Creating a kitchen that is a perfect blend of modern and traditional is an exercise that draws upon the annals of design theory. Balance is not about other people’s opinions or passing fads and trends. Instead, it is about harnessing the power of geometry and adding a gentle, thoughtful twist of creative modernity.
In this article, we’ll look at the delicate relationship between modern kitchens and their ancestral traditions; what matters, where to focus your attention, and the tantalising results of getting the recipe right.
Consider Your Cabinetry
If there’s one piece of kitchen design that has proven to uphold its sleek, sharp, and endlessly elegant reputation, it is the classic Shaker cabinet. The design traces its heritage to the 1860s, yet somehow defies its competition by never falling out of favour with fashion. This is arguably due to the endless opportunities for blending tradition with a gentle blush of modernity. For instance, incorporating tender details such as raised panels or glass-front doors can produce a tantalising yet subtle mix of a modern and traditional kitchen.
Harness The Natural Approach
Warm woods, reassuring stones, and eye-catching minerals are all familiar friends of bespoke kitchen design. Natural materials can ‘tune-in’ a kitchen space with ancestral heritage, where the kitchen was the cosy heart of the home, making them one of the most persuasive features in the design palette. The ideal formula for achieving balance in modern and traditional kitchen design is to introduce the warmth of natural materials with subtlety, augmenting rather than overpowering the sleekness of modern design.
Embrace The Small Details
Without due design care, modern materials can look alarmingly jarring in a space that pays homage to simpler times. For sophisticated design contrast, a gentle yet effective technique is to invest creative energy in the little details. For example, consider balancing traditional Shaker doors with sleek pulls or knobs, or design your traditional materials with sharp modern lines. This mix of the traditional and modern kitchen is masterful in its subtlety, while enclosing the entire design in a cohesive framework.
Illuminate Your Dream Space
One of the most poignant features of any space, whether a modern or traditional kitchen design, is its lighting. All eyes will be drawn to the feature, making it the perfect platform to illuminate your statement about the harmony of tradition and modernity. With all traditional and modern kitchen mixes, avoid glaring juxtapositions and awkward contrasts. Instead, seek elegance that blends as effortlessly as watercolour. Opting for modern pendant lights with a classic design is one way to achieve striking subtlety, and choice of colour can also be a powerful ally. Soft glows will introduce a sense of antique warmth, while cool colours give a nod to the modern.
The Rules For Your Appliances
Incorporating modern appliances with a specific vintage design or feel is always recommended in modern and traditional kitchen design. Often, materials are the key to unlocking the perfect blend. For example, a handmade, wrought-iron pressure cooker will always complement a mix of the modern and traditional kitchen more sympathetically than a glass or metal alternative. Equally, brass or copper appliances offer a sensitive yet timeless nod to history. So sought after is the modern and traditional kitchen design that almost every appliance can be manufactured to flaunt its ancestry, so consider making vintage-looking appliances a dominant theme in your space.
Find Out More
If you’re interested in a sympathetically architected traditional and modern kitchen in your home and would like to discuss your ideas, please get in touch with the team at Drew and Forsyth today and see how we can help.
