Which design to choose for your new kitchen? In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know: core principles, dominant colors, innovation, and inspiration.
Modern kitchen style
Almost everyone who buys a new kitchen in Israel chooses two main styles that will be offered by kitchen installation companies: rustic style and modern kitchen. Old style kitchens are still very common in Israel and this is expressed mainly in the general concept – white, classic kitchen. What characterizes modern kitchens and modern style in general today?
Straight and clean lines have been one of the principles of modern style since its inception. Heavy textures, colorful elements, and ornate decorations are a thing of the past. The general direction of modern style is straight and economical lines, without any additional details.
Modern comfort. Modular furniture or smart devices that allow remote control of various systems blend perfectly with modern style and keep the home clean and elegant, with all the equipment assembled and adjusted to suit individual needs.
Minimalism – designing a space in a modern style without unnecessary details. This requires planning the space ahead of time to keep the look of the kitchen clean and focused, without unnecessary elements.
Rejection of loaded elements is a direct continuation of the previous principles. In today’s space, you will need to find creative storage solutions for the objects you have accumulated over the years. Books, souvenirs, photographs and documents will have to be closed in cupboards to be less visible.
Light and lighting – modern style loves a lot of light. Accordingly, a kitchen in this style will have large windows that let in a lot of natural light into the room. Lighting fittings should be elegant and minimalistic.
What characterizes modern kitchens
Minimalist Kitchen – Minimalism is reflected in the kitchen in a clean and sleek look. In modern kitchens, every piece is carefully selected. Most should be allocated for electrical appliances and tools. There will be a variety of decorative items, but only those that fit the exact overall style. In such kitchens, many colors should not be used, the color direction will be monochrome. On the other hand, a rustic kitchen, for example, will be full of details and more rounded and softer lines.
Straight and clean lines. In modern kitchen designs, metalwork elements will be expressed repeatedly, for example with elongated metal handles, or sometimes they will be expressed by eliminating handles to maintain a clean, muted look. When designing small kitchens, many designers opt for a modern kitchen because the white color, clean line and no stress create the illusion of more space. You can combine the style with glass and mirrors to create the illusion of a larger kitchen.
Refusal to load. Are the shelves loaded? Green plants? Massive lighting fixtures? Hanging pots and pans? They all belong to a more rustic cuisine or Provence cuisine, etc. In a modern kitchen, each piece has a special place, usually closed, with minimal decorative elements to match the chosen design style.
Colors suitable for modern kitchens. Modern kitchens are monochrome. Apart from white, white, and white, other colors you will find are gray, black (for the bolder ones), and cream.
The materials used in modern kitchens must also match the overall concept. A wood mirror, for example, adds a warm and homey feel to most modern kitchens (although there is a trend today to mix styles and some to match wood in modern kitchens, although this has to be done wisely). Textiles in its various forms will also be less reflected in the design of such kitchens. The same can be said for vegetation, and there are many low plaster and sagging fixtures that fit perfectly into the basic principles of the style – minimalism and straight lines, and the chosen marble will be as monochromatic as possible.
Tips for those who “refresh” old kitchens with a modern twist
Cabinets and fronts. Old, brown wood cabinets can be painted white and the handles replaced. The process only takes a few days and you end up with a modern, contemporary kitchen.
Gypsum shell. Damaged walls or ceilings or old-fashioned colors can be freshened up not only with painting but also with plaster. When it comes to ceiling, you can also combine hidden lighting.
If you’re tired of your old-fashioned flooring style, there is a cheaper solution than removing existing floors – sticking the new flooring onto the existing one. To do this, make sure there are no moisture problems and that the existing floors are not broken or bent. Also, if you replace the flooring with this method only in the kitchen, there will be height differences between rooms.
Lighting replacement. Old and massive lighting fixtures can affect the appearance of the entire space. A possible solution for designing kitchens and updating the look is to replace the lighting fixtures with a modern style and modern body.