Whilst many retailers are championing the sleek minimal line for 21st Century kitchen design, the reliable rustic country kitchen look is still a firm favourite with traditional, timeless sentiments that last a long way into the future of your home.

Here are our top tips for achieving the perfect rustic country kitchen design:

Creative Storage
When thinking about storage for your kitchen try to get away from the standard cupboard and draw partnership - if you're looking for a rustic feel the key is getting a myriad of natural materials into the design equation. For storage you might want to consider deep shelving with baskets or boxes that slide in and out; open shelving; plate racks; saucepan and utensil rails.

Go Natural
When choosing your cabinets and worktops think natural and modest. A traditional country kitchen wouldn't have had granite or marble work surfaces, so if you're trying to replicate the look get the right materials. Solid wood worktops are cost effective and work really well in the natural stakes, whilst wooden cabinets are an absolute must - whether you're going for painted or waxed.

Fixtures and Fittings
Country cottage kitchen design requires traditional fixtures and fittings to make it look like it belongs - rather than sourcing sleek chrome minimal taps, door handles and lights, a rustic kitchen demands fittings such as wooden handles, cross headed taps and glass shades for central lighting.

Hide Appliances
In an ideal world everyone would have a utility room in which to store all the white goods that a kitchen requires, but if you haven't got room in your design to accommodate this sort of layout, then ensure that the appliances are at least hidden behind some solid wooden cabinet doors - electrical goods do not equate to the country cottage living look.

Fabrics and Soft Furnishings
Gingham may be a cliché to far, but think about your curtains, chair cushions/covers and table cloth - sourcing traditional patterns and designs to create a heritage cottage feel is a great way to go and will play the role of dressing the rest of the room.

Stanley Wong is a designer of fitted kitchens, in his spare time he likes to write about industry trends.

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