Decorating
How to Add Character to Your Contemporary Kitchen
Stylish storage and state-of-the-art appliances are only part of the story when you're designing a sleek new kitchen
Kitchens are such functional rooms, though because of the emphasis on utilitarian design, it’s important to ensure their ‘liveability’ doesn’t get left behind. It pays to talk to your kitchen designer at the planning stage about introducing character and warmth. Consider what will make your kitchen (your style of) homely. It might just be about displaying your favourite objects, in which case, it’s worth having open storage designed in. Perhaps it’s about colour, texture or positioning a window to highlight a view.
Take a look at these very different examples of how designers have warmed up contemporary kitchens (and save your favourite images to an ideabook) to get started.
Take a look at these very different examples of how designers have warmed up contemporary kitchens (and save your favourite images to an ideabook) to get started.
Be consistent
Good news for minimalists: this beautifully designed, clean, crisp kitchen demonstrates how little you need to have on display to give a space a cosy, lived-in feel.
To achieve a similarly uncluttered yet welcoming effect, go big on consistency: matching storage containers lined up on a benchtop; a trio of objets d’art on a windowsill or shelf; a couple of well-framed prints, and books housed in a neat, dedicated book nook or shelf. Simple matching chair cushions are also unfussy additions.
Find a kitchen designer and renovator near you on Houzz to design your dream kitchen
Good news for minimalists: this beautifully designed, clean, crisp kitchen demonstrates how little you need to have on display to give a space a cosy, lived-in feel.
To achieve a similarly uncluttered yet welcoming effect, go big on consistency: matching storage containers lined up on a benchtop; a trio of objets d’art on a windowsill or shelf; a couple of well-framed prints, and books housed in a neat, dedicated book nook or shelf. Simple matching chair cushions are also unfussy additions.
Find a kitchen designer and renovator near you on Houzz to design your dream kitchen
Add a vintage feel
Mixing some old with your new is a tried and tested warming tactic – and this kitchen’s design does it beautifully. The clear glass pendant lights tone down the sleek look nicely. Meanwhile, a vintage-inspired food processor in glossy red, along with classic salt and pepper grinders, give the island benchtop suitable character.
On the wall shelves, vintage tins, a retro-style set of scales and the cafe signage are good touches. All this, along with the brick wall and nearby open fireplace with its mini-gallery above, have combined to create a kitchen in which you’d be very happy to linger.
Mixing some old with your new is a tried and tested warming tactic – and this kitchen’s design does it beautifully. The clear glass pendant lights tone down the sleek look nicely. Meanwhile, a vintage-inspired food processor in glossy red, along with classic salt and pepper grinders, give the island benchtop suitable character.
On the wall shelves, vintage tins, a retro-style set of scales and the cafe signage are good touches. All this, along with the brick wall and nearby open fireplace with its mini-gallery above, have combined to create a kitchen in which you’d be very happy to linger.
Let the garden in
There’s a lot going on in this contemporary kitchen that helps warm it up. Indoor plants stretch the garden into the interior, and having them at different heights softens the clean lines of the design. Timber-look cabinet fronts also echo the timber in the garden – wood almost always adds an instantly cosy texture.
Pendants with warm bulbs are a key softening feature, and the colour of the light connects with the antique-style frame and painting over the oven, a simple idea that will always add character.
There’s a lot going on in this contemporary kitchen that helps warm it up. Indoor plants stretch the garden into the interior, and having them at different heights softens the clean lines of the design. Timber-look cabinet fronts also echo the timber in the garden – wood almost always adds an instantly cosy texture.
Pendants with warm bulbs are a key softening feature, and the colour of the light connects with the antique-style frame and painting over the oven, a simple idea that will always add character.
Having wall-to-wall glazing isn’t the only way to connect your kitchen with the great outdoors, of course. Not every kitchen will lend itself to the sort of modernisation in the previous image, so take a moment to enjoy this kitchen’s prominent leafy view.
The design of this space is unashamedly sleek and modern, and yet the interesting use of grained timber for the cabinet fronts and the picture-frame effect of that black window are a powerful combination for letting nature soften the edges of this functional space.
The design of this space is unashamedly sleek and modern, and yet the interesting use of grained timber for the cabinet fronts and the picture-frame effect of that black window are a powerful combination for letting nature soften the edges of this functional space.
Incorporate open shelving
If you don’t need, or want, traditional wall cabinets, you may well find you have the space for some kind of visible storage zone. This is a fantastic opportunity to add character and warmth to a sleek kitchen.
