Kitchen Styles

Kitchen Styles

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Whether youre a homeowner or looking to become one, chances are youre not certain of your decorating style. Most people dont know what their style is. New Face Kitchen Systems, Inc in Bellevue, WA suggests reading on to find out what your style is and how to compliment it before your next remodeling project. This process will make it easier for you and for your designer!

Modern Kitchen
Modern kitchens have a sleek, crisp look with minimalistic, spacious appearance. The clean straight lines and the primary colors make this style a long time favorite.

Common materials include frosted glass and natural woods, glossy black or chrome cabinets, stainless steel, recessed lighting, granite or quartz counter tops. Basic geometric shapes and bold, bright colors such as reds, blues and yellows, black and white are prevalent.

Arts and Crafts Style
The Arts and Crafts style is very similar to Prairie, Shaker and Mission styles. In kitchens like these you'll see fixtures and built-in cabinets abounding with the best of workmanship and detail. The cabinet styles are simple in an almost puritan way. The look is stained-glass, flat paneling or recessed panel cabinet doors and dovetail joinery. Veneered woods prevail of the maple, beech, birch or oak variety or other rich woods.

Stained glass windows are often used as well as stained glass lighting fixtures.

French Provincial
The French provincial style results in a welcoming and rustic look which mimics the architecture and design found in French provinces, such as Normandy or Paris. Choose the right combination of features. Freestanding hutches and cupboards are popular; however you can achieve the same look by keeping your cabinets either low or stacked rather than having floating cabinets. Classic style would be cabinets with glass doors and wrought iron basket weave handles. You can also hang a wrought iron pot rack and incorporate plate racks into your cabinetry.

Earthy hues of granite or neutral stone or butcher block wood would be appropriate material for countertops. A farmhouse sink serves a functional and decorative purpose as well as adding another authentic country French element.
Consider adding wooden beams across the ceiling to add a farmhouse feel. Highlight a mantelpiece, which can be of stone and wood or simply a large beam stained dark.

Terracotta or parquet floors add an authentic element to your kitchen design, as do stone or brick ones.

Contemporary
"Contemporary" simply means "in the now." There are three sub-styles of contemporary kitchens. Each sub style has the elements necessary to make a kitchen contemporary and each one has its own unique approach on how the elements are applied and used.. These give a kitchen the clean edge streamlined appearance which makes it functional.

The first sub style is considered minimalist with spaces that are form fitted with only the bare necessities; sharp edged cabinets, clean counters, and colors such as white, black and gray. The second sub style is still contemporary but with a homey feel. Cool colorful granite counters with wooden floors and colorful painted walls. The third sub style is a combination of functionality, warmth and bare essentials. This sub style is similar to having a restaurant style kitchen. The appliances are industrial grade, practical and well placed. Bins, storage cabinets, drawers and counters are all made of durable materials.

Another fabulous feature of contemporary kitchens are pendant lights. One of the more popular style of pendant lighting is mini pendant lighting which produce a great overall effect.
Floor tiles are one of the key features in contemporary kitchens. They come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Stone or tile floors are not only very durable but also have great eye appeal.


Victorian
This style has a simple yet elegant look. If you are thinking about updating your kitchen and you are a bit nostalgic, then the Victorian style may be just what youre looking for. Cabinets are usually weathered looking and made of heavy, real wood with chrome pulls and knobs and ornamental details.
Typical Victorian style colors are mauve, cream, and light blue. There are several different ways you can use these colors in your kitchen. For example, cabinet doors can be painted in white and trim in blue or the opposite. Use color on your counter tops which can be made of stone or butchers block.
Use plenty of wrought iron accessories, flower pots and curtains for your windows in same color theme.

Country
Country kitchens are cheery and welcoming. They can be rustic and weathered looking, creating a warm, cozy feeling. Cabinet doors or solid wood cabinets are lacquered or painted, glazed and distressed, usually with black hinges. Glass, chicken wire or metal inserts are popular in cabinets. Exposed beams, pine paneling, beadboard wainscoting, and brick are elements used to express this style.
Fabrics in chintz and calico are a sure way to create a country feeling in floral, checked, striped, gingham and plaid patterns. Color choices range from light to bright.

