Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Elements Of A Contemporary Kitchen

By Matthew Kerridge

Have you ever wanted a contemporary kitchen in your home? It is a fairly easy task to decorate your kitchen with a contemporary theme. When you have completed the work you will understand the beauty of a simple contemporary kitchen. The basics of the contemporary look would be wooden cabinets, beige or tan wall colors with a bold accent color.

As you walk into your own kitchen you will see cabinets and countertops. Let us concentrate on the kitchen cabinetry. For a contemporary themed most people will choose wooden cabinets with clear doors. This type of door has hinges that are attached to the inside of the cabinets, so they do not show. If you want to put the molding across the tops of the cabinets make it a plain looking molding.

As strange as this may be, placing metal finishes next to wood finishes makes for a beautiful look. You may choose tile, concrete or laminate for your counter tops. You may use those same choices for your flooring as well. It will all become a nice cohesive look. Do not forget to buy the lighting and have it installed. Again choose metal or glass finishes for the lighting fixtures.

Let us talk about the color of your kitchen. Keep it light and airy. Contemporary theme calls for subdued wall and floor colors. You can add texture to the walls using special painting treatments. You can take classes to learn this technique at the local lumber store. Even though the colors are light, you can still make them beautiful Paint is just the background for the art and other things that will be hung on the wall.

If you have an island in the middle of your kitchen, you can find some gorgeous metal bar stools. Islands allow you to have more counter top space in the kitchen. A rectangle shaped counter top is very contemporary because it has clean lines, and is a geometric shape. Try to keep your island from being a catch all, it is better to be organized to keep that clean look, especially in the kitchen area.

Let us talk about the paint. I have found through experience that using flat paint on kitchen walls is not such a great idea. Flat paint can not be cleaned well. I highly suggest using the high gloss paint because you are able to wipe stains off the wall and leaving the paint looking perfect. It does have a shine to it but that really should not make a difference. High gloss paint was meant to be cleaned, and flat paint is not cleanable.

The very last thing you will want to do is add all of those special things to your contemporary kitchen. For an accent color, choose something very bold. Use one or two accent colors like yellow and blue. Bring color in with fresh flowers and vases. Throw in a couple of brightly colored sculpture pieces. It is nice to have something like a tray that is not only beautiful but has a function as well.

I will wrap this up by telling you to go forward and make your contemporary kitchen dream come true. You will be glad you did it. You can get ideas from all kinds of sources. Walk into the department stores that specialize in contemporary kitchens. Check on the internet for cabinetry websites.

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