Learning
How To Design A Timeless Kitchen
Fashion fades, only style remains the same – said Coco Chanel, the grand dame of high style. What goes for personal styling also goes for your home. The timeless look is what we want for our home and its interiors, including the kitchen which is truly the heart of a home.
So, what exactly is a timeless kitchen?
A timeless kitchen has longevity. It is a space that never feels outdated or outlandish. It looks both fresh and lived in. It is also stylish, inviting, and full of character.
Most importantly, a timeless kitchen doesn’t require renovations every few years. It can be refreshed mostly through simply restyling rather than renovating.
Now that we know what defines a timeless kitchen, let’s see how we can design one such.
From custom curtains to subway tiles, we have some great tips and tricks lined up for you.
1. Think beyond trends.
Trends are temporary, class is forever. So, when you design your kitchen, don’t go by what’s in and what’s out at that time.
Think more in terms of what appeals to you personally. What’s something you could look at for years and not get tired of! That’s the first foundational step to designing the coveted timeless look.
2. Focus on quality.
Quality repays itself many times over. When you create modern designs to a kitchen using quality materials and equip it with gadgets built to last lifelong, you get a kitchen that’s actually timeless. As added advantages, this saves your future replacement hassles and reduces your carbon footprint.
3. Choose simple cabinetry.
Plain lines and muted colors, cabinets with these traits are forever in. Ivory, beige, wood grain, pale gray, sage green – these colors never jar the eyes and hence, you never feel tired of them.
This, of course, does not mean that there is no scope whatsoever to inject color in a classic kitchen. There are plenty of other clever ways to add a pop of color to your kitchen.
4. Go natural.
Opt for genuine wood over cheap fiber wood for cabinets. Go for real stone or hardwood flooring over factory-made mass floor tiles.
Install granite or quartz or butcher block countertops over synthetic material ones. If you want a timeless look, your kitchen’s flooring, countertops, and woodwork should ideally be of natural materials.
5. Get the kitchen triangle right.
Whether your kitchen is galley style, U shaped or L shaped, or any other layout, get the kitchen triangle – cooktop, sink, and refrigerator – aligned for ease of work. If your kitchen doesn’t have this basic in place, it will never look timeless. It will look and feel plain uncomfortable.
6. Bring in bright accents.
Remember, we said earlier that your kitchen’s walls and cabinets should be in muted shades. Well, you can add hints of brightness with elements that you can change easily.
These can be anything from the upholstery on your kitchen island chairs, cute cafe curtains, a gorgeous set of custom roman shades above the sink, or even smaller accessories like kitchen towels, soap dispensers, wall clock, and flowers in a vase.
7. Add open shelves too.
Open shelves combined with cabinets create an endearing look that never goes out of fashion.
8. Keep the backsplash tile simple.
Skip those fruit or crockery patterned tiles for the backsplash. Subway tiles are ever in vogue. You can also choose anything that’s not too loud.
Repeating geometric patterns to look good. Get your plain tiles placed diagonally or in a herringbone pattern for a quirky twist.
9. Get the lighting right.
Like the living room and the bedroom, the right kind of lighting can make a world’s difference to your kitchen’s overall look.
Every kitchen needs sufficient natural light and there are a number of ways to increase the natural light in your home. In cases where that’s not possible, choose artificial lighting instead. You need shadow-free task lighting for prepping and cooking. You also need ambient lighting for relaxing and unwinding.
For the first, use conventional central or wall lights. For the second, go for pendants or a row of pendant lights. Get a dimmer switch or two to choose your light to match your mood. Choose your window treatments wisely so they are not unnecessarily blocking natural light. Opt for a faux roman shade valance, for example, if you don’t need to fully cover your kitchen windows for privacy.
10. Hide gadgets behind cabinet doors.
Your refrigerator, microwave, coffee machine, etc. can be placed behind cabinet doors for a more uniform look.
This is a general recommendation depending on the look and the state of your gadgets. If you have a retro look gadget (for example, a Smeg refrigerator), it needn’t be hidden at all. You can give it a prominent position too.
11. Add personal touches too.
Don’t make your kitchen look as if it has stepped out of an interior design magazine’s centerspread. Combine old with new to give your personal stamp to the place where you nourish your family. Your kitchen should have traces of your personality.
Some suggestions: Create an open shelf display of quirky teacups or kettles. Frame restaurant takeaway menus or grandma’s recipe printouts. Hang copper pots and pans from S hooks. Give a touch that’s just you.
12. Mix and match.
Don’t stick to one style or one color. Mix and match your kitchen’s constituents for a uniquely timeless look. Pair chrome-finish pendant lights with black faucets, bronze drawer pulls with steel wall clock, and live edge countertops with sleek bar stools. This will keep your kitchen from looking outdated.
Keep these tips in mind and your kitchen will look timeless like a classic for years and decades to come.
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