Kitchen Workbook: 15 Elements of a Traditional Kitchen
Conventional kitchens are defined by their particulars, and producing eye-catching detail isn’t just as simple as putting legs on a island. But if they are Old Earth or Mediterranean flavor, traditional kitchens all share the same essential components. Listed below are 15 details that help you create traditional kitchen style.
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John Kraemer & Sons
1. Architectural details. Traditional kitchens concentrate on the details in every area. There is a little embellishment or adornment everywhere you look, however the best traditional kitchens just feel layered rather than overbearing. Speaking of details, this kitchen has everything — arches, moldings, beam ceilings, framed and raised-panel cabinets, a custom hood surround, chandeliers, furniture-style cabinets and, of course, island bottoms. Notice how each area has detailing: the island turned legs, the darkened wood bit at the front that’s likely hiding a refrigerator, the form and moulding of the custom hood surround. And all that’s in addition to the raised panels, the flush inset cabinets along with the box-beam ceiling.
2. Flush inset or framed cabinetry. The type of cabinet construction may have a substantial impact on the way a kitchen looks. Complete overlay or frameless cabinets are correlated with a more contemporary way of constructing a cupboard — the door overlays the frame of the cupboard, and you do not find any exposed hinges. Flush inset or framed cabinets are correlated with an Old World way or furniture-style way of constructing cabinets. With this sort of structure, you’ll realize the frame around the doors, and the drawers and doors are set flush with that frame. You will also see vulnerable piano hinges in silver, oil-rubbed bronze or even antique brass.
3. Glazed and antique cabinet finishes. Traditional kitchens frequently feature cabinet finishes which are glazed or made to look distressed and aged. Whether you’re using antique white or a color such as the island displayed, a bit of glazing may add instant era and patina. Be cautious, though. Some antique finishes seem fake, so make sure your cabinetmaker has samples that you approve before ordering.
Danenberg Design
4. Raised-panel doors. Whereas you’ll see flat-panel doors at a contemporary kitchen and easy Shaker doors using a bead mould in classic kitchens, traditional kitchens have more ornamentation. Raised-panel doors come in many different fashions, and the shadow lines created with this extra detail are a signature look of traditional kitchens. Check with your cabinetmaker concerning the choices.
Jean Allsopp Photography
5. Mixed door styles and finishes. Traditional kitchens frequently use many finishes. Sometimes you’ll find 1 colour or style cupboard on the perimeter as well as another on the island, for example. And you do not have to stop at only two; feel free to mix in a tall cupboard with a natural stained-wood tone. Even a section of cabinets like a breakfast bar or butler’s pantry could be done in a third or fourth colour. Mixing finishes gives traditional kitchens a collected-over-time feel.
Rebekah Zaveloff | KitchenLab
6. Decorative cabinet door inserts. There are limitless detail choices for cabinets in a traditional kitchenglass with a beveled outside advantage, antique glass, wood mullions in heaps of different arrangements or metallic mesh inserts as shown in this kitchen. Some traditional kitchens even employ different alternatives in different sections.
7. Decorative moldings and corbels. In keeping with the concept that more is more, you may add also ornamentation with carved corbels or brackets and implemented molding between cabinets.
SKD STUDIOS
8. Architectural details for cabinetry. In this kitchen you’ll see legs on the sink-wall base cabinets in addition to a architectural surround that really draws your eye to that focal point. You could also note that the sink bottom cabinets are a different thickness than the cabinets on either side — those undulating depths add visual interest. Conventional kitchens employ details such as legs and pilasters on islands, furniture-style toe cries which create the cabinets look as though they’re freestanding, and custom wood hood surrounds that sometimes seem like fireplace surrounds. Each of these details layer along with one other to make a traditional kitchen move the full distance.
Oakley Home Builders
This kitchen shows a number of these architectural components: hearthlike hood surround, pilasters on the island, furniture toe more.
Oakley Home Builders
9. Apron-front sinks or farmhouse sinks are just another touch element of traditional kitchens, even though these are pretty popular in kitchens that are classic too. The old-fashioned handmade character of those sinks draws a wide audience.
10. Luxury countertop materials. Calacatta and Statuary marble, walnut butcher block, quartzite and light granites are all popular choices for traditional kitchen countertops. Though marble is a much more high-maintenance option, it’s an Old World feel that keeps drawing people back to it.There are also lots of manmade quartz stuff that mimic the look of granite and marble if you want something a lot easier to deal with.Honed or nonshiny finishes on countertops seem to be more traditional generally, although polished stone does appear sometimes.
11. Ornate and ornamental lighting. Traditional kitchens boast crystal or brass chandeliers, lantern-style lights — generally speaking, light that you may expect to see in a dining area more than a kitchen.This trend is unquestionably less Old World, since the kitchens of yesteryear weren’t used how we use them now, but this sort of light makes them feel more like living rooms than utilitarian spaces.
Torre Construction & Development
12. Custom made metal, stone and plaster hoods. As a substitute for wood hood surrounds and fireplace-style hoods, traditional kitchens frequently feature ornate metal hoods, custom-shaped plaster hoods with moldings and corbels, as well as weathered rock hoods.
L. Cramer Builders + Remodelers
A plaster hood is often equally as ornate, but it’s less heavy than wood. This style also works great when you don’t have wood cabinets flanking the hood to tie the hood into, because the plaster hood stands out on its own greater.
Signature Design & Cabinetry LLC
13. Backsplash niches and ledges. Going that extra measure with small, unexpected facts is what makes a traditional kitchen feel how it seems. Niches behind the cooker are just one such detail.
Mark Henninger
Niches flanking the cooker which are built into the hood surround are just another alternative.
Venegas and Company
14. Furniture-style tall closets. Cabinets which don’t seem like cabinets are a major hit in traditional kitchens. The stained wood cupboard on the left could be concealing the cabinet or the refrigerator.
Stonewood, LLC
15. Hutch-style cabinets. Hutch cabinets are often though of dining room furniture, but they have migrated into several classic and traditional kitchens. The extra storage they supply by going to the counter is some homeowners may pass up.
More: How to Locate Your Kitchen Style | How to Remodel Your Kitchen