Kitchen & Bath Design News

JUN 2015

Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.

Issue link: http://kitchenbathdesign.epubxp.com/i/528102

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 44 of 65

June 2015 | ForResidentialPros.com | 43 ago. Clients back then who embraced transitional styling were daring to do something diferent, though their bravery only took them so far. Bowen believes clients back then were looking for relief from the stufness – the heavy corbels, ornate carvings and intricate patterns. "These were beautiful, but I think everyone was worn out from a sensory stand - point," she remarks. "We still had raised panel, and bead, and some pretty tile, but people just started paring down." While the result was kitchens with cleaner looks and less ornamentation, much of the heaviness remained. De- signs were still busy; cabinets would be staggered and backsplashes fea- tured a lot of colors and patterns. Everything was darker, as well, especially with regard to the wood tones, ofers Katie Ott, designer and co-owner, Kitchen Studio: Kansas City in Kansas City, MO. The design was often pretty much traditional. "They would add slender, colorful lights and call it transitional," she remarks. But while transitional may have started out as a paring down of tradi- tional, its current version is defnitely leaning toward contemporary. Transitional kitchens have moved into a realm of cleaner lines, reports Brooke Eversoll, CKD, CBD, princi- pal, Bee Studios Design Build Group, Inc., in Saint Petersburg, FL. "While transitional a decade ago was still pretty traditional," she says, "now, when working with clients seeking a transitional feel, I often blend mod- ern elements into the space, and the kitchen falls more into contemporary." "Now, we basically start with contemporary and put a little bit of traditional into it, instead of going from traditional and trying to clean it up just to get to transitional," Ott concurs. "Transitional style now combines what was thought of as European contemporary with the classic tradi- tional American style so often seen in homes," ofers Deb Shababy, design- er/marketing, Studio 76 Kitchens & Baths, in Twinsburg, OH. She notes that, in northeast Ohio, homeowners are still sensitive to the architectural style of their homes. "Moving to tran- sitional does no harm to that style," she remarks. But, not everything in the current transitional kitchen is leaning toward modern. Today, the design is based more on "how far you swing on the pendulum," notes Bowen. "Are you more modern or more traditional? You take that and you just kind of swing toward the mid- line somewhere. Some transitional is more modern, and some transitional is more traditional." ELEMENT CHANGES Whether leaning modern or tradi- tional, kitchen designers agree that transitional is much