A Guide to Contemporary Kitchen Styles

A visiting friend recently asked me how I came up with such a contemporary style for my kitchen. Until he asked, I had never really considered my kitchen contemporary and I posed myself the question: What exactly is a ‘contemporary’ kitchen? After some research on exactly what elements compose the typical contemporary kitchen, I found I was able to break the style into three sub-styles. Each sub-style still contained the elements needed to consider a kitchen ‘contemporary’, such as a clean-edged, streamlined appearance, and an overall focus on function rather than form. The sub-styles also each held their own unique take on how these elements were applied and used through such commonalities as appliances, cabinets, counters, and flooring.

The first of these three sub-styles could be considered minimalist. While the concept of minimalism is the largest contributor to the overall style of contemporary kitchens, there are varying degrees to which the subject can be taken. Taken to the extreme, minimalist kitchens are left with a form-fitted space in which the bare necessities remain. Clean counters, sharp-edged cabinets and appliances, and colors of black, grey, and white, impress upon one the absence of décor and the fact this the area is there for pure use. There are no extras, no shiny bobbles, no frills, just the steel, glass, and tile necessary to get the job done. While this sleek style might be abhorred by the fan of superfluities, by those who enjoy function over form and a quick and easy clean up, it can be considered beautiful.

The second sub-style of a contemporary kitchen is what would be deemed ‘home contemporary’. This sub-style is most prevalent in today’s modern kitchen. While there is still a focus largely on function and minimalism, this contemporary style melds into the equation some of the atmosphere found in a home environment. There is more life to the style. There might be coolly colorful granite countertops instead of white tile, wooden floors instead of polished concrete and more colorful paint selections, but the overall contemporary style elements remain. While the focus is skewed more toward eye pleasing features, the sleek superfluity of the space is still maintained.

The third sub-style of a contemporary kitchen would be that of ‘function’. The functional sub-style marries minimalism and a homier feel in a blend of the bare essential and relaxed embellishment. Similar to a restaurant kitchen, the focus of the functional contemporary kitchen is one that makes the area as useful as possible without catering to minimalist values. Whether eye catching or not, the décor of the functional kitchen is there to serve the needs of the chef and his endeavors into food cooking and preparation. The functional contemporary kitchen is to act as a work area first and foremost. Industrial grade appliances, well-placed and practical storage cabinets, bins, and drawers, and easy to clean counters and cabinets constructed of durable materials are the types of furnishings one might find in such a kitchen.

The current trend in kitchen renovations is the contemporary style, but it often combines elements from all three sub-styles. Personal preference, lifestyle and expected use of the kitchen can all play a role in determining what mixture of these styles is right for your kitchen.

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Contemporary Kitchen Combos Undermount 32″ Double Bowl Kitchen Sink with Kitchen Faucet and Soap Dispenser
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Are You Interested In Creating A Contemporary Kitchen Island Design?

Keep These Elements In Mind When Creating Contemporary Kitchen Designs

Are you interested in remodeling your kitchen so it has a more contemporary look? There is no doubt that contemporary kitchen designs are quite fashionable today, but the good news is that they can be very practical as well. Therefore, if you are interested in creating a kitchen with a contemporary design, you will be glad to know that you can incorporate the best of both worlds – style and practicality – into the design of your kitchen.

While browsing through different contemporary kitchen designs, it is important to keep in mind that there are a few design elements that should be implemented in order to successfully pull off this style of kitchen.

In the simplest of terms, contemporary kitchen designs always take a minimalist approach. So, in order to achieve this look, your design should include the following elements…

Frameless cabinetry Hardware that is both simple and large Horizontal lift doors or doors with a basic slab design Door inserts or frosted glass panels Ample lighting Integration of metal components, such as copper, stainless steel, or chrome

It is also important to note that contemporary kitchen designs typically include geometric angles and lines. In addition, they typically feature modern elements such as state-of-the-art appliances and islands.

In a contemporary approach, the kitchen island design should be simple, and should typically include a surface that is either clean white, solid black, or showing bold colors.