Talk to your designer about how and where you could include some open shelving in your kitchen. They’ll probably ask about how tidy you are before going too far down this road… it’s important to be honest with them. If you’re not very tidy, then a smaller open storage section – perhaps arranged with a permanent display of items you rarely use – might work best for you.
If you don’t need, or want, traditional wall cabinets, you may well find you have the space for some kind of visible storage zone. This is a fantastic opportunity to add character and warmth to a sleek kitchen.
Talk to your designer about how and where you could include some open shelving in your kitchen. They’ll probably ask about how tidy you are before going too far down this road… it’s important to be honest with them. If you’re not very tidy, then a smaller open storage section – perhaps arranged with a permanent display of items you rarely use – might work best for you.
Highlight period features
Really classy design is often about knowing where not to fill up the space, and this wonderful old room shows this approach beautifully.
Rather than try to fit storage between the windows or beneath them, or crowd the space at all, the designer of this kitchen let these original features ‘breathe’ by keeping the wall of storage opposite completely unobtrusive. The traditional radiator heaters, too, are free of visual clutter and allowed to shine. Old or old-looking pieces are very useful in the business of taking the edge off angular, gleaming new spaces.
The beautiful wooden floor and glowing under-cabinet lighting are other softening counterpoints to the brilliant whiteness in the rest of this room.
Really classy design is often about knowing where not to fill up the space, and this wonderful old room shows this approach beautifully.
Rather than try to fit storage between the windows or beneath them, or crowd the space at all, the designer of this kitchen let these original features ‘breathe’ by keeping the wall of storage opposite completely unobtrusive. The traditional radiator heaters, too, are free of visual clutter and allowed to shine. Old or old-looking pieces are very useful in the business of taking the edge off angular, gleaming new spaces.
The beautiful wooden floor and glowing under-cabinet lighting are other softening counterpoints to the brilliant whiteness in the rest of this room.
Choose soft neutrals
Green-toned greys are great for echoing the great outdoors, especially if your kitchen overlooks the garden. But that’s not the whole story here in terms of what’s giving this kitchen a gentle feel.
The matt colour is chalky, almost tactile. It’s the opposite of a ‘glaring’ shade or cold finish, which can appear harsh and, in turn, create a chilly effect.
Tip: Varying the width of the kitchen cabinetry, which has been done here with great success in the upper and lower units, adds an organic feel and softens the scheme.
Green-toned greys are great for echoing the great outdoors, especially if your kitchen overlooks the garden. But that’s not the whole story here in terms of what’s giving this kitchen a gentle feel.
The matt colour is chalky, almost tactile. It’s the opposite of a ‘glaring’ shade or cold finish, which can appear harsh and, in turn, create a chilly effect.
Tip: Varying the width of the kitchen cabinetry, which has been done here with great success in the upper and lower units, adds an organic feel and softens the scheme.
Work in feature tiles
A strong injection of pattern or colour can often provide personality in a contemporary kitchen. Tiles can be a practical way to do this; you get to create a resilient surface as well as a striking feature in one go.
That said, tiling is a skilled trade and statement tiles can be quite an investment, so call on your architect or interior designer to advise you on what might work and why. They’ll be able to suggest just the right – and not always obvious – colours to tie the area into the rest of your kitchen and let your tiles become a beautiful stand-out detail.
Your turn
How have you introduced a welcoming feel in your contemporary kitchen? Share your tips in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Craving more kitchen inspiration? Read these 19 Design Tricks to Maximise Space in a Small Kitchen
A strong injection of pattern or colour can often provide personality in a contemporary kitchen. Tiles can be a practical way to do this; you get to create a resilient surface as well as a striking feature in one go.
That said, tiling is a skilled trade and statement tiles can be quite an investment, so call on your architect or interior designer to advise you on what might work and why. They’ll be able to suggest just the right – and not always obvious – colours to tie the area into the rest of your kitchen and let your tiles become a beautiful stand-out detail.
Your turn
How have you introduced a welcoming feel in your contemporary kitchen? Share your tips in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Craving more kitchen inspiration? Read these 19 Design Tricks to Maximise Space in a Small Kitchen
The materials you choose will be almost as significant in terms of shaping your new kitchen as the layout, especially if you opt to hide everything behind cabinetry, as in this Scandi-style kitchen.
Be clear with your designer if you want as little as possible on show, and discuss materials with them very early on. They may suggest incorporating timber into the scheme as just one way of giving the expanse of doors and drawers the right impact.
Here, natural timber has been used to dramatic effect to cover an entire wall, creating a self-contained block for storage and appliances.