Dreaming of life in a renovated farmhouse but not quite ready to commit to a fixer-upper? Fortunately, you don’t need to live in the middle of nowhere or buy an old country home to achieve the look, and your kitchen is an especially apt room to start.

How to begin? There is an art to achieving the farmhouse kitchen decor look without being cheesy, says designer Claire Zinnecker, who starts her process by thinking more about texture and mixed materials, and less about bold pops of color. “It’s about layering collected items and then editing it down,” she says. For example, pulling in texture with a vintage French wood cutting board next to an earthenware bowl, sitting on a stack of unique books. Zinnecker says the secret to a cohesive look lies in taking a step back. “It’s less about a perfect curation and more about a collected vignette,” she notes.

Like Zinnecker, Ashley Macuga, the Principal Designer of Collected Interiors, likes to stick to a neutral and earthy color palette and natural materials will give your kitchen a timeworn but perfectly timeless design. Beyond adding a touch of wood or a timeless vintage piece, such as a dining table or chairs, Macuga loves styling modern farmhouse kitchens with found water pitchers and fruit bowls. “The textural contrast of ceramic against painted and stained cabinets give a new space interest and soul,” she says. Lately, Etsy has been the treasure trove for finding ceramic artisans and for Macuga, “sourcing from several different artisans for the same space ensures that each piece brings its own unique, collected vibe to the surfaces in the room.” Looking for some inspiration on your own cooking space? Explore these 21 gorgeous rustic kitchen ideas from our favorite designers for a fresh take on how to create your own home on the range.