Kitchen Design & Fitting

There are many styles available for your kitchen.

There are many styles of kitchen designs to choose from. The first decision you should make involves choosing a design you like, whether it is a rustic, modern look or some look in between. This helps narrow most of the options. If you decide not to go with just one particular theme for your kitchen, mix and match the elements that you like from different ones to create a diverse look.

Country Kitchens

The design of country kitchens is usually warm and cozy. Décor includes the use of woven cabinets, beadboard wainscoting, light and bright colors and fabrics in floral, striped and gingham prints. Fixtures and fittings have an antique feel, with some items being pulled from an antique store or flea market. For instance, knickknacks found at a local market are used for creative fittings on cabinets.
Within country kitchen designs, there are several more specific themes. Farmhouse kitchens are heavily influenced by heirlooms and stained wood. French country focuses on oak and cherry cabinetry with recessed panels, decorative shelving and plate racks.

Traditional Kitchens

Traditional kitchens have a design that's based on the European and American styles of the 18th to 20th centuries. They generally feature antique appliances and fittings, ornamental trim such as crown molding and corbels, and cabinets in walnut, cherry and mahogany wood. Types of traditional kitchens include the formal Georgian style, where stacked cabinetry and heavy crown molding can be found. Victorian design introduces raised panels, ornate molding and trim with cathedral arch doors, creating a dramatic look for the kitchen.

Contemporary Kitchens

The design of contemporary kitchens focuses on clean, minimal lines. There is little ornamental trim and molding. A heavy emphasis is placed on synthetic materials like glass, concrete and stainless steel. Typically found in a modern kitchen are frosted glass, metallic accents and woods such as maple, birch or ash.

Rustic Kitchens

Rustic kitchens have an American log cabin feel. In these kitchens, deep earth tones, leather fittings and wooden ceiling beams are found. Hickory and knotty pine woods are used. For a rustic country kitchen, warm wood colors are combined with furniture hand-carved from wood.

Old World Kitchens

Tracing their origins to Europe, Old World kitchens have outsized cooking hearths that are the focal point in the room. Painted raised panels on the cabinetry with fittings including valence legs, cup racks and flushed toes are more characteristics of this kitchen. Old World kitchens are also known for the use of stone in the floors and walls, mosaic tiles, appliances cleverly tucked behind panels and the use of copper or pewter accents and fittings

References

• Kitchens.com: An Overview of Kitchen Styles