Your kitchen is much more than just a place to store pots and pans, prep ingredients and cook meals. Your whole family probably spends a lot of time there – doing homework, paying bills, keeping track of family activities, and even entertaining. Since you spend so much time there, you want to make sure your kitchen design style matches your lifestyle and your personal style. If you’re looking for inspiration to update your kitchen, you might find that a popular trend this year is the all-white kitchen. But if that just isn’t right for you, there are lots of other choices in kitchen design!
Kitchen remodeling by MBRG
What kind of kitchen design style suits you and your family?
Retro & Bright
Retro kitchens combine open and practical family-friendly spaces with clean lines, stylish fixtures and colors like electric lime, turquoise, orange and red. Bamboo cabinets with minimal hardware are popular with this style. Mid-century modern touches are perfect, too — glass tile, touches of teak, geometric patterns, diner-style stools, and big, bright posters. Light fixtures tend to be simple, but dramatic: pristine white globes or spiky “starbursts.”
Contemporary & Sophisticated
Like retro kitchens, contemporary kitchens feature clean lines and glossy surfaces, while turning up the dial on minimalist design to 11. You typically find strong horizontal lines and sleek cabinets that enhance the simple elegance. Natural light streaming through large windows is a hallmark of this style, with light fixtures that do double duty as sculptural design elements. Smart kitchen storage solutions keep countertops clear, giving the room a calm, Zen-like quality.
Photo courtesy Jenn-Air.
Commercial & Efficient
Perfect for home chefs who love everything about food, kitchen tools, and the joy of cooking and sharing extraordinary meals, this style borrows elements from commercial kitchens. Stainless steel counters, backsplashes and appliances, and a stove (typically gas) with six or more burners, warming drawers and other features are borrowed from the pros. Efficiency is key, so open shelves, butcher block knife storage, deep sinks with pullout faucets, and pot-fillers mounted on the wall over the range are nice additions. The fridge is large, high-quality pots and pans are within reach on a pot rack, and bar stools are a must so family and guests can gather as dinner is being prepared.
Photo courtesy Jenn-Air.
Farmhouse & Cozy
Imagine a kitchen smelling of herbs and apple pie! This is a richly textured kitchen style that’s all about comfort. It can feature elements like butcher block counters, wooden beams, stained or painted bead board for the walls, and glass-door cabinets finished in different colors. Cabinets may feature a hutch element and the island may include furniture-type legs. A large farmhouse sink with an apron front is perfect, as are vintage light fixtures. Instead of bright colors, muted colors and natural textures create a cozy feel for the space.
Photo courtesy Prévo Cabinetry. MBRG is a distributor of Prévo Cabinetry.
Universal Design & Accessible
Universal design helps a kitchen work for everyone—at every age. These kitchens are clean and open. By designing at least 42 inches of space between cabinets and the island, the kitchen becomes wheelchair friendly. Multi-height counters make surfaces accessible even for young children. Safety features include plenty of natural and task lighting, plus hard-surface floors that are slip-resistant. D-shaped handles and touchless (or single-lever) faucets, pot-filler faucets over the stove, pullout storage drawers and Lazy Susans all make the kitchen easier to use. Wall ovens, side-by-side refrigerators and a microwave in the island rather than above the counter will eliminate bending and reaching. It’s a truly ageless kitchen design!
These styles are just starting points. Trading up from a “plain vanilla” kitchen means combining the style elements you love most with spaces and functionality perfectly designed for all the ways you use your kitchen. We’d love to help you do that. Give us a call today and let’s start exploring the possibilities.
