Kitchen of the Week: Burgundy Meets Blush in the English Countryside

Some kitchens feel like a showroom: spotless, symmetrical, and faintly intimidatinglike they’d judge you for owning a toaster that isn’t stainless steel.
And then there are kitchens that feel like a home the second you walk in: warm, slightly imperfect, quietly confident, and absolutely prepared to host a pie
that’s cooling on the windowsill. This week’s inspiration is firmly in the second camp.

The look: a burgundy-and-blush kitchen set in the English countryside, where moody wine-red cabinetry meets soft pink notes and old-world details that make
the whole space feel collected over timenot “installed on Tuesday.” It’s cozy without being twee, dramatic without being gloomy, and charming without
leaning on the usual “farmhouse sign” crutches.

The Story Behind the Look: A Showroom That Refuses to Feel Like One

The setting for this kitchen is deVOL’s headquarters at Cotes Mill, a historic water mill in rural Leicestershire. The building itself does a lot of heavy
lifting: aged beams, mullioned windows, creaky floorboards, and all those slightly-wonky surfaces that make modern boxes look like they’re trying too hard.
deVOL has leaned into the building’s personality, creating spaces that read like real rooms rather than retail displays.

That “real home” energy is the secret sauce. The Heirloom Collection Kitchenthe star of this burgundy-meets-blush momentdoesn’t just show cabinets. It
shows a way of living: open storage that invites daily use, textiles that soften the hard edges, and a worktable that looks ready for flour, laughter, and
someone dramatically declaring, “We’re out of eggs,” as if it’s breaking news.

Why Burgundy + Blush Works (And Why It Doesn’t Feel Like Valentine’s Day)

Burgundy is rich, grounded, and surprisingly flexible. It behaves like a dark neutral: deep enough to anchor a room, but warmer than black and more
personality-packed than charcoal. Blush, when chosen thoughtfully, adds light and warmth without turning the kitchen into a cupcake display.

It’s a Balance Game, Not a Color Fight

A helpful design principle is the classic 60-30-10 approach: one dominant color, one supporting color, and a smaller accent. Burgundy can confidently hold
the “dominant” role (cabinetry, a feature wall, or a large island), blush can live in the “supporting” lane (paint, tile, textiles, or accessories), and
the accents can be warm metals, oak tones, or creamy stone. The result looks intentional instead of accidental.

Undertones Matter More Than the Color Name

“Blush” is a wide universe. The soft pink in this vibe is less bubblegum and more grown-up: salmony, dusty, slightly earthy. Think “flattering lipstick,”
not “kid’s birthday frosting.” When the pink leans muted and warm, it plays beautifully with burgundy’s wine-like depth.

A Closer Look: The Details That Make This Kitchen Feel Like a Cozy Novel

1) Burgundy Cabinetry That Feels Historic, Not Trendy

Burgundy cabinetry reads both traditional and current because it nods to heritage interiors while still feeling bold. It’s the kind of color that makes a
kitchen feel “finished”even if your dish towels don’t match and you’re currently storing pasta in a container labeled “RICE” because you gave up on
perfection in 2019.

2) Blush Notes That Soften the Mood

In the Remodelista feature, the rosy tone shows up as a refined companion to the burgundy, not a competing headline. A paint color like Farrow &
Ball’s “Dead Salmon” (often described as a complex, dusty pink) is a good example of this family: it’s pink, but it has depthmore “heritage plaster”
than “princess castle.”

3) The Oversized Plate Rack: Pretty, Practical, and Slightly Bossy

A plate rack is one of those old-school features that instantly reads “English country kitchen.” It’s storage, yes, but it’s also styling. Neatly stacked
plates bring pattern and rhythm, like functional wallpaper you can eat off of. The best part? A plate rack encourages you to keep your everyday dishes
somewhere convenient, which is a polite way of saying: it trains you to stop shoving everything into the closest cabinet like you’re hiding evidence.

4) Linen Cupboard Curtains: The Anti-Glass Cabinet Moment

Instead of glass-front uppers or perfectly uniform doors, linen curtains create softness and a lived-in feel. They also forgive clutter. You can have
mismatched bowls, a rogue blender attachment, and that one oddly-shaped serving platter you inherited and can’t get rid ofno one needs to know.

5) The Dairy Table: European Oak + Carrara Marble

A freestanding worktableespecially one that mixes warm wood with cool stoneadds that “unfitted” English-country character. European oak brings warmth
and grain; Carrara marble brings a pale, classic surface that reflects light and makes the darker cabinetry feel less heavy. It’s also a subtle reminder
that kitchens are for working, not just posing.

How to Steal the Look in Your Own Kitchen

You do not need a centuries-old mill (though if you have one, congratulations on your extremely cinematic life). You can borrow the spirit of this kitchen
with a few high-impact moves.

Step 1: Choose Your Burgundy Like You’re Choosing a “Forever Coat”

Burgundy looks best when it’s slightly muted and complex. Highly saturated, fire-engine reds can feel harsh in kitchens. Look for wine, oxblood, or
plum-leaning reds that read warm and deep. Use it on lower cabinets for an easy win, or go full-immersion on all cabinetry if your space has decent
natural light (or you’re committed to layered lighting).

Step 2: Bring in Blush Through Surfaces and Soft Stuff

If painting feels like a commitment, start with textiles: a blush Roman shade, cafe curtains, seat cushions, or a vintage-style runner. If you’re ready
for more, consider a blushy wall color, a soft pink tile backsplash, or even rosy-toned accessories that echo the paint family.

