Traditional Kitchen Cabinet Design Styles

Creating your dream kitchen can be a stressful process, especially when you are searching for the right inspiration for its design. However, if you enjoy the thought of a warm and inviting design style that focuses on natural beauty and lavish details, then you may not have to look any further than a traditional design style. Traditional style kitchens are a great choice for homeowners who want a sophisticated and elegant design. With the right materials and features, the beauty of a traditional kitchen design will stand out to anyone who enters your home.

What Makes a Traditional Style Kitchen?

A traditional-style kitchen is inspired by design elements from the past. The traditional style is rooted in the timeless design features of 19th century Europe and early America, which focused on natural materials and ornate, decorative elements. Instead of the space highlighting brand new appliances and focusing on modern features, traditional kitchen design calls to attention the materials used and the careful details within them.

In a traditional kitchen, attention to detail is everything. Features of a traditional style may include raised panel cabinet doors, backsplash tile with intricate patterns, carved accents and a tasteful mix of curves and lines. More modern kitchen designs strive for simplicity with straight lines and flat features. On the other hand, a traditional style strives for complexity and elegance.

The key marker that defines a traditional kitchen is the types of materials that are used. Traditional kitchens incorporate materials that embrace subtlety and are less flashy than more modern kitchens. A traditional style embraces the beauty of natural materials and normally incorporates different wood cabinet materials.  A traditional kitchen usually avoids flashy or glossy materials, like silver or chrome, as well as synthetic materials like laminate. Accents and ornamental elements normally include rustic-looking metals like bronze, nickel and steel.

Elements of a Traditional Style Kitchen

When designing a traditional style kitchen, you should consider how each element of the room will contribute to a warm and inviting appearance. A traditional kitchen typically starts by incorporating warm and not overpowering colors, like a cream, soft white, gray or green. Once you have your vision, you want to consider how the following elements will complete the traditional style.

Countertops

Countertops in a traditional kitchen should be made of natural materials to highlight the design of the space. Natural stone is the go-to option in a traditional kitchen. Materials like granite and quartz automatically create a sophisticated kitchen with their natural beauty. For an even more luxurious option, marble countertops are great for creating a classic, elegant appearance. The edging of the countertops should also be considered, as shapes like curves and bevels add to the detail.

Appliances

In some design styles, the focus is designed to be shiny, chrome appliances. In a traditional-style kitchen, this is not the case, as the focus should be on the craftsmanship of the materials around the appliances. Appliances are flexible, but they are usually a standard black, white or stainless steel. When you glance at a traditional kitchen, appliances should not be the first thing you notice. In fact, traditional-style kitchens sometimes preserve their classic look by placing appliances like a dishwasher behind wooden cabinet doors.

Floor

The flooring in a traditional kitchen should be tasteful but not overpower the design features elsewhere in the kitchen. Hardwood flooring or tile make for excellent choices as they incorporate their own great natural flair without taking away from the rest of the kitchen. The design of the floor will not be the highlight of the space and instead should tie all of the other pieces of the kitchen together.

What Are Traditional Kitchen Cabinets?

Cabinets are one of the biggest and most noticeable pieces of the kitchen, and they will help tie together the traditional look. Traditional cabinets are designed to grab your attention with their intricate and charming appearance. Traditional kitchen cabinets can take on a wide variety of characteristics and features. For example, they can have a solid wood panel or a framed glass panel. Cabinets in a traditional kitchen normally embrace either raised or recessed panels and are more likely to incorporate decorative designs.

The beauty of traditional kitchen cupboards is that they have no strong boundaries or restrictions. Although traditional cabinets typically share common themes, you still have plenty of flexibility for choosing specific characteristics you would prefer in your traditional cabinets.

Characteristics of Traditional Cabinets

There is no one-size-fits-all template for how traditional kitchen cabinets should look. When choosing the cabinets for your kitchen, you can consider a wide variety of design features while still embracing a traditional look. In a traditional kitchen, you should consider incorporating the following features for your cabinets:

Colors

Traditional kitchen cabinet colors can vary depending on the overall design and color scheme of the rest of the kitchen, but they are normally warmer and more inviting rather than vibrant and flashy. A popular option for a traditional style is a stain or finish that highlights the natural features of the wood. However, more neutral colors, like an eggshell or subtle yellow, make for great additions to a traditional kitchen space as well while directing attention toward the crafted details. For example, traditional white kitchen cabinet doors allow the design features to take center stage.

Features

Cabinet doors in a traditional style can embrace multiple possible features, including a glass door panel or solid wood. Traditional style cabinet doors are often highlighted by their textured features, primarily demonstrated by either a raised or recessed panel. Solid wood panels also incorporate other textured features like carvings or shadow lines.

Hardware

The hinges and knobs of your cabinets will also play a key role in creating the traditional appearance of your cabinets. Cabinet hardware typically ties together the aged, rustic feeling of a traditional style with natural metals like silver, antique brass, bronze or steel. Metal hardware gives your cabinets a classic appearance without stealing too much attention. Cabinet knobs can be either knobbed or shaped like handles depending on your preference.

To learn more about embracing a traditional kitchen style and creating the look in your home, contact us at Cabinetdoors.com. We offer an expansive selection of kitchen cabinet doors to accentuate and complete the look of your traditional kitchen. You can choose from several types of wood and consider options from unfinished doors to doors painted in the color of your choice. All we need to know is the proper measurements and your design preferences, and we will prepare your customized cabinet doors in our shop to meet your exact specifications. Explore our inventory of custom cabinet doors today.