4 Common Kitchen Styles-And Which One Is Right for You
After putting up with your old, outdated kitchen for several years (or even several decades!), you’re ready for a change. You might know that you want to swap out your sink with sleeker model or that you want a beautiful island with a gorgeous granite top. But what other plans do you have in mind for your design?
Hammering out every single detail of a kitchen design can take a lot of time and effort. However, if you settle on a general kitchen style, you can get a firmer grasp of what you want. Your home remodeling team can use this general picture to bring your dream kitchen to life.
Scan our blog below to get a few stylistic ideas for your new-and-improved kitchen.
1. Traditional Kitchens
These timeless kitchens mirror classical styles from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Because traditional kitchens draw inspiration from several centuries, this style includes several subcategories, such as Georgian, Early American, Edwardian, and Victorian.
Traditional kitchens require great attention to detail. Your kitchen’s details will vary depending on which subcategory you choose, but the following design elements suit most traditional kitchens:
Small chandeliers or lantern-style lights. Antique or out-of-the-ordinary lighting gives your kitchen a cozy, classic ambiance.
Multi-purpose islands. Create an island with drawers and cabinets, and adorn those storage spaces with antique brass handles. Give your island ornate feet and a high-quality granite counter top to help your island look luxurious.
Layered back splashes, cabinets, and cupboards. Layers help your kitchen pop. Create a layer in your stove back splash by adding a small shelf for storing spices and oil. Include layers in your cabinetry by choosing flush inset cabinets or cabinets with raised-panel doors. Details like these will ensure that your traditional kitchen looks unique and modern instead of outmoded.
Choose a traditional style if you want a lavish kitchen with numerous eye-catching details.
2. Transitional Kitchens
Transitional styling is all about clean lines. Where traditional kitchens may have lots of decorative detail like corbels and fluted columns, a transitional kitchen typically has flat panel or shaker style doors with very little decoration. Transitional is a compromise between traditional and contemporary – getting away from the raised panels of traditional but not too modern. The clean lines in the cabinetry and counter top edges, along with sleek wall tiles give a fresh look for this “in demand” style.
3. Modern Kitchens
Modern kitchens are the polar opposite of traditional kitchens. They’re sleeker, more stripped down, and streamlined to increase efficiency-but that doesn’t mean they can’t be gorgeous as well. Instead of drawing attention to ornate details, modern kitchens rely on straight lines and high quality materials to stand out.
If you choose a modern kitchen style, consider incorporating the following elements:
Beautiful, natural materials. Modern kitchens skip fancy ornamentation in favor of bold, broad statements, so material selection is key.
Look for tiles with interesting designs or wood that showcases a beautiful, unique grain.
Frameless cabinets and flat-panel doors. Cabinets with these features are the hallmark of today’s modern kitchens.
Accent colors. A splash of color unifies your kitchen without drawing too much attention to itself. Experiment with bright colors like orange or yellow, but don’t overdo it-you don’t want to detract from your kitchen’s sleek style.
Choose a modern kitchen style if you value simplicity and minimalism.
4. Rustic Kitchens
Rustic kitchens are the coziest cooking spaces in today’s homes. Unlike elegant traditional kitchens and sleek modern kitchens, rustic kitchens look homey, warm, and comfortable. The trick with this style is finding “distressed” appliances or cabinets that don’t look outdated or unfashionable. A good home remodeler can help you create a kitchen with beautiful, vintage-inspired features.
Most rustic kitchens include the following elements:
Wood. Rustic kitchens can incorporate wood nearly everywhere, from counter tops to cabinets to center islands. This much wood can make the kitchen look dark, so compensate with plenty of lighting. You can also pair wood with rustic materials like brick (such as in a brick back splash).
Antique brass, bronze, or copper fixtures. These warm materials pair perfectly with wood and brick. Use these metallic accents on cabinet handles and sink faucets.
Textiles. Rugs, upholstered bar stools, and creative wall hangings help the space look cozier and lighter.
Choose a rustic kitchen if you want to create a comfortable space for the family to relax in.
Talk to Your Home Remodeling Company
These ideas can give you a good starting point for your upcoming kitchen remodel, but there are numerous other kitchen styles that your kitchen can incorporate. To get further ideas, talk to your home remodeling team. Soon, you’ll be enjoying life in the new kitchen you’ve always dreamed of having.
