THE KITCHEN GUIDE BOOK

Kitchen design style can get complex with mixes and mishmashes like retro eclectic, or country modern. Often a style is in the eye of the beholder, but I will go over some of the classic kitchen design styles. It is often best to start with a theme and then let it drift into your own mixture, or direction. Good Books, and web sites are the best place to get lots of style pictures, and design directions.

Most kitchens can fit into 3 major categories of Classic, Transitional, and Modern.  The subcategories can sometimes fit into more than one major category: Country, Rustic, Regional, Urban, Contemporary, Antique or Retro, and Architectural/Craftsman.

Country Kitchen Styles

Country kitchen styles can sometimes be broken down by region. Italian Villa, English Cottage, Mediterranean, French Country, and American Country are what I would call country type styles. I hope I didn't offend anybody by putting their style in the county classification. Of course there can be mixes like Mediterranean modern.

The country kitchen style often has painted cabinets in a non flashy color like light green or yellow. The base cabinets usually have legs, or at least have lots of decorative legs, especially the islands (see picture below). The upper cabinets have at least some open shelving type cabinets. Country kitchen styles also often have unique tile back splashes, floors, or counter tops from a specific region. To escape the modern looking stainless steel vent hood the country kitchens sometimes have the sleeve type inside cabinet hood.

 

Modern Style Kitchens

Modern kitchen styles have names like, Commercial, Euro, Modern, Industrial, Urban, Minimalist. Modern kitchen styles almost always use frame-less cabinets with full overlay doors for that seamless look. Regular wood type cabinet doors like oak are not a common site. Stainless steel is definitely no stranger to the modern kitchen. If you want to use the not so typical counter tops, like clear plastic, or all stainless steel, or crazy shapes made out of concrete, then the modern type kitchen style is the place.
 

Classic Style Kitchen

Classic kitchen style is the most common north American style. Classic kitchens can range from gaudy five layer crown to the simple trims of the craftsman design. Some names that would lump into classic are Traditional, Mountain, American, Estate, and arts and Crafts. Classic styles are usually framed cabinets with real wood finishes. At the moment Granite, or Quartz are the counter tops of choice, but tile in the older classic kitchens is most common.
 

Transitional

Transitional is a mix of Classic and Modern. I call it homey feeling modern, or contemporary classic. Transitional is definitely gaining in popularity

I guess this is upscale French country

Eclectic and Retro Style Kitchens are basically a mishmash of collect-ables that meet the owners fancy. Really anything goes with an eclectic kitchen. retro style kitchens are dedicated to a certain era like the 50's.