The Ultimate Kitchen Style Guide: Choose Your Dream Kitchen
Planning a new kitchen can be incredibly exciting, yet daunting at the same time. With so many styles to choose from, it can be difficult to visualise what the finished design might look like in your particular property. To help you discover the look that’s right for you, we’ve put together a simple kitchen style guide, compiling everything you need to know.
In this guide, we’ll cover some of the most popular kitchen styles in the UK, and then go into each one in detail. Exploring the elements that make up each style, we’ll help you decide which is right for you, guiding you one step closer to your dream kitchen.
What Are The Most Popular Kitchen Styles In The UK?
From Japandi minimalism to shabby chic, there really is no end to the amount of different kitchen styles in the UK. To keep things simple, we’ve defined the different styles into seven broad categories as follows:
• Traditional
• Modern
• Transitional
• Farmhouse
• Industrial
• Scandinavian
• Rustic
Some kitchens will take elements from several different styles for a refreshing, unique look, while others will be flawless in their conformity. There’s no right answer here, except the one that’s right for you. Take a look at the popular kitchen styles using the guide below, and see which one speaks to you as a starting point.
Traditional
A traditional kitchen is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a kitchen built for building traditions; the kind you picture when you think of families cooking up a wholesome Christmas dinner in a Hallmark movie. A traditional kitchen often features shaker-style cabinets, decorative millwork, and a warm, homely colour palette that never goes out of style. Glazed cabinetry is also popular for displaying ornamental tableware, while wood elements bring warmth, used on worktops or in flooring and feature furniture.
A traditional kitchen is perfect for period properties and those who prefer time-honoured interior styling. It’s a great choice for families who don’t want to regularly update their space thanks to its timeless, wholesome appeal, combining old English kitchen ideas with modern craftsmanship and appliances.
Modern
A modern kitchen is the exact opposite of traditional. It forgoes ornate details in favour of clean lines, creating drama with bold, contrasting materials. Typically characterised by slab or flush, frameless cabinets, a modern kitchen is architectural in design, with an emphasis on space, light and minimalism. Stone or polished concrete worktops that waterfall to the floor and extend up across the backsplash are common, along with statement lighting, and glass and metal elements.
A modern kitchen works in a variety of property styles, from new-builds to barn conversions. It’s a great choice if you prefer a clean, uncluttered kitchen and want to incorporate high-tech appliances into your space. Modern kitchens often make the space feel larger and are perfect for people who like to regularly express their style with trending textures and colours.
Farmhouse
As the name suggests, a farmhouse kitchen is well-suited to countryside properties and cottages. It shares some similarities with a traditional kitchen – such as shaker-style cabinets – but lends itself to a more relaxed finish with less ornate detailing. Open shelving piled high with ramshackle crockery takes the place of glazed cabinetry, while distinctively farmhouse features such as a Belfast sink and range cooker complete the look.
If you want a warm, welcoming and cosy kitchen with a classic, lived-in look, then you can’t go wrong with a farmhouse kitchen. It’s a fantastic choice for families due to its informal vibe and down-to-earth design. It’s the sort of kitchen where sticky fingerprints go unnoticed and crockery is kept in an organised mess, rather than stacked in perfectly symmetrical piles.
Transitional
A transitional design combines modern and traditional kitchen ideas for something in the middle. It has become a style category all of its own in recent years because it blends the best elements of both for a kitchen that is warm, functional, and timelessly stylish. It combines painted, Shaker-style cabinetry with clean lines, polished stone worktops, and stylish hardware that can be updated as needed. You are likely to also see a tiled backsplash and a contrasting kitchen island in a transitional kitchen.
This style works best if you prefer a balanced look that brings the warmth of a traditional kitchen with the contemporary appeal of a modern one. Its popularity makes it a great choice for adding value to your home as it will appeal to a wider range of potential buyers and is just as functional for families as it is for couples and individuals.
Industrial
As kitchen styles go, industrial is perhaps one of the more practical on the list. Popular in modern homes and loft-style apartments with high ceilings, the industrial kitchen combines rugged materials and textures with an airy, open-plan design for a modern, edgy aesthetic. It is often characterised by open brickwork, concrete effect worktops and flush cabinetry with decor boards. Metal often features heavily – from the lighting to the shelving and bar stools – while stainless steel appliances look right at home here.
An industrial kitchen is often considered more functional because it draws on the durability of raw materials such as steel, concrete and timber. It’s a great choice if you’re looking for something hard-wearing without compromising on a cool aesthetic, and works well in nearly every style of property.
Scandinavian
One of the newer styles on the scene, but nonetheless a popular one, Scandinavian kitchens have stolen the hearts of many British homeowners. It is defined by a neutral colour palette, minimalist clean lines, and a warm, earthy texture. Think flush, wood-veneer cabinets with sleek modern appliances and open shelving with artfully placed plants.
A Scandinavian-style kitchen is perfect for you if you prefer a calming, neutral palette composed of blacks, greys, browns and whites. It’s also a great choice if you love the uncluttered look but find most other modern kitchens too stark in design. Here, earthy texture cultivates the soothing sense of Hygge – a Scandinavian word to describe a feeling of contentment in cosy homeliness.
Rustic
A rustic kitchen is one that’s a little rough around the edges. It is similar to an industrial kitchen in that it leans into unfinished materials such as exposed wood but with a more relaxed and cosy aesthetic. This is a kitchen with a keen focus on natural, sustainable materials and quality craftsmanship, rather than fussy details or sleek appliances.
A range cooker is de rigueur in a rustic kitchen, as are natural wood cabinets in the traditional Shaker style. A butcher’s block or textured granite countertop keeps the look grounded in earthy texture, with a colour palette that echos the outdoors. To avoid the full-on ‘log cabin’ look, some ideas for a rustic-chic kitchen include glass pendant lighting, upholstered seating, and an open-plan layout.
A rustic kitchen could work for you if you want to introduce an element of warmth and cosiness to your space and prefer the look of natural materials over manmade. It’s a fantastic way to create a more sustainable kitchen and has a timeless look that can be enjoyed for generations to come.
Still Need Help Deciding On Your Kitchen Style?
The kitchen really is the heart of your home and one of the rooms you’ll spend the most time in, so it’s really important to make informed decisions with a clear vision for the finished space.
If you’re still not sure which kitchen style would work best for your space, our designers are on hand to help. We provide a complimentary consultation to ensure you go into the process with a specific set of ideals in your mind’s eye, helping visualise different ideas with photo-realistic CAD drawings.
Feel free to reach out for your complimentary consultation.
