Kitchen Styles
Kitchen styles are as diverse as the homes they are built in. With over 40 years of remodeling kitchens in Maryland, including Annapolis, Columbia, Baltimore, Bel Air, and Lutherville, our design professionals have experience applying the most popular kitchen styles and working with you to extend your personal style preference throughout the kitchen space.
Ultimately we strive to give you something exclusive, conforming to a total design profile, and utilizing the latest in both form and functionality to create a space you are comfortable in and want to show off to your neighbors and friends.
Which Kitchen Style Is Right for You?
- Traditional – This kitchen style takes its inspiration from the 18th and 19th centuries, blending a homey feel with expert craftsmanship. The cabinetry is typically either stained a deep mahogany or painted white. It is usual to see fluted panels and ornate trims, polished brass hardware, and likely granite or marble countertops.
- Contemporary – Sleek and modern. This chic kitchen can be very open and refreshing, blending smooth wood, shiny industrial steel, and beautifully worked stone into fine geometries. Vertical blinds or Roman shades are typical to bring out the crispness of the look. A variety of colors and textures can add bright details even to a contemporary kitchen.
- Transitional – A transitional kitchen lets you blend everything you like from both traditional kitchen styles as well as contemporary styles. Many times, homeowners wanting a new kitchen have to pick one or the other, but you can mix the two for a unique look that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
What Goes into a Kitchen Style?
A lot of work goes into making different parts of the kitchen design as comfortable and personal as possible. In order to get the most out of your kitchen redesign, you will want to consider the following:
- The Cabinets – Kitchens need to be both attractive and functional. With kitchen cabinets, you can choose from a variety of different materials that can help complete the look you’re going for and really give your kitchen a unique look.
- Backsplashes – The kitchen backsplash is often overlooked in the grand scheme of kitchen remodeling, but it can be a strong part of the overall design. When looking at kitchen backsplashes, you have a lot of different colors, patterns, and materials to choose from – something for every budget.
- Hardware – There are endless possibilities with regards to colors, style, and sizes of cabinetry hardware. Some treat the hardware as the “jewelry” of your kitchen. Hardware can dress up or dress down the cabinetry and help steer the style to slightly more traditional or contemporary.
- Kitchen Islands – If you’ve ever felt like you needed to be more efficient in the kitchen, this is the perfect way to make it happen. With an island in the room, you have an extra surface on which you can prepare meals. You can also put chairs around the island to give guests another surface to eat on. You can have a kitchen island made from the same material as the counters so that everything blends together seamlessly.
- Lighting – Never underestimate the power of good kitchen lighting in making the area easier to work in and setting the mood for meals or conversation.
More Specific Kitchen Style Trends
- Shaker – The Shakers were known for humility both in their fine workmanship and their sense of fashion. The kitchen style that bears this name reflects this ideal by being made for practicality and pragmatism. That is not to say it is not beautiful; minimalist in design, it still often has splashes of color and pattern in its details. The materials of a Shaker kitchen are chosen for their utility, making this an attractive option for the serious chef.
- Arts & Crafts – Has become an increasingly popular design motif in recent years. In contradiction to the often mass-produced feel of many contemporary goods, this kitchen style tries to work with the more organic elements of the house and materials. Plain wooden cabinets are common, with emphasis on their grain and basic craftsmanship. With the concentration on fine work, hand-carved wooden corbels and brackets are a must.
- Provincial (French) – The goal is to add a warm continental flair to your cooking space. Often features light earth tone walls and aged wooden ceiling beams, armoire style cabinets, and a large range hood. Wood relief motifs and rustic French prints on the wall finish off the look.
- Cottage (English) – Another traditional style is the English Cottage. Glass knobs, ornate windows, and clean, lightly colored paints bring an airy and yet cozy feel to your kitchen. To really capture the feel, adding slight distress can be utilized to reach a great vintage feel.
For a kitchen style with a connected, seamless feel that reflects your tastes, call (800) 211-8394 or contact us to speak with a representative.