What's Your Style? Defining Kitchen Design Styles
Traditional, Transitional, or Industrial... Defining Your Kitchen Style
Remodeling a kitchen is definitely a balance between "art and science." When planning a kitchen remodeling project, one of the most significant decisions you'll make is choosing or defining your kitchen design style.
For example, designing for functionality is more science than art. You'll need to consider flow, layout, the kitchen triangle, placement of the island, and technical specifications like CFM for your ventilation and clearances around the island.
Where the art comes into the equation is when creating the design elements of your kitchen. Whether it's transitional, traditional, French Country, industrial, or contemporary, every kitchen design style has specific features that work together to define the style.
Defining your personal style and clearly communicating with your design-build professional allows you to have a more active role in the design process. In this blog post, we're going to look at the key elements that define the five most popular kitchen design styles to better understand your choices.
The Transitional Kitchen: A Blend of Traditional and Contemporary
The transitional kitchen design style has been one of the most popular, if not THE most popular, design choice of homeowners and designers for several years. It's pretty easy to see why! The perfect blend of traditional and contemporary design elements, transitional kitchens are as versatile as they are stylish.
So what exactly is a transitional kitchen, and why is it so popular? Because they offer a balance between traditional and contemporary elements, the transitional style can blend into an older home's architecture while providing functionality for the modern lifestyle.
If you're looking to create a balance between old and new, the transitional style is an excellent choice. While many love modern design, it can sometimes feel stark and linear. By blending these styles, you get the best of both worlds!
Transitional kitchens will often favor a neutral color palette but will introduce pops of color into the design. For example, keeping big items like counters, cabinets, and floors neutral and featuring a hunter green island.
Transitional kitchens provide ample storage. One popular feature that is at home in this style is open shelving. It offers the clean lines of a contemporary design and gives you the option to add visual interest with accessories. If open shelving isn't for you, consider clean shaker style cabinetry.
Finishes that add texture offer a nod to the traditional, for example, using a beautifully glazed backsplash tile featuring some crackling or a leathered marble counter. Another design element to consider is introducing traditional fixtures, which can make or break your design. A general rule to remember in transitional design... opposites attract!
The Rustic Beauty of French Country Design
One design style living up to its name, more than almost any other, is French Country! Whether you're in upstate New York, or Hollywood, California, when you walk into a classically designed French Country kitchen, you're immediately transported deep into the heart of Provence. This style, when done well, feels effortless. However, the fact is, French Country design follows a specific formula to achieve its "imperfectly perfect" aesthetic.
French Country style is a literal description. It's inspired by the French countryside, specifically Provence. French decor can be ornate, elegant, and over the top all simultaneously, but in Provence, homes tend to incorporate traditional elements that are much more relaxed, distressed, and subdued – think weathered and whitewashed wood.
At its core, French Country design exhibits a refined elegance with its neutral color palette and traditional details. Properly executed, a French Country design strikes a balance between rustic charm and sophisticated luxury. It's a balance between beauty and comfort that feels lived in yet still welcoming. You can also integrate playful touches along with rustic charm, for example, botanical elements in art, fabric, and wall coverings.
Natural materials are a central stylistic element like exposed wood beam ceilings, natural stone or wood floors, often including a stone fireplace. Nothing is pristine. Every aspect features a subtle distressed look that feels lived in.
Traditional Kitchen Style
While contemporary and rustic styles like French Country and Modern Farmhouse are gaining popularity, the Traditional kitchen design style is still one of the most popular with homeowners. With a basic color palette and grand design, the traditional style is timeless.
One key element of a traditional kitchen design style is attention to detail. Each area of the room should have embellishments and layered details that are elegant but not overbearing.
There are several elements that you'll find somewhere in every traditional kitchen. These include details and decorative accessories like wainscoting on the island, corbels, and crown moldings throughout the design. Basically, there should be an element of interest, adornment, or architectural design everywhere you look.
