Transitional Style: Between Traditional and Contemporary

Are you looking for a kitchen design that is fresh and unique, but has a comfortable, familiar feel? It sounds like transitional style may be for you. This hard-to-define concept inhabits a vast space between traditional style and contemporary, and offers a perfect canvas for personal statements.

Perhaps your style is clean and simple, bordering on contemporary. But you want a place for Great-Grandma’s flowered china cocoa pot. Establish the tone of the room with Shaker cabinets in a painted finish. Then modify one or two cabinets to display heirlooms and art through clear glass doors. Voila! A transitional space that, with one foot in each century, tells worlds about you and what you care about.

Modern Twists on Traditional Features

In the kitchen pictured above, the farmhouse sink, a very traditional style, rockets to the 21st century when fashioned out of stainless steel. In itself, the sink is an example of transitional design. It is comfortably flanked by Shaker cabinets adorned with traditional cup pulls. Crossing the room, you find ornate pendant lights followed by a stainless range hood and glass-door wine cabinet. The repetition between traditional and modern styles creates a balance throughout the space.

Combining Different Surfaces

In the photo above, the blend of contemporary and traditional is achieved by combining manufactured and natural surfaces in the same space. The sleek black and white Shaker cabinets stand out against the distressed hardwood floors. Additionally, black crown molding on the white perimeter cabinets help to tie the kitchen together. The cabinet hardware, simple stainless bar pulls,  help add a dramatic touch without straying from the established pattern.

Do you have any questions on how to create a graceful transitional design? Have you successfully mixed old and new in your kitchen? Share your experience by commenting below.