Farmhouse Kitchen Styles
Farmhouse style is defined by large wooden units, retro-styled fixtures such as heavy brass or forged steel handles and a solid asthetic that harks back to days gone by.
Exactly which days gone by you wish to hark back to is open to interpretation, but much of what is termed 'farmhouse style' owes its origins to the Victorian period. Some key ideas are robustness (heavy cast iron saucepans and AGA stoves), organic shapes (heavily influenced by the british Arts and Crafts movement of the period) and bold but austere colour schemes.
The adopting of a farmhouse style does not mean you have to entirely forego modern appliances as the picture above shows. A very modern cooker fits well with heavy wooden cabinets, a 'british industrial green' paint job and antique wall clock. The spoon rail is very much a nineteenth century style motif, revived in this design to add interest to the area above the hob.
When thinking about wood for a farmhouse look, the classic wood of choice was Oak and so it seems the natural option to choose.
However, the cost of Oak can be prohibitive, so stained timbers can suffice if a little thought is given.