Quintessential country style: the AGA cooker

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Everybody loves a stylish country kitchen—the warmth and inviting nature of a slow-cooked meal leisurely roasting away in its own juices, while we sip an aperitif and eagerly await the impending repast is something loved by people from all parts of the globe. The devoted darling of this cherished space is the oven, the place where the magic happens, and a crucial huddling point for cold wintery evenings. So it makes sense that the iconic AGA cooker has entrenched itself in rural and urban living. For those not in the know, an AGA is a heat storage cooker—it’s made from cast iron, runs on oil (gas and electric are also common these days), cooks food, heats your home, and lasts a lifetime. These beauties were developed in Sweden in 1922 by a Nobel-Prize winning physicist, and have since made their way into countless kitchens across Europe. One of the most popular features of the AGA is its energy efficiency and ability to heat a home with relative ease.

If you are looking for some oven inspiration, then take a peek at the sensational examples below and inject a little iconic retro style into your new kitchen space.

Seamless design and integration

When integrating a heat storage stove into your kitchen, ensure you pay attention to detail and install your cooker correctly. This example shows how seamlessly you can coordinate a white cabinet and timber cooktop with a traditional style oven and cooker. There are no gaps between the bench and stove and this leaves the final product looking spectacularly unified and tasteful.

Classic country living

For the ultimate in country style living, this kitchen space has it all—huge kitchen island, stylish breakfast bar with elegant stools, glass cabinets, butler sink, and of course a huge AGA cooker. Emulating this style into your own home is easy, simply deck out your space with heritage style fittings and fixtures and incorporate the AGA oven as a central burner for your expansive domestic space. Moreover, equip your kitchen with a matching refrigerator for that thoughtful and stylish touch.

Rustic warmth

When you dream of romantic getaways to delightful country cottages, a heat storage oven is often central to the idea and fantastical image. This wonderfully rustic room creates a space that epitomises country living and the bucolic charisma of a rural retreat. Although homely and seemingly rough around the edges, this space is actually decidedly thoughtful and well-designed. The traditional style fittings are modern and practical, and the benchtops are timber with a stylish butler sink to complete the look. Emulate this in your own home to create a sense of rustic charm, simply equip your space with eclectic yet classic furniture, statement oil lamp light fitting and plenty of handy adornments and appurtenances of country living.

An AGA for a contemporary space

Heat storage cookers are steeped in history and tradition, and their seamless design and ability to integrate into any kitchen space is outstanding. While many people might shy away from incorporating a traditional or heritage style range cooker into their contemporary space, this design shows us how it can be achieved. In this instance the decorative and embellished nature of the AGA is contrasted against a clean and fresh kitchen that is sleek in its state-of-the-art design.

The centrepiece to the home

One of the most quintessential country style home elements is the cooker—it is the centrepiece to both the kitchen and the home, providing warmth and delicious slow-cooked food. This kitchen exemplifies tasteful style and provides a space that is gorgeous, and pivotal to the success of the domestic space. Moreover, this kitchen oozes radiance, and the dark black of the cooker coordinates and contrasts perfectly with the bright white cabinetry and walls.

Energy efficient heating

AGA cookers and other heat storage stoves are the perfect addition to the home as they are energy efficient and can warm a large space with a single unit. There are two different styles that most people consider when purchasing or installing a heat storage cooker, firstly a single unit that can warm a large room, and potentially adjoining rooms; secondly, the radiator systems that, once lit and powered, can heat radiators throughout one’s home. Both of these options create an extremely low-cost heating system for the entire house. Place your AGA in a space central to the rest of the house to maximise its gentle warmth that will radiate throughout the dwelling.

Incorporating mid-century décor

These days, traditional cookers are blended and installed into many updated houses, terraces, cottages and apartments to create a strong focal point and inject a sense of warmth into a newly renovated space. This updated cottage takes its cues from a traditional history and incorporates delicate mid-century furniture with a sleek modern kitchen. The traditional range cooker is encapsulated by a brick layout of white tiles paired with a contrasting charcoal grout, giving a sense of subway-esque style and classical flair to the space.

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