Americana Kitchen Decorating Ideas
The basic tenants of the Americana kitchen style revolve around the color choices you make. What colors say Americana? Red, white, and blue, of course! When deciding on your color scheme, you can choose to go for brighter reds, whites, and blues, like the colors on the modern USA flag, or you can go for richer, deeper colors more associated with Colonial America (this second approach is the most traditional approach to Americana design). The Colonial style colors are rusty reds, dark blue-grays (a la Williamsburg Blue), and beige/off white tones.
The tricky part about Americana colors, whether you choose the modern colors or the Colonial tones, is that they can be overwhelming and hard to use. For instance, painting your kitchen walls rust-red or dark blue can significantly darken your room, not to mention make it appear much smaller. Make sure your use of color does not overwhelm your kitchen; think of the Americana color more in terms of accessorizing than in terms of paint and wallpaper, unless you have a very large kitchen. Start with small splashes of color and add additional color slowly but surely, so you can stop before you go too far.
Items to Consider:
- Flags
- Baskets
- Pottery
- Stoneware in Americana colors
- Crocks
- Coffee grinders
- Chalkboards with painted frames
- Old breadboxes
- Reproduction tins
- Rag rugs
- Uncle Sam items
- Folk Art
- Reproduction prints of the Constitution and Bill of Rights
Putting It All Together:
The list can go on endlessly, but the most important idea is to bring the items together in a pleasant arrangement. If the kitchen is large enough, add extra shelves made especially for displaying the Americana items.
Country:
The obvious red, white and blue are perfect for country style decorating. Country style is probably the most common style infused with Americana. Country style is easy on the eye as well as the wallet, if one is creative. It is a perfect style for families, as all those little nicks and scratches from every day wear only add character to the articles.
Paint old pieces of furniture in bright red, or cobalt blue and watch how the colors add to the room’s ambience. These are especially good colors for children’s items, such as tables, chairs, and rockers.
Primitive:
Primitive Americana is the most extreme example of the style. A primitive home decorated in Americana will include distressed and stained items, including the flags. Also, folk art items that are naive in style will work well with this look. Search stores and flea markets for Americana angels that are made in red, white, and blue, as well as stained and distressed wall hangings and candles.
Farmhouse:
Farmhouse style, like country, works very well with Americana. Farmhouse decor can be a lot of fun and adds a bit of whimsy to the style. Search for red, white, and blue stoneware, baskets, and farm yard animals. For curtains, consider red or blue gingham checked material. Rag rugs, butter crocks, and old coffee grinders make a perfect statement in this decor style and can be easily found in the appropriate colors.