Step 3: Add One “Old-World” Feature That Changes Everything

• A plate rack (built-in or wall-mounted) for that collected, practical charm.
• Curtained cabinetry for softness and flexibility.
• A freestanding table to create an unfitted, furniture-like feel.
• Open shelving for display and daily usejust be honest with yourself about dusting.

Step 4: Pair With Natural Materials That “Calm Down” the Palette

Burgundy and blush love natural companions: oak, linen, unlacquered brass, creamy ceramics, and pale stone. The point is to keep the room from turning into
a two-color costume. Think layered neutrals with one strong lead (burgundy) and one soft supporting role (blush).

Step 5: Treat Hardware Like Jewelry, Not an Afterthought

Warm metalsaged brass, bronze, or burnished finisheslook especially right with burgundy and blush. Pick hardware early, not at the end when you’re
tired and tempted to choose whatever ships fastest. Also: scale matters. Undersized pulls on substantial cabinetry can look like a typo.

Step 6: Respect the Marble (It’s Beautiful, Not Indestructible)

Carrara marble is classic and luminous, but it’s also porous and sensitive to acids. Keep it happy with gentle cleaning (mild soap and water), wipe spills
quickly, and avoid acidic cleaners. If you want the look without the worry, consider quartz with a marble-like pattern for busy householdsbut if you love
real stone, accept the patina as part of the story.

Budget-Friendly Ways to Get the Burgundy-Meets-Blush Mood

Paint + Swap + Style

• Paint lower cabinets burgundy and keep uppers light to save money and brighten the room.
• Use blush in removable ways (shades, textiles, art) so you can adjust over time.
• Thrift a wooden table and refinish it; add a stone board or pastry slab for that “dairy table” vibe.
• Install a simple plate rack or add open shelves and display your everyday plates neatly.
• Upgrade lighting: a warm pendant or sconce can make deeper colors feel richer and more inviting.

Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Going Too Dark Without a Lighting Plan

Burgundy is gorgeous, but in a dim kitchen it can feel heavy. Balance it with layered lighting: overhead ambient light, task lighting under cabinets, and a
warm decorative fixture. If your kitchen has limited natural light, keep walls and counters lighter.

Choosing a “Cute” Pink Instead of a Sophisticated One

If the blush reads too bright or too sweet, the palette can skew themed. Look for dusty, earthy, or salmon-leaning pinks that feel nuanced. When in doubt,
sample paint in different light and compare it next to your burgundy choice.

Open Storage Without a Realistic Plan

Plate racks and open shelves are charming because they show daily life. They are less charming if they become a chaotic museum of random mugs. Display what
you actually use, keep it cohesive (similar plate shapes help), and commit to occasional wiping. You don’t need perfectionjust a little rhythm.

of “Living With It” Experience: What Burgundy + Blush Feels Like Day to Day

Here’s the part people don’t always tell you about bold kitchen color: you don’t just see ityou live inside it. Burgundy cabinetry has a way of
changing the mood of ordinary moments. Morning coffee feels a bit more intentional, like you’re starring in your own small-budget lifestyle film where the
soundtrack is mostly kettle noises and optimism. At night, especially in winter, the same burgundy can feel cocooninglike the kitchen is giving you a
quiet hug after a long day.

Blush plays an underrated role in that daily comfort. The right blush doesn’t scream “pink kitchen!” Instead, it acts like a warm filter over the whole
space. It softens edges, flatters the room’s light, and keeps burgundy from feeling too formal. In practical terms, this means your kitchen can handle
real lifekids doing homework at the table, friends hovering near the snacks, someone “just tasting” the sauce fourteen timeswithout the space feeling
severe or precious.

The old-world details matter, too, because they’re not just decorative. A plate rack changes behavior in a strangely satisfying way: you stop hoarding your
“nice plates” in a dark cabinet and start using them. Plates become part of the room’s texturewhite ceramic against burgundy is basically instant
contrast, and contrast is what makes a space feel designed. It also creates a small daily routine: plates get washed, plates get stacked, and suddenly your
kitchen looks put-together even if the rest of the house is doing its best impression of a laundry-themed obstacle course.

Cabinet curtains are another “lived-in” upgrade that feels more practical than it looks. They hide the mess, yes, but they also make a kitchen quieter.
Doors slam; curtains don’t. You can swap them seasonally, wash them easily, and use them to introduce pattern without committing to a backsplash you’ll
side-eye in two years. And if you’ve ever wanted your kitchen to feel less like a hard-surfaced echo chamber, linen is your friend.

The marble-and-oak table idea is where the romance meets reality. A stone surface is glorious for rolling dough, shaping bread, or setting down hot items
(with common sense). But it does ask for gentle habits: wiping spills quickly, skipping acidic cleaners, and accepting that natural materials tell the truth
over time. The payoff is a work surface that feels honest and tactilesomething you can actually gather around. The oak warms the whole setup so it never
feels clinical. You get a kitchen that’s comfortable enough for weekday chaos and pretty enough for weekend hostingwithout looking like it’s waiting for a
realtor’s photographer to arrive.

If you’re considering burgundy and blush, the most “real life” advice is simple: plan for softness. Add textiles, warm lighting, and natural materials so
the color feels welcoming, not theatrical. Do that, and you’ll end up with a kitchen that feels like it has a pasteven if you installed it last month.
And honestly, that’s the whole English countryside magic: not perfection, but personality.

Final Takeaway

Burgundy meets blush is more than a pretty paletteit’s a lesson in contrast and comfort. Deep color brings drama; soft color brings ease. Old-world
details make it feel human. And when you combine all of that with honest materials like oak, linen, and marble, you get a kitchen that doesn’t just look
good in photosit feels good at 7 a.m. on a Tuesday when you’re hunting for the good mug and pretending leftovers count as meal prep.