The key to achieving success in kitchen decorating and remodelling is choosing, and going with a specific style. It's pretty much the same thing with fashion, furnishings, and landscaping for instance. Rather than bouncing here and there, making selections at random, go with a particular style or motif, and then operate within those set guidelines.
One of the very latest trends in kitchen styles happens to draw off of concepts that were developed well over a century ago. It's the Shaker kitchen and the total look revolves around clean lines, solid construction, and an overall sensible usability. The Shakers were a breakaway religious sect that designed and made sturdy well made furniture that's still highly valued to this day.
Now the catch is that back when the Shakers were in their heyday, so many of the things that go into a modern kitchen simply didn't exist. Things like refrigerators and gas stoves simply hadn't been invented yet. So what today's kitchen designers have done, is take the basic elements and overall features that comprise the Shaker look and feel, and work them into what is now the Shaker kitchen.
Now the traditional look in kitchens has been around for decades. It's a popular style that includes features like raised panelling and even wainscoting along the lower ends of walls. Traditional styled kitchens can also have crown moulding up where the tops of the walls meet the ceiling as well and most often the sinks will be enameled, and appliances finished in polished, warm earth tones.
The modern contemporary kitchen design is what can best be described as what is the "very latest" in design styles, and technology. Islands have been part of the modern contemporary look for a couple of decades now, as has polished granite counter tops. However, in more recent times some changes have been introduced to the modern contemporary styles kitchen.
One of them is the look of stainless steel. In fact in more extreme cases some folks are even going as far as having commercial grade stainless steel appliances installed to capture this look on an extreme end. Even so, all the major refrigerator makers now have a complete selection of stainless steel surfaced units designed for domestic use.
Now high tech composite materials have also found their way into today's modern contemporary kitchen. Amazing space age materials are now used in the manufacturing of counter top products and flooring. In fact some will say that the faux or cultured polished granite counter tops are in fact superior to the genuine article because they not only look just like real granite, but scratches can be easily polished out.
The antique look in kitchen design if done right looks and feels fantastic. Now getting new materials to look old is a bit of an art form but there are some off the shelf products now that make it a lot easier than it used to be. For instance, "crinkle paint" that cracks as it dries and cures can make anything that's covered with it look 100 years old. Also sheet-glass makers now have old fashioned "wavy glass with bubbles in it" for windows, and cabinets.
Tag : kitchen,kitchen cabinets,kitchen table,kitchen sink,kitchen design
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katrina_Wagner | |
