Style Elements of la Cucina Rustica: Creating Your Own Italian Kitchen

To me, this is the most common country kitchen layout... note the cooktop and corner hood, mimicking the open wood fire grill in historic Cucina

When we traveled through Italy, we fell in love with the style of  la Cucina Rustica (the Rustic Kitchen), which still influence modern kitchen layouts. Stone, brick, tile and terracotta are the main materials used for sinks, counters, floors and other structures. If there is stone or brick in the structure, exposing them adds to the feeling of warmth. Wood beams on ceilings of above a hearth is almost a requirement. Often a modern cooktop and small oven (by American standards) are complimented by a propane tank and gas burner set into iron legs or an wood coal heated grill built right into the walls of the structure. There are many Cucina that have large and deep cooking hearths where pots would hang for cooking and baking. Modern farm style apron sinks popular today are mere great-grandchildren of the one piece carved and decorated marble or travertine sinks found in vintage Italian country kitchens.

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Pointed roofs of Trullo Gallo Rosso

The two photos above were taken in Trullo Gallo Rosso, a wonderfully restored compound of trulli that he runs as a B&B in Puglia. Our host Hugo prepared fantastic breakfasts in his own version of a Cucina Rustica. The property was originally owned by his grandparents and still contains treasures from his Nonna's cucina as well as well as keeping alive the traditional food.

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A look back in history at a typical Cucina Paese. It was a place of warmth in winter, making pasta, cooking, drying clothes and hanging prosciutto.

An amazing example with a series of site-built wood stoves and ovens.

A modern kitchen designed to include old world charm

The character and charm of Gianna's and Stefano's Cucina

Stefano, his co-pilot Roberto and wife Gianna

The photo above was taken in the Cucina of our hot air balloon pilot's home in Tuscany (Idea Balloon Tuscany). Gianna and Stefano made us feel right at home, sharing wine, sausage, bread, cheeses and other treats... along with being able to scratch the bellies of their many pooches. Stefano told me that he had done much of the carpentry himself--the hand hewn thick walnut counter in the foreground can rotate to the other side of the kitchen via a floor-to-ceiling huge pivoting post. And just take a look at the kitchen table he built.

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This design makes Italian tile the focalpoint

A corner grill with built-in wood storage and chimney flue

Italian cooking in a kitchen like this requires simple tools

The simplicity of a Cucina Povere

Exposed stone and the use of wood brings rustic charm to this modern Cucina

Even modern Italian kitchens don't need a lot of space. The fridge is small because most people pick up fresh food from markets and shops pretty much every day. There are less cupboards because Italian cuisine requires less equipment to prepare and cook and serve the foods. Their meals are simpler--small breakfasts and dinners--because pranzo (lunch) is the main meal of the day during the 2-3 hours riposa. Coffee machines are rare because most people prefer making espresso with their little Bialetti Moka pot. So open shelves are plenty for storage. One more element that might be overlooked is indoor shutters--in Italy, used to shut out the light and heat during the midday riposa.

Adding a structure like this would really set the tone for a Cucina Ristica

A huge marble trough sink with plate storage above is functional and very Italian

A simple, sturdy worktable multi-tasks for lunch, rolling out large sheets of pasta, and for food prep

Open grills and large fireplace cooking hearths are common in historic the Italian Cucina. These can be built to contain modern cook-tops or ovens, but you can still buy open fire wood grills to use in modern Italian kitchens. Some install them as part of their outdoor, patio kitchens, while others opt to have them install old-school, with chimney flues. In the U.S., the design and construction of such open fire grills would have to meet strict building codes. If you study the simple corner fireplace design in the photo on the right, you can see that they are fairly simple to build, but they must have a properly installed flue, chimney, hearth and damper to control air and smoke.

A modern cooktop "hearth" on the left, the real deal on the right

The most basic type of indoor cooking fireplace

With the addition of a BBQ/grilling rack, a simple raised kitchen fireplace can be turned into an Italian indoor grill

The open hearth is the centerpiece of this authentic Cucina

A modern installation with travertine sink, modern oven and gas cooktop and built-in wood fired cooking fireplace with grill insert

Finishing touches and accessories to complete the
Cucina Rustica look...

To finish off a Cucina Rustica, you need accessories that not only look the part, but function well. After all, simplicity is the key in Italian cooking and kitchens. Great, long lasting pots hanging on a wall rack, good quality knives, storage jars and jugs, cutting boards and pizza peels, pasta bowls, a wall rack with your most used kitchen tools and of course, the ubiquitous Moka pot to make your espresso. I'll finish off with some ideas to inspire you in creating your own Cucina Rustica with some recommendations from Amazon products...

Buona cucina!

--Jerry Finzi

A few old cutting boards, bowls and recycled cupboard doors

Classic corbels used to hold shelves or accent cabinets

Rehabilitated from wine fermentation, huge demijohn bottles.

Open shelves and dish storage

Old world pottery