Kitchen Design Ideas
The 3 Kitchen Design Styles
Although there are countless variations most kitchen design styles fall into one of three categories – traditional, transitional or contemporary. There are similarities in that all styles have floor cabinets, wall cabinets etc. (see our kitchen definitions page). It is typically the ornamentation of wall and floor cabinets and the center island where the different design styles show themselves. Here’s a more complete overview of the 3 primary kitchen design styles.
1) Traditional Kitchen Design
Traditional Kitchen Design features significant ornamentation – including various moldings such as crown moulding at the top of the cabinets and a recessed kick plate under the floor cabinets. Additional accents can include fluted columns and prominent door and drawer hardware The cabinet doors are typically raised panel face-frame doors with the frame surrounding the inset doors (learn more on our Kitchen Definitions page). Colors are muted and the materials are natural – meaning wood, the finish can be a stain or paint.
This kitchen in our Vauxhall New Jersey showroom is a traditional design style. Notice the crown moulding, raised panel doors, elaborate stove hood and decorative moulding – all hallmarks of a traditional themed kitchen.
A closer look at a traditional kitchen design focusing on the moulding and raised panel doors.
This traditional kitchen design features white painted wood cabinets. Glass window cabinet doors are often incorporated into a traditional kitchen design.
Dark stained cabinets are the theme in this traditional kitchen design. Wooden floors are very common in today’s kitchens and the interaction between the floor and cabinets is striking.
2) Transitional Kitchen Design
Transitional kitchen styles include elements from the past and present, blended together to create a design that offers the best of both worlds. Transitional Kitchens have become today’s most popular kitchen design style. A transitional kitchen is in the middle between traditional kitchens and contemporary ones in that it combines elements of both styles. The showy moulding treatments present in traditional kitchens have been muted. There is still moulding but it is subdued – less showy, and involves simple lines. Doors are often sunken panel or shaker style, colors can range through the spectrum.
This transitional kitchen design features a three-tone theme. White cabinets meet up with blue cabinets and the stained center island adds a third color. You can see that when compared to a traditional kitchen design the cabinet moulding and decoration is mute compared to a traditional kitchen. The range hood is simple and the cabinets have shaker style doors and drawer fronts.
Ornamentation in the transitional kitchen style is present, but it is subdued. The moulding finishes feature simple designs with minimal ornamentation. The center island, which seats 5, features simple, elegant mouldings and columns. This kitchen is beautiful, functional and will stay in style for many years to come.
3) Contemporary Kitchen Design Style
Contemporary kitchen design is typically very light on any ornamentation. Crown moulding is rare as is virtually all other moulding. The cabinets and drawer fronts may be a material other than wood and the hardware may be very unobtrusive. The lines are clean and simple.
This modern kitchen design features a counter seating area with minimal ornamentation – they are clean lines and the counter looks substantial. Notice how indiscrete the handles are on the door – another common theme in modern design. The cabinets themselves are all man-made materials. There is a massive amount of storage in this relatively modest size kitchen. This allows the countertops to remain uncluttered. Again, the lines are clean and simple – the kitchen functions very well and it is very efficient to work in.
This contemporary kitchen design has a three tone theme with 2 shades of gray and select wood grain cabinets. All materials used in the cabinet are man-made which allows for large doors and drawers. In contemporary kitchens there is often a desire for clean, uncluttered countertops – that means there has to be a lot of storage, and the storage has to be done thoughtfully if the kitchen is to function efficiently. This kitchen which was a Kitchen Classics design and installation that has all the best that contemporary kitchen designs have to offer – clean, simple, abundant storage and efficient functionality.