Clients often ask how can they fuse modern kitchen design with their traditional style houses.
It is not difficult to use a modern European inspired kitchen design in the condos. Open concept kitchen plans, floor to ceiling windows, sometimes exposed concrete ceilings and columns and often modern furniture are all asking (or screaming) for modern minimal sleek and highly functional kitchen cabinets. Many Toronto houses, unless purposefully designed and built as modern, are more traditional and need more design thought when planning a modern kitchen. The kitchen cabinetry needs to integrate in non-minimal spaces and be a part of the overall house design.
We found 4 key design elements that will help to integrate the modern kitchen cabinetry with more traditional house design.
Kitchen cabinetry colours
White/off white high gloss (glossy) lacquer is a great choice for both minimal modern and luxury modern kitchen. The difference is in the design elements. The more traditional (luxury modern) look is asking for kitchen cabinetry to go all the way to the ceiling. Also using the thick (approximately 2 inches) side panels, wall fillers and top soffit/filler is truly helping to “calm down” the sleek and minimal and introduce substantial and luxurious. Other colour elements of Luxury modern cabinetry are glossy wood veneers and stainless steel.
Walnut is an excellent choice to combine with high gloss white. Stainless steel is great for appliances and also for other design elements such as a toekick. (Toekick is panel under base cabinets). It visually elevates the cabinetry, adds to expensive look and creates a heavy duty surface where base cabinetry meet the floor.
Kitchen countertop
Using the quarts countertops with thicker front edge (about 2 inches) that will connect with the thick side panels in the kitchen. Quarts counter waterfalls and quarts backsplash are great design elements that will add to the luxury look and to the cost.
Appliances
Use stainless steel and panelled appliances, in the perfect world professional cooktop, double ovens, speed oven, panelled fridge, panelled Dw and tall panelled wine fridge. You will spend a fortune, but it is all worth it, especially if you are a professional chef.
Cabinetry handles
Handles — simple, but not so simple element of the kitchen. Spend money here. Some clients would say it is a jewellery of the kitchen. Buy expensive, quality handles that you love. You will be looking at and touching those for many years to come.
