicrowave Whirlpool. (866) 698-2538; whirlpool.comOpen shelving Joss and Main. (800) 632-8158; jossandmain.comOven Maytag. (800) 344-1274; maytag.comPrint You Shall See Wonders by Katie Daisy. etsy.com/shop/thewheatfieldSubway tile Lowe's. lowes.comStools T.J. Maxx. (800) 926-6299; tjmaxx.tjx.comWall color OC-17 White Dove. Benjamin Moore. (855) 724-6802; benjaminmoore.comWindow Silver Line by Anderson. (800) 234-4228; silverlinewindows.com