Sometimes the home itself will suggest a style such as Arts and Craft or Victorian but often you can create your own style. But what to choose. This short blog will show you how the same basic kitchen looks with different paint schemes, flooring and sometimes windows. What emotion does each invoke in you? Could you live with that vision/emotion for the long run?
Here is the original basic kitchen. Everyone wants white now days. White cabinets, white walls, white counters and backspash. I did put a little color in this by going with a wood butcherblock on the island and I did add a tint to the walls. But I want to show the same kitchen in different styles and paint schemes. There is so much more to life than white.
The feature image is “Coastal Retreat”. To me the emotion is relaxing. I just want to sit with a cup of morning coffee and enjoy the medium, soft blue with the crisp white.
This version is more modern, more “Urban”. It has a higher energy. The cabinet pulls really make this feel like a urban loft. Also note how the windows are changed with no muntin or molding, not even a sill. The countertop material is carried up the wall for the backsplash. I feel like I need to be reading the Wall Street Journal at the bar.
This one looks a lot like the previous picture. But this time there is a sill and molding around the window. The backsplash is tile and the island has a contrasting countertop to the rest of the counters. The bottom cabinets are still brown and the wall cabinets are white but the cabinet pulls have been changed out to round knobs. This kitchen leaves me with a more homey, comfortable feel. There should be a pot of chicken soup on the range or cookies backing in the oven. A totally different energy level than the Urban on above.
This style is called “Southern Colonial”. There is more wood color showing on the window molding and the trim and legs around the island. The cabinets have been painted. The base cabinets are a dark blue and the uppers are a soft grey. The backsplash is a simple subway tile. How does this kitchen make you feel? I am rather ambivalent. I feel it is a pretty kitchen but I don’t really want to hang out in it.
This style is “American Casual”. All the wall cabinets are a tan and the base are a grey. I like the crisp white of the countertops and the white island legs. The multi tile backsplash ties the colors together. You will note the windows now have full mutins and white trim. The grey toned flooring reflects the grey in the base cabinets. You may note that when the wall and base cabinets are different colors the darker color is on the base. Darker colors feel heavier and putting the heaviness on the bottom grounds the room. This kitchen would go well in most houses, I can see a spec builder putting this it a house to try and appeal to a wide range of customers.
Here is a scheme where the cabinetry is all one light wood tone. The dark countertop contrast with the white subway tile backsplash and the island has a grey counter top to set it apart from the rest of the kitchen. The white appliances show well in this room but black or stainless would also fit comfortably. Light colored wood cabinetry is starting to become popular again. Here we see the half mutin windows and the wood sill and trim around them. The white sink really shows well against that black countertop. This version is called “Arts and Crafts”. It is a basic kitchen that I can see fitting in many house styles. I feel comfortable with it and feel I could cook up a storm in this kitchen.
My last submittal is called “Junction” I don’t know why, but that is what Chief Architect calls it. Here we see a different way of painting the cabinets. The main base and wall cabinets are a soft seafoam green and the tall pantry, island and refrigerator cabinet are a light, soft grey. Windows sport white half mutin, and white trim. The walls are the same soft grey as on the cabinets. I love the way this grey looks next to the crisp white trim. This is a very comforting kitchen to me. It feels like a grandmothers hug.
So there you have it. Do these different styles evoke different emotions for you? Are there any you really resonate with or some you don’t want to be around?