If you’ve been thinking about refurbishing your kitchen, the chances are that you’ve considered a number of different styles. Modern, minimalist kitchens look sleek and are easy to clean, but they are not very practical if you have a family to feed and wants lots of dedicated space for storage and cooking. Industrial-style kitchens, which were fashionable last season, are better set ups, but they can be a bit oppressive when you want somewhere to hang out and relax. This season, traditional kitchens are coming back. They’re warm, comfortable, inviting spaces that really live up to their reputation as the heart of the home. If this sounds like what you’re looking for, this article looks at some of the things that you can do to create one in your home.
Get back to wood
Traditional kitchens have no room for the harshness of shining steel appliances or exposed copper pipes. They certainly have no room for chipboard or plastic. Solid wooden tables and cabinets may be a bit more expensive but they’re worth the investment. They’re built to last, and if you get bored of the way they look in the future, you can always stain or paint them. They provide good insulation, helping to keep your stored food cool in summer, and they’re resilient, which is useful if you have kids crashing around. Real wood instantly makes your kitchen feel cozier and more inviting. Just make sure that it’s properly finished with a heavy layer of varnish, wood seal or wax (beeswax is very effective and non-toxic) so that it’s protected from damp.
Install a traditional stove
Traditional stoves have a weighty presence that can transform your kitchen. Modern versions of traditional designs can be surprisingly eco-friendly, especially if placed against an interior wall where they can also help to heat your home in winter. Larger cast iron models can be quite expensive but generally increase the value of your home, and they don’t really get old, so you can think of them as an investment. As well as basic cooking, they’re great for keeping food warm and for slow cooking roasts or simmering soup, filling up your kitchen with lovely aromas. They can also keep towels warm for when you need to dry your hands or dry off a pet that has just come in from the yard.
Install window shutters
Modern windows can look out of place in a traditional kitchen, but that’s a problem that’s easy to solve. Classic MDF window shutters are easy to fit in place and will immediately transform the way that your windows look, changing the appearance of the whole room. They’ll provide useful insulation that helps to keep the heat from escaping through windows, so it’s more likely to go through the door into the rest of the house. You can paint or varnish them to suit your tastes, and as long as you’re sensible about the products you use, they’ll present a low risk when it comes to fire, unlike curtains. When they’re closed and bolted at night, they’ll also improve the security of your home.
Say goodbye to uniformity
A traditional kitchen should be a charismatic kitchen. Don’t try to pick every item so that it matches or fits into a single, streamlined design. Using a variety of wood tones can actually look good, and the same can be said of flooring and tiling. Even the crockery that you have on display will suit this style of kitchen better if it’s a bit mixed up. Traditional kitchens have an organic quality that comes from mixing items and materials that complement each other rather than matching. You can enhance this by hanging up small paintings or framed quotes and hanging your pots and pans directly on the walls.
Pay attention to detail
Kitchens like this come alive in the details. Seek out pieces of carved wooden furniture with attractive flourishes. Cabinets with leaded glass doors can look beautiful, and you can add vintage wrought iron door handles to almost any style of door to give it a more traditional character. A frieze of hand-painted tiles can liven up the gap between your counter tops and wall cabinets or shelves, and there’s nothing like a vase of fresh or dried flowers to brighten up a window ledge.
A kitchen like this is a wonderful place for the family to gather for a meal, and a pleasant place to spend an afternoon cooking. It’s a room that won’t just look good but will also feel good to be in.