The traditional color palette is a classic mix of warm and cool neutrals, like deep cherries and light beige. Most traditional kitchens will showcase luxurious quartz, granite, or marble countertop to bring an element of nature and motion into the space.
Cabinetry is more embellished than in Modern kitchen styles. You won't find shaker cabinets in a Traditional kitchen design. Think more embellished style, like a Vintage Raised Panel cabinet door. Cabinets will feature glazed or antiqued finishes rather than natural finishes.
Decorative lighting can pull your entire design together, so pick your lighting last. Chandeliers look beautiful in a traditional kitchen and can enhance the details of the room.
Function and Heavy Cool: The Industrial Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of every home. It's where you cook meals and hang out with family and friends. The best kitchens function efficiently. Aesthetics are important, but if your kitchen isn't efficient, you won't enjoy your time spent there.
That's why the industrial style has become so popular. Industrial kitchens have no frills, gratuitous details, or useless elements. They are designed to make working and cooking in them easy...and efficient.
While functionality is vital, the industrial kitchen design style can be gorgeous and luxurious. The use of colors and materials like metals, stainless steel, acid-washed and natural concrete, marble, and exposed brick, fit perfectly into Industrial design. Think easy to clean materials that are durable and exposed. Leaving materials exposed and embracing the raw industrial look brings a simple utilitarian vibe to an industrial kitchen.
Industrial design is open to drama, and nothing is as dramatic (and currently trendy) as black in your color palette. It lends itself to an intense industrial look. For more drama, introduce pops of bold colors like red to accent and introduce color.
Industrial Kitchen design style often features substantial, professional-grade appliances. Remember, this style is all about function, so if you have the budget, splurge on a professional-grade stove and a giant refrigerator. Don't be afraid to allocate your budget for additional ultra-functional tools - like a pot filler over the range, two ovens, or that giant standing mixer you’ve always wanted!
Consider adding a stainless steel freestanding kitchen island. Extra workspace in the kitchen is a must, especially if you're short on counter space. If you have room, a freestanding kitchen island will improve and expand your workspace and contribute to the industrial style.
Sleek, Chic, Contemporary Style Kitchens
The Contemporary kitchen design style blends modern elements and a minimalist aesthetic to create a distinctive look that transcends trends. With sleek cabinetry and a sophisticated color palette, contemporary kitchens are functional and aesthetically beautiful!
Think flat-front cabinetry, stone features, wood accents, stylish tile, and sleek fixtures. The Contemporary kitchen design style embraces warm dark colors and natural materials, like dark wood cabinetry reminiscent of living room furniture. Like other design styles, adding well-chosen pops of color can give your contemporary design a playful vibe.
Flat-front cabinets that showcase a unique wood species, grain pattern, or a sleek monochrome, coupled with a marble waterfall kitchen island, can anchor a Contemporary kitchen.
Along with pops of color, adding an interesting, bold pattern to the backsplash creates another layer of design, enhancing the contemporary vibe. Texture is another option to enhance a contemporary design. Consider combining natural wood shelving or countertops with sleek, modern glossy cabinets. Glossy cabinets are not only beautiful, but their slick surfaces are easy to keep clean. And, they can be fabricated in almost any color you can imagine!
The Right Style Can Set The Tone For Your Entire Home
These five are the most popular kitchen styles, but they're not the only ones! One of the best elements of remodeling is creating a design that meets your family's functional needs while showcasing your personal style.
Educate yourself on the elements of each style. Clip photos from home design magazines, visit sites like HGTV and Houzz and create galleries. Then share your finds with your design-build professional to help them gain an understanding of your style.
Here at Toulmin Cabinetry & Design, our award-winning design team stays abreast of the trends, styles, and latest products available. So we're always ready to help you better understand the options available when remodeling your kitchen.
If you're planning a kitchen remodeling project and live in the West Central Alabama area, give the design experts at Toulmin Cabinetry & Design a call at (205) 366-0807. We're happy to answer any questions you may have. Let us help you design the perfect new kitchen to meet your aesthetic and functional needs.
