How to Add Character to Your Contemporary Kitchen
Streamlined cabinets and state-of-the-art appliances are only part of the story in designing a contemporary kitchen
Because kitchens are such functional rooms, it’s important to ensure that their livability doesn’t get left behind. Talk to your kitchen designer at the planning stage about character and warmth.
What will make your kitchen homey to you? It might be just about displaying your favorite dishes and collections, in which case it’s worth having open storage designed in. Perhaps it’s about color, texture or window positioning.
To get the discussion started, take a look at these very different examples of how designers have warmed up kitchens, along with their takeaway strategies.
What will make your kitchen homey to you? It might be just about displaying your favorite dishes and collections, in which case it’s worth having open storage designed in. Perhaps it’s about color, texture or window positioning.
To get the discussion started, take a look at these very different examples of how designers have warmed up kitchens, along with their takeaway strategies.
Choose Soft Neutrals
Green-grays are great for echoing the great outdoors, especially if your kitchen overlooks a yard. But that’s not the whole story here in terms of what gives this kitchen a gentle feel.
The matte color is chalky, almost tactile. It’s the opposite of a glaring shade or cold finish, which can be harsh and create a chilly effect.
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Green-grays are great for echoing the great outdoors, especially if your kitchen overlooks a yard. But that’s not the whole story here in terms of what gives this kitchen a gentle feel.
The matte color is chalky, almost tactile. It’s the opposite of a glaring shade or cold finish, which can be harsh and create a chilly effect.
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Add a Vintage Feel
Mixing in some old with your new is a tried-and-true warming tactic — and this kitchen design does it beautifully. The clear glass pendant lights tone down the slick look nicely. Meanwhile, a vintage-look food processor in glossy red, along with classic salt and pepper grinders, gives the island countertop suitable character.
On the wall shelves, an old-fashioned-style set of scales, vintage tins and “cafe” sign are good touches. All of these combined, along with the brick wall and nearby open fireplace with its mini gallery above, create a kitchen in which you’d be very happy to linger.
Your Guide to a Contemporary-Style Kitchen
Mixing in some old with your new is a tried-and-true warming tactic — and this kitchen design does it beautifully. The clear glass pendant lights tone down the slick look nicely. Meanwhile, a vintage-look food processor in glossy red, along with classic salt and pepper grinders, gives the island countertop suitable character.
On the wall shelves, an old-fashioned-style set of scales, vintage tins and “cafe” sign are good touches. All of these combined, along with the brick wall and nearby open fireplace with its mini gallery above, create a kitchen in which you’d be very happy to linger.
Your Guide to a Contemporary-Style Kitchen
Let the Outdoors In
There’s a lot going on in this contemporary kitchen that helps to warm it up. Houseplants stretch the backyard into the interior, and having them at different heights softens the clean lines of the design. Wood-look cabinet fronts also echo the timber in the garden, and wood is nearly always a cozy texture.
Pendants with warm bulbs are a key softening feature, and the color of the light connects with the antique-style frame and painting over the oven, a simple idea that always adds character.
There’s a lot going on in this contemporary kitchen that helps to warm it up. Houseplants stretch the backyard into the interior, and having them at different heights softens the clean lines of the design. Wood-look cabinet fronts also echo the timber in the garden, and wood is nearly always a cozy texture.
Pendants with warm bulbs are a key softening feature, and the color of the light connects with the antique-style frame and painting over the oven, a simple idea that always adds character.
Having wall-to-wall glass isn’t the only way to connect your kitchen with the outdoors, of course. Not every kitchen will lend itself to the sort of modernization in the previous photo, so take a moment to enjoy this kitchen’s prominent leafy view.
The design of this space is unashamedly sleek and modern, and yet the picture-frame effect of that black-frame window and the interestingly grained wood used for the cabinet fronts are a powerful combination for letting nature soften the edges of this functional space.
The design of this space is unashamedly sleek and modern, and yet the picture-frame effect of that black-frame window and the interestingly grained wood used for the cabinet fronts are a powerful combination for letting nature soften the edges of this functional space.
Incorporate Open Shelving
If you don’t need, or want, traditional wall cabinets, you may well find you have the space for some kind of visible storage zone. This is a fantastic opportunity to add character and warmth to a sleek kitchen.
