Perfect Style Can Make Your Home Feel Like Home
You have made an important decision to remodel your kitchen and make it functional and inviting for friends and family. Now it is up to you to decide exactly what kind of look you want and the type of cabinet hardware that will fit your style. Do you want one that is traditional, country, or contemporary (Modern, Retro Modern)?
You will most likely find that the right style for you will probably be the one that will harmonize with the design of your house from the inside and out. If you have an architecture that is classical, a formal look may be the right choice for you. Country styles seem to suit people who enjoy a casual and relaxed lifestyle. The contemporary, modern and retro look and design will be a good choice if you like clean lines, minimalistic layouts, and a minimum amount of accessorizing.
A Traditional Kitchen
When you have chosen the look you want for your kitchen or bathroom, you will find that the cabinets and the cabinet hardware set the stage. In traditional kitchens and bathrooms, where the ambiance is elegant, gracious, and just a little bit formal, you will find cabinets are most commonly crafted of rich, gleaming woods, usually cherry or mahogany or any wood stained to resemble them. Ivory or white-painted cabinets are another frequent choice, but the key to the cabinets is a rich, glossy finish and the look of fine furniture.
For the cabinet door style, choose a raised panel design and such architectural details as crown moldings and other millwork. One of the reasons for the popularity of the traditional kitchen is its gracious style its timelessness and the fact that it is unaffected by design trends that come and go.
There are so many finish styles of cabinet hardware drawer pulls that can match the traditional kitchen or bathroom. Some of our favorites are: Oil Rubbed Bronze drawer pulls, Antique Bronze drawer pulls, Weathered Brass, Rustic Brass, and Wrought Iron drawer pulls.
A Country Kitchen
Some kitchen designers and other industry experts in the cabinet field theorize that we love the country look because it recalls all of the warmth of grandma’s kitchen. The county kitchen conjures up so many romantic notions of the keeping rooms of old or simply links us to what we believe was a simpler, gentler time. Whatever the reason is that we love the country kitchen, this is one of the most popular styles and gives such a great opportunity for personal expression. The country kitchen is informal and relaxed, and it is a good choice for a casual lifestyle. Because the look of wear and tear is so desirable in the country kitchen, it suits busy families and active kitchens, too.
It is best to build your country kitchen around wood cabinets in a natural stain, a weathered or bleached finish, or even add cheerful paint color such as deep red. Neither elegance nor sleekness (as most commonly seen in the contemporary style) is the goal; so mismatched cabinets, freestanding unfitted pieces, or open shelves filled with dishes are the norm.
There are many offshoots of this basic look – English country, cottage, Victorian, and arts and crafts, to name a few. If you are the country kitchen type, one of these variations is sure to please you.
We offer a great deal of cabinet hardware cabinet knobs finishes to match the country style: Take a look at our Venetian Bronze cabinet knobs, Old English Copper, Wrought Iron, Brushed Antique Pewter and Aged English hardware.
A Contemporary Kitchen
The contemporary or modern design and style had its origins at the end of the nineteenth century. This era is when artists, architects, painters and designers rebelled against the cluttered design sensibility that prevailed throughout most of the Victorian era. Their rebellion manifested in simplicity and the use of natural materials such as wood, metal and other uncut materials.
As the contemporary look and feel evolved, it continued to emphasize natural materials but sooner or later became more and more streamlined and sophisticated. Between the 1970s and 1980s, when newly emerging technology was imparting the culture, a high-tech look was starting to pop up in many kitchens. These designs fancied sleek and hard edges. This look was extremely articulated in the neutral tones of stainless steel, stone, and glass. The kitchens of this era looked almost like laboratories or doctor’s offices.
Although the contemporary or modern style of those days remains pared down for the most part, this style has started to make a significant comeback in our day and age. The striking features of today’s contemporary or modern kitchen are frameless, flat panel cabinetry with clean lines and simple cabinet hardware. You will typically also find wood finishes, such as maple, cherry, and birch in lighter tones. Cabinet doors that are made of glass and metal, most often constructed of aluminum, are popular because these will go well with almost any contemporary appliances. Natural surfacing materials such as stone and tile and concrete or even solid such as surfacing and laminate dominate surfaces.
The retro-modern, or mid-century modern, is a common look that can be seen in many of today’s home furnishings. These styles are highly influencing kitchen and bathroom design. The sleek and industrial contemporary/modern and retro modern look may not be for everyone, but it has a definitely growing following.