Tuscan
The Tuscan style is an Italian country style with rustic charm that adds warmth and cheer to any room. Tuscan colors are warm earthy tones, beige, ochre, concentrated gold, blistering sunny yellow, lavender, mustard, terra cotta, rusty red, coal black, and deep blue. Also the use of motifs like lemons, olives, sunflower, grapevines, and cypress trees can help creating a unique time worn look.
Cabinetry should feature open shelves for displaying your ceramics, as well as baskets, decorative canisters and cooking utensils with built in wine racks.
Use of hard, natural, sturdy stones are ideal choices for countertop material. Also tile, including mosaic tile is often found on the wall as a backsplash in a Tuscan style kitchen.

Southwestern
Natural materials, spicy colors and rustic textures are the three keys to a bright and festive kitchen, southwest style. A lot of detail and craftsmanship is apparent in the kitchen. Cabinets are sturdy rich woods, which are often painted from the southwest color palette and add decorative iron hardware.

Handcrafted ceramic tiles for floors, natural stone like granite or richly colored laminate for countertops are used. Corners are often curved, whether on walls and ceilings, counters or range hoods.

Old World
They are heavily decorated with layered finishes, unique door styles and stacked moldings. Oak or cherry wood are two of the most common woods used for Old World kitchens. Hardware and various fixtures are filled hammered iron. Countertops are usually designed using either rustic tile, stone, or wood. Some of the kitchen accessories include chopping blocks, copper pots, crocks, baskets and assorted antique serving pieces.
Old World kitchen floors are either made of finished wood or tiles. The wood or tiles that are used have varying degrees of darkness often distressed and painted with sanded edges to make them round. The kitchen walls are painted with either stucco, faux finishes to give the distressed look or textured finishes. The kitchen is designed with a cooking center that resembles an open hearth and an island that resembles a piece of furniture.
Old World kitchens use large stacked moldings combinations from the ceiling. The ceilings are usually beamed using antique beams even beams from old barns. Crown posts and large arches are also used.

Asian
This style is symmetrical because of the fine attention to details and finishes designed as a practical, efficient workspace. Think smooth, sleek, clean contemporary styles rather than traditional or ornately decorated. Choose colors such as red, white, black, gold and dark brown.
One of the most popular materials used in Asian Style kitchens is bamboo. Youll also find stainless steel, glass, or brightly colored melamine finishes. Usually designed with a Japanese influence, Asian-style wood cabinets offer a timeless quality. The wood itself is carefully chosen for its beauty, and the craftsmanship is impeccable. The wood usually ranges from mellow to dark, and hand-wrought iron pulls and hinges complete the look.

ustiRc
A Rustic style kitchen uses a decor that is rich in symbols and meanings. You can decorate your kitchen with artifacts that are a tribute to the ancestors that represent your individual Rustic styles. The best way to decorate is by using rustic furniture and pottery that are also functional besides making your kitchen look magnificent. The rustic style is simple making all the more beautiful. Rustic kitchens are the place for family gatherings for special occasion or holidays.
The rustic feeling that you create is shown through the colors and woods that you use. Natural woods, terracotta pottery or earthenware and hand woven knotted carpets and folk art are what can be used for the perfect Rustic style kitchen.

Tudor
The Tudor style comes from the medieval era. And is reminiscent of the days when large copper pots hung in brick hearths. When you have a Tudor home your kitchen should be a Tudor style kitchen. Its very common to have large vented hoods made from hammered aluminum or stainless steel over the island cooking center.
Appliances for Tudor styled kitchens are large and usually made of stainless steel. The kitchen cabinets are tall and deep and usually made of darker woods. Tudor style kitchen cabinets have satin finishes on them that give them a warm appearance. This style always has an abundance of storage space sometimes with a butlers pantry for extra storage.
Colors can vary, however, the most popular colors is pale yellow accented by cream tones on the cabinets. Counter tops made of blue slate are a beautiful contrast to the surrounding cabinets. Islands are very popular for this style and are designed to resemble worktables which include under mount sinks with classic faucets. Use woods like knotty pine stained with a medium brown and a heavy blue patina. This gives the work area an aged look perfect for the Tudor style.

Some Tudor style homes often have rooms or pantrys that are lined with cabinets which match the decor of the island.


About the Author:
New Face Kitchens in Bellevue, WA offers kitchen cabinets,flooring,signature cabinets, Complete kitchen remodel,Bathroom remodel,Dream kitchen and more to remodel your kitchen and bathroom.



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