Since a contemporary kitchen is also meant to be practical, it should typically include several modern design elements that also make it easy to use. For example, contemporary kitchen designs generally include…

Cabinetry that features sliding drawers, pullout shelves, and lazy-susans Lighting beneath cabinetry in order to increase visibility and room effect A pot filler faucet over the cook-top or integrated into the kitchen island design

Many contemporary kitchen designs also incorporate eco-friendly materials and designs, including water-saving faucets and EnergyStar appliances to help reduce power consumption.

Creating a kitchen with a contemporary look and layout can make your kitchen easier to use while also adding to the visual appeal of your home. By taking care to mix contemporary kitchen design elements with modern conveniences, you can also effectively increase the value of your home once your remodeling project is complete.

Of course, after you get your kitchen looking just the way you want it to look, you will probably never want to sell your home anyway!

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Emerson Fans CF244CRM 44″ Curva Contemporary Outdoor Chrome Ceiling Fan w/ Light & Remote
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Technorati Tags: Contemporary, Creating, Design, Interested, Island, kitchen

Contemporary kitchen Island Serving Cart / Mobile Bar

• 28″L x 17″W x 36″H
• Dining and Kitchen
• Dining and Kitchen->Serving Carts
• Some assembly may be required. Please see product details.

Dimension: 28″L x 17″W x 36″H Finish: Black Material: Wood Contemporary Black Kitchen Island Serving Cart / Mobile Bar This compact island creates efficiency instantly and expands your kitchen’s work and storage area. It also serves as a mobile bar. Item features a professional-style solid birch work surface, black frame, one drawer and a cabinet with one adjustable shelf and custom nickel finish hardware. Simple Assembly required

List Price: $ 369.99

Price: [wpramaprice asin="B001HFH2K8"]

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Technorati Tags: Cart, Contemporary, Island, kitchen, Mobile, Serving

Euro Modern Contemporary 12 ½” Swivel Kitchen Sink Faucet Brushed Nickel

• Stunning stylish European inspired modern contemporary style design
• Smooth single lever handle, single hole design
• High swivel spout. Practical when washing big pots, etc
• Durable solid brass construction
• Smooth, long lasting, and drip-free operation ceramic disc cartridge

Brand new Euro modern contemporary brushed nickel swivel kitchen faucet. Premium quality. Comes with 5 years manufacturer’s warranty.

Features:
- Stunning stylish European inspired modern contemporary style design
- Smooth single lever handle, single hole design
- Swivel Spout
- High spout. Practical when washing big pots, etc
- Durable solid brass construction
- Smooth, long lasting, and drip-free operation ceramic disc cartridge
- Brushed nickel finish
- For both home & commercial use
- Standard sized US plumbing, connections, & hoses

Specification:
- Part Number: FC-TRG02-TB
- Faucet Height: 12 ½”
- Faucet Body Dimension (Base): 2″ x 2″
- Spout Height: 9 ¾”
- Spout Reach: 6 ¾”
- Design: Swivel Design
- Faucet Material: Solid Brass
- Faucet Finish: Brushed Nickel
- Faucet Hole Required: 1 3/8″ Diameter

Warranty Information:
- 5 years manufacturer’s warranty provided by Moder

List Price: $ 220.00

Price: [wpramaprice asin="B002QYI8ZW"]

“Cel Splash 1″ – contemporary mosaic kitchen backsplash


Image by hhmosaics
One "cel" of the five part series. Mosaic backsplash for a contemporary kitchen by Heather Hancock. The design, consisting of five animated "cels," is executed with Italian vitreous glass.

