Traditional Home Kitchens vs. Industrial Style Kitchens

Traditional style kitchen vs industrial style kitchen: which one’s for you? Sometimes, you can be surprised by the kitchen style you love. Think you know your kitchen style? Have a look at different photos for inspiration and you’re more likely to pick a few favorite kitchen design themes. Today, we’ll look at two kitchen styles that offer great comfort and functionality.

Here’s what you need to know about traditional and industrial kitchen designs:

Traditional Home Kitchens

Despite the popularity of farmhouse and contemporary kitchen designs, traditional kitchens are still among the most popular kitchen styles. Their grandiose design and basic color palette create a beautiful space that’s sure to stay within style trends for many years. Here are the essential elements of traditional style kitchens:

• Decorative details and accessories – The key feature in traditional kitchens is their attention to detail and the use of classic decorative accessories. Everywhere you look, you should see an element of architectural design, adornment, or enhanced pieces with decorative accessories.
• Neutral color palette – Unlike modern rustic and contemporary kitchen designs that focus on cool, crisp colors for an edgy look, traditional kitchen styles are all about classic and neutral color palettes. Think of warm color neutrals like whites, light beige, and deep cherries.
• Luxury countertop materials – For kitchen countertops, luxurious countertop looks like Granite, Quartz, or marble add to the visual appeal of a traditional style kitchen. Countertop materials with lots of patterns blend well with other decorative details. The backsplash also stays simple in terms of style, color, and material.
• Traditional-style cabinets with antique finishes – Traditional kitchens are all about vintage and classic looks. For kitchen cabinets, those with raised panels or raised panel cabinet doors are a perfect choice. Cabinets also have glazed or antique finishes.
• Classic decorative lighting – Think of classic style chandeliers and hanging traditional pendant lights. These easily enhance the ornate and detail-oriented aspects of a traditional style kitchen. Decorative lighting puts everything in your kitchen together.

Industrial Style Kitchens

Industrial style kitchens are simple but bold spaces where raw materials and tough appliances and fixtures with minimalist finishes take center stage. They’re great for those who want to mimic the utilitarianism of a commercial kitchen. Here’s what makes these kitchens complete:

• Tough raw materials – Industrial kitchens mix raw natural materials, textures, and contracts like wood, concrete, metal, and glass to create contrast. When you think about industrial kitchens, think about exposed wooden beams, concrete floors, oak wood cabinets with frames and open shelves, and polished finishes. The more aged or unfinished the materials are, the more authentic the industrial style look will be.
• Restaurant-grade appliances and details – Unlike traditional style kitchens that minimize on appliances, industrial kitchen designs favor practical, hard-wearing surfaces and heavy-duty restaurant-grade equipment designed to be extremely functional. Everything is defined by durable finishes, surfaces, and decorative details.
• Frameless cabinetry – When you think of decorating an industrial kitchen, kitchen cabinets are the focal point. Think of modern-style frameless kitchen cabinets with flat panels or slab doors and simple cabinet door and shelf-pulls made from sturdy metal in dark finishes for a minimalist look.
• Neutral, limited color palette – You can introduce color in various ways. Industrial kitchens feature a background of neutral, limited colors with cool undertones like grays and blacks. You’ll also find measured doses of saturated hues like tangerine, citron, and other moody tones.
• Authentic retro lighting – Pendant lights made of metal are the obvious choice here as they offer all four of the kinds of light you need in an industrial kitchen. Think of something more retro-modern hanging from different heights over kitchen working spaces.
• Strong visible details – While traditional-style kitchens embrace complex details, industrial kitchens are all about minimalism and clean looks to draw attention to bold details like exposed pipes and plumbing fixtures, visible handles, extractor hoods that cast an imposing presence, and thick wooden frames. Wood and metal stools and large potted plants complete the look.

Contact Builders Surplus

Whether you’re thinking of a small kitchen makeover or a complete kitchen build project for your new home, choosing the right kitchen style is critical. Compare the different elements of traditional style kitchens vs industrial style kitchens above to help you make the right decision. Need quality cabinetry to complete your project?

Get in touch with Builders Surplus for all your kitchen cabinet and Formica countertop needs. Call now for a quote at (888) 632-5081.