How to Blend Traditional & Contemporary Style in the Kitchen

What happens when you don’t gravitate toward one clear-cut decor style, but instead you love traditional as much as you swoon over contemporary?

The result can be a home that doesn’t flow, where the living room feels disconnected from the dining room, which feels disconnected from the kitchen. This is even more apparent in homes with open floor plans, where you can see two or three rooms from one vantage point.

Before

Thankfully, there is a way to create cohesiveness amongst disparate decor styles, colors, and patterns. You don’t need to change every room -- just start in the kitchen.

Often the kitchen is the connecting space between the dining room and the living room. With a few small kitchen design adjustments, you can create that easy, flowy feeling you crave (without a major renovation or all-new decor).

After

If you want to incorporate multiple design styles in your kitchen in order to blend together the rest of your home, here’s what to do, depending on the styles you need to mix and match:

To bring in traditional elements:

• Mimic molding details from other rooms in the kitchen (this can be subtle, like on an island leg or around the windows).

• Match wood types and stains. For example, you can match the cherry wood from your dining set to the stain used on your kitchen island or on your base cabinets.

• Showcase traditional glassware or China in a custom hutch, in glass cabinets or on floating shelves (if you want the look to be a little more contemporary).

Photo Credit: Traditional Kitchen and Bar in Woodbridge, CT

Photo Credit: HookedonHouses.net

Photo Credit: 1920's Beach House Kitchen in Madison, CT

To incorporate contemporary vibes:

Photo Credit:  Modern Contemporary Condo in East Haven, CT

• Choose a plain door style, such as flat or recessed – it keeps lines clean in the kitchen.

• Choose neutral colors and a simple countertop pattern. You can still go for granite, quartz and even marble, but a subtle shade with less movement will keep the kitchen feeling more contemporary.

• Select simple hardware that matches the living room. For example, if you have silver accents in your living room, go for simple satin nickel cabinet pulls and knobs in the kitchen.

To create cohesion regardless of style specifics:

• Run crown molding (in the same style and color) throughout your kitchen, dining and living room.

• Paint the walls of all three rooms similar or complementary colors.

All of this information leads to the cultivation of the aptly named Transitional style. So if you find yourself gravitating towards a mix of Traditional and Contemporary than Transitional is the style you want to work with. You can browse our Transitional kitchen here for inspiration or simply type the style into Pinterest to get your own ideas.

Have you chosen just one decor style in your home, or do you mix and match? Let us know your favorites (and any struggles!) in the comments below, or over on Facebook.