We are far more design-educated these days and people have a lot more confidence to create their own style. It’s little wonder that the ‘transitional style’ has become a thing, referring to a style which combines references and elements from previous design eras with new trends. Transitional style is simply the mixing of the old and the new to create a specific look that is coherent and beautiful.

Exact Cabinet Makers transitional style kitchen

What Is A Transitional Style Kitchen?

While there is a lot of creativity in the transitional style, it doesn’t mean ‘anything goes’. There are ways of combining old and new to create a sophisticated look that will look seamless, rather than jarring. So what  are the main elements in a transitional kitchen?

simple kitchen cabinets

Cabinetry in transitional kitchens tends to be streamlined and have a low profile. This means little to no ornate features. The shaker style cabinet works well in a transitional kitchen, as do contemporary handleless cabinets.

natural and manufactured elements

Karen Williams, a New York kitchen designer from St Charles combines natural materials of timber and stone, with glass, steel or concrete to create beautiful examples of transitional kitchens. Combining natural materials with manufactured materials, creates a kitchen that never looks entirely contemporary and brings lots of warmth.

An example is combining timber cabinets with a stainless steel bench top, or timber cabinetry with a concrete floor. Industrial style lighting, for example, can be perfectly paired with warm timbers or stone. Traditional style elements made out of contemporary materials to create an updated look is another way of doing this well. For example a farmhouse style sink in brushed nickel or stainless steel, rather than traditional ceramic.

A transitional kitchen by St Charles, New York

neutral colours

Transitional kitchens tend to have neutral colour schemes. Neutral colours provide a level of sophistication that is timeless and also matches with an emphasis on different textural layers – combining smooth, shiny and natural or matt textures.

Neutral doesn’t mean you have to stay away from colour altogether. A transitional kitchen that uses muted greens or a hint of red (echoing earlier era colour palettes) can look timeless when combined with contemporary design elements. Using the latest dark colour hues of grey or blue with traditional design cues will pop in a transitional kitchen.

Advantages of a transitional Kitchen

There are lots of advantages to choosing a transitional style for your new kitchen.

timeless appeal

One of the biggest advantages of a transitional kitchen is its timeless appeal. By using only the best of contemporary trends, without embracing the most on-trend look, you reduce the chances that your kitchen will date quickly. Transitional kitchens, if done well, will maintain their appeal for many years, because they often take the best design elements from today and yesterday.

A well designed transitional kitchen will be difficult to pin down based on its era. It will also potentially add more value to your home.

flexible home

A transitional style kitchen in an older style house, enables you to use design elements from the era your home was built and combine them with the latest kitchen trends to create a look that is unique and contemporary. There’s no need to feel like you have to have an old style kitchen just to match the rest of your home. Both period, modern and contemporary houses can easily accommodate a transitional style kitchen.

transitional style kitchen with retro cabinets

style on a budget

A transitional style kitchen can give your home a look of originality and sophistication, even if it doesn’t cost a lot. The art of getting the transitional look right is to combine elements to create something that looks seamless and stylish. This doesn’t mean you have to spend big on the latest materials or hardware. It means focussing on combining design elements first – shapes, colours and materials. Not all these elements will cost a lot, because they aren’t the latest look. This is a way of reigning in a budget, but still getting a high end result.

Transitional Kitchen Inspiration

If you have an older house, research some of the common elements of colour and shape and the types of materials that you might use in your new transitional kitchen. Search on Pinterest. Save your ideas and share them with your kitchen designer.

The transitional kitchen style is an enduring, warm style of kitchen that blends perfectly with many older style homes in Melbourne. It’s a kitchen style that is perfect for those who like traditional elements, and for those who want an updated kitchen, without losing the heart of their older style home.

Cabinet Makers Melbourne

Exact Cabinet Makers design and build custom kitchens in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.  Contact us to discuss your ideas or find out more about kitchen designs Melbourne. You can also visit our showroom in Kilsyth to talk to our designers.