Why Nate Berkus Is Obsessed With the Unfitted, English-Country Kitchen—and Bringing It Home

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Designer Nate Berkus isn't exactly known for stripped-back interiors. He's a champion of marble surfaces, an advocate for detailed cabinet profiles, and a devoted fan of statement-making light fixtures. So it came as a genuine surprise when he gave an enthusiastic endorsement to unfitted, English-country kitchens in a recent Instagram reel.

The aesthetic is unapologetically utilitarian. Imagine: copper cookware suspended from overhead racks, freestanding armoires replacing built-in cabinetry, and generous stretches of open shelving. "I don't think it's fair to call it a trend, but I love what I think of as a disassembled kitchen," Berkus shared on Instagram. "I love a plate rack; I love a massive table standing in for an island." And this isn't merely an aesthetic he's observing online. "We're actually doing this at our farm in Portugal right now," he admits. "Jeremiah has this vision of a little bird-shaped lamp plugged in on the counter, and I've been collecting mustard pots and small silver vessels for condiments."

Want to weave some of this transatlantic charm into your own kitchen? We've gathered some inspired starting points.

This U.K. basement kitchen could have been lifted from Berkus's description. Raw stone floors ground a substantial farmhouse table that doubles as a prep island, weathered doors separate the room from the rest of the house, and a salon-style arrangement of oil paintings and hand-thrown pottery hangs above the farmhouse sink.

Shelves, shelves, and still more shelves—an effortless formula for infusing a kitchen with pastoral warmth. Loeffler Randall founder Jessie Randall's Hamptons residence sets the standard beautifully; we admire the potted herbs and curated stacks of plates displayed throughout her cooking space.

One Los Angeles couple made a vintage larder cabinet the centerpiece of their sage-green kitchen. It's fully operational—doubling as a bread-cutting station during warmer months and a cool-weather repository for eggs and butter when the temperature drops indoors.

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