Kitchen Remodeling with Style

by Gabby Hyman
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

As the expression goes, there's no accounting for taste in kitchen remodeling. One person's cozy kitchen is another person's claustrophobic nightmare. To the other extreme, your kitchen remodeling idea with grandiose stove islands and heavy track lighting might make visitors queasy. Then, there's the wallpaper dilemma. Do you go for something traditional, i.e. a flower motif; or non-traditional, i.e. War and Peace with scenes of bloodied Russian troops gnawing on rations? Fortunately for most of us, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) offers six well-defined style characteristics useful for planning any kitchen remodeling project.

Which Kitchen Remodeling Idea Floats Your Boat?

According to the NKBA, most attractive kitchens fall into one of these major categories:

• Traditional: Your kitchen relies on a scheme of dark-stained woods and textured paneling offset with oak cabinetry, wicker accessories, and formal crown moldings.
• Victorian: Gothic window detailing, bulky wooden furnishings, dangling chandelier lighting, fussy knobs, and cabinet hardware render the feel of a bygone era.
• Country: You're home on the range from ranch-hand rustic to warm oak touches or distressed paneling. Toss in a few knick-knacks, embroidery, quilted wallpaper schemes, or some "no-place-like-home" accessories.
• Southwestern: For a less obvious look than the country kitchen, you're remodeling with warm dessert hues of terra cotta, orange, red, or bright yellow. Ceramic tiles on the floor and countertops complement the spacious effect. Think of hand-painted fabric or stucco paint flashes, rather than wallpaper.
• Modern: Clean lines, polished metal, and bright shapes create the modern effect. Think of frosted glass, stainless steel, hidden or recessed appliances, and hues of white and onyx.
• Eclectic: Eclectic does NOT mean "anything goes." Feel free to mix elements from any of the more traditional styles along with the new, but harmonize the look. The scheme should have a unity that makes sense to you.

Sources

• The National Kitchen and Bath Association

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has written for print and online media for more than 20 years. He has created online content for eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Avaya, and Nissan UK. He has also been a web consultant to the Governor of California. As an author of fiction, journalism, and poetry, Gabby is a former English professor for the University of Illinois, University of Alaska, and Old Dominion University. He holds an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Alabama.