More info about glass and tile mosaic backsplashes at www.hhmosaics.com/mosaicart/kitchen_backsplashes/

Technorati Tags: Brushed, Contemporary, Euro, Faucet, kitchen, Modern, Nickel, Sink, Swivel

Contemporary Kitchen Designs | Kitchen Remodeling

Contemporary kitchens have increasingly gained an unparalleled popularity in this modern era, thanks to their beautiful, refreshing look and user friendly, functional designs. They are usually characterized by minimalist designs and the use of linear, geometric themes. This design style extends to the kitchen cabinets as well, in these elegant kitchens. Most of them feature the hallmark contemporary design styles, with their simplicity and sharp, tidy lines. As a matter of fact, the market is flooded with a vast range of contemporary kitchen cabinets, that sport different colors, designs and finishings. Thus they add not only to the aesthetic appeal of your kitchen, but also place an emphasis on functionality.

Trademarks of Contemporary Kitchen Cabinets

There are various types of kitchen cabinets, with an array of choices in materials, sizes, styles and colors, to suit your kitchen. While the traditional styles of kitchen, have ornate kitchen cabinet designs, the contemporary kitchen cabinets are modern, geometric or curved. They are usually frameless and use large, simple hardware.

Materials Used

The materials used in contemporary kitchen cabinetry, range from stainless steel to glass. When wood is used, it is usually lightly grained like birch, ash or maple, as they usually look well in simple designs. There are certain designers, developing lines of kitchen cabinetry that feature renewable materials, such as bamboo. This is not only environmentally friendly, but also has quite a pleasing aesthetic result. If you would rather avoid wood, then you can go in for metal kitchen cabinets. While stainless steel, with its mirror like finish, continues to be a popular choice, metal kitchen cabinets that are made of copper, give a rather antique look to the kitchen. Not only are they aesthetically appealing, but are also resistant to corrosion and staining. Using thermofoil and melamine as your chosen material, allows you to make a dramatic statement with a wide range of color options.

Increasingly, glass has also come into its own as the material of choice for kitchen cabinetry. Not only is it stunningly attractive and amazingly easy to keep clean, it is also possible to order it in custom colors. You can have it installed in large or small sections, to create a seamless appearance. A great idea is to combine the materials to achieve the custom design, which has led to contemporary cabinets that increasingly use a combination of stainless steel with glass, chrome with slate, or high sheen paint, with totally modern plastics.

Functionality

Although kitchen cabinets are the focal point of beauty, they still have to be functional, enough to house all the essential utensils, dinnerware, pots and pans. Contemporary kitchens use the universal design principles that focus on flexibility, intuitive use, accident prevention, and minimizing fatigue. The cabinets are easier to access, with pullout shelves, sliding drawers and spinning ‘lazy susans’. The cabinets and the drawer pulls have large stainless steel bars and usually have either no handles, or just have simplistic metallic pulls. These allow for an easy clean up and a durable functioning of your kitchen. An important focus of contemporary kitchens are the natural and other lightings, which are usually used in more numbers and are adjustable, like track lighting. Installing lights under the kitchen not only ensures increased visibility during food preparation, but also highlights the stunning details of your new contemporary kitchen cabinets and the designed interiors.

With kitchens being one of the most lived-in areas of the house, consumers are increasingly choosing contemporary concepts, in their kitchen designs. However, it is important, that whatever style of contemporary kitchen cabinets are chosen, there are accessories and other complementary elements to suit them. These can be anything, ranging from the walls to the countertops, faucets, sinks and knobs. So if you have decided to adopt the clean, simple look, check out the contemporary kitchen cabinets that will continue to be a joy, for years to come.
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Laurey Co 34326 Contemporary Pull
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Calphalon JR8782-2P Contemporary Nonstick 2-1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid
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Technorati Tags: Contemporary, Designs, kitchen, Remodeling

Self Design Wall Clock Modern Contemporary Abstract

• Awesome Wall Clock
• Adhesive so You Can Put the Numbers Anywhere
• Measures 18″ in Diameter
• Great for a Contemporary Room
• Have Fun with the Numbers

Awesome Self Design Wall Clock. Slant and Slide the Numbers Anyway you Want. Great for Work or Home. A Wonderful and Fun Piece of Art for a Wall Clock

List Price: $ 49.99

Price: [wpramaprice asin="B000T9Y0TO"]

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Technorati Tags: Abstract, Clock, Contemporary, Design, Modern, Self, Wall