Talk with your designer about how and where you could include some open shelving in your kitchen. He or she will probably ask about how tidy you are before going too far down this road. It’s important to be honest. If you’re not very neat, then a smaller open-storage section with perhaps a permanent display of things you rarely use might work best for you.
If you don’t need, or want, traditional wall cabinets, you may well find you have the space for some kind of visible storage zone. This is a fantastic opportunity to add character and warmth to a sleek kitchen.
Talk with your designer about how and where you could include some open shelving in your kitchen. He or she will probably ask about how tidy you are before going too far down this road. It’s important to be honest. If you’re not very neat, then a smaller open-storage section with perhaps a permanent display of things you rarely use might work best for you.
Go Big on Wood
The materials you choose will be almost as significant as the layout in shaping your new kitchen, especially if you opt to hide everything behind cabinetry.
Be clear with your designer if you want as little as possible on display, and discuss materials early on. Your designer may suggest incorporating wood as a way to have the expanse of doors and drawers make the right impact.
Here, natural wood has been used to dramatic effect to cover an entire wall, creating a self-contained wall for storage and appliances.
The materials you choose will be almost as significant as the layout in shaping your new kitchen, especially if you opt to hide everything behind cabinetry.
Be clear with your designer if you want as little as possible on display, and discuss materials early on. Your designer may suggest incorporating wood as a way to have the expanse of doors and drawers make the right impact.
Here, natural wood has been used to dramatic effect to cover an entire wall, creating a self-contained wall for storage and appliances.
Highlight Period Features
Really classy design is often about knowing where not to fill up the space, and this wonderful old room shows the approach beautifully.
Rather than try to fit storage between the windows or beneath them, or crowd the space at all, the designer of this kitchen has allowed these original features to breathe by keeping the wall of storage opposite unobtrusive. The traditional radiators are free of visual clutter and allowed to shine. Old, or old-looking, stuff is very useful in the business of taking the edge off gleaming-new, angular spaces.
The beautiful wood floor and glowing undercabinet lighting are other softening counterpoints to the brilliant whiteness of the rest of the room.
Really classy design is often about knowing where not to fill up the space, and this wonderful old room shows the approach beautifully.
Rather than try to fit storage between the windows or beneath them, or crowd the space at all, the designer of this kitchen has allowed these original features to breathe by keeping the wall of storage opposite unobtrusive. The traditional radiators are free of visual clutter and allowed to shine. Old, or old-looking, stuff is very useful in the business of taking the edge off gleaming-new, angular spaces.
The beautiful wood floor and glowing undercabinet lighting are other softening counterpoints to the brilliant whiteness of the rest of the room.
Work In Feature Tile
A strong injection of pattern or color can often provide personality in a contemporary kitchen. Tiles can be a practical way to do this; you get to create a resilient surface as well as a striking feature in one go.
That said, tiling is a skilled trade and unusual tiles can be quite the investment, so call on your architect or designer to advise you on what might work and why. He or she will be able to suggest just the right — and not always obvious — colors to tie the area into the rest of your kitchen and allow your tiles to be a beautiful standout detail.
Tell us: Which of these approaches most appeals to you? Share your thoughts and tips in the Comments.
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A strong injection of pattern or color can often provide personality in a contemporary kitchen. Tiles can be a practical way to do this; you get to create a resilient surface as well as a striking feature in one go.
That said, tiling is a skilled trade and unusual tiles can be quite the investment, so call on your architect or designer to advise you on what might work and why. He or she will be able to suggest just the right — and not always obvious — colors to tie the area into the rest of your kitchen and allow your tiles to be a beautiful standout detail.
Tell us: Which of these approaches most appeals to you? Share your thoughts and tips in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read other kitchen guides
Find a pro
Shop for products
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Good news for minimalists: This beautifully designed, clean, crisp kitchen demonstrates how little you need to have out on display to give a space a lived-in feel.
To achieve a similarly uncluttered yet welcoming effect, go big on consistency: matching storage containers lined up on a countertop; a trio of objets on a windowsill or shelf; a couple of well-framed prints; and books housed in a neat, dedicated space. Simple matching chair cushions are also unfussy additions.
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