THE DO ’ S AND DONT ’ S OF A TRANSITIONAL KITCHEN By Looeeze Grossman , founder of The Used Kitchen Company
A transitional kitchen is one that seamlessly blends traditional and contemporary styles , often elegant , immune to trends , and with certain classic design elements . This style of kitchen works well as it ’ s timeless , won ’ t age as quickly despite changes in trends and will feel chic and contemporary whilst remaining stylish and elegant . However , those wishing to make their kitchen ‘ transitional ’ should stick to certain rules if they ’ re to achieve this look successfully . Here ’ s how .
Transitional kitchens have these main elements
This kitchen style isn ’ t as simple to nail down as other kitchen trends . The aim is to have a kitchen that looks timeless but not dated , and this can be difficult to achieve if you haven ’ t had experience designing a kitchen before . Yet , one way to ensure you get this style right from the beginning , is to follow these elements that make up a transitional kitchen :
To achieve the ultimate transitional kitchen , you ’ ll need to invest in cabinetry and worktops which have a classical undercurrent and look and feel , expensive .
• Wooden floors
• Neutral colours or wood shaker cabinetry
• Marble worktops
• Matching metal finishes
• Pendant lighting
Make sure metal finishes complement your main kitchen colour
One of the key components of a transitional kitchen is incorporating metal finishes to give your kitchen a ‘ classic ’ feel , and whilst the trend has some elements of mix and match , you should never blend different types of metals or use metals that will clash with the main kitchen colour . This can make your kitchen look messy and noncohesive .
Additionally , when choosing metal finishes ( when it comes to taps , knobs and handles ) you need to consider if your kitchen colour will be cool-toned or warm-toned . If it ’ s the former , opt for silver metals , if it ’ s the latter , opt for gold metals . You can tell whether a colour scheme is warm or cool by the following rule ; if it has a red , orange , or yellow hue it ’ s considered a warm colour . If the single colour has a blue , green or violet hue it ’ s considered a cool colour .
Keep decorations and soft furnishings to a minimum
When creating a transitional-style kitchen , soft furnishings such as cushions , candles and other accessories should be kept to a minimum . This look is designed to be clean , and minimal . Too many decorations detract from the finishing details and make the kitchen look messy and cluttered . Any furnishings on the worktops should be functional , for example , matching pouring bottles for oils and vinegars as well as matching salt and pepper shakers , and a small vase of flowers .
Lighting should be a central focus point
Pendant lighting is a key element of any transitional kitchen , so when choosing the styles , opt for something that ’ s versatile but eye-catching . Plain lampshades can make this style fall flat , so be adventurous and choose something that ’ s neutral , and that matches your colour scheme but has an interesting shape or design .
Be prepared to invest
To achieve the ultimate transitional kitchen , you ’ ll need to invest in cabinetry and worktops which have a classical undercurrent and look and feel , expensive . Classic lines or shaker finishes need to look clean and wellmade . This isn ’ t a budget kitchen , it ’ s a statement investment yet one which actually delivers highly on quality . So , rather than being one you ’ ll change in the time you live in the property , it ’ s a kitchen that will stand the test of time and work for you and the next owner down the line .
Having said that , quality and craftsmanship doesn ’ t have to come with a high-end price tag . By adopting a second-hand or ex-display kitchen from The Used Kitchen Company you can achieve transitional greatness at a fraction of the high street cost .
www . theusedkitchencompany . com
www . refurbandrestore . co . uk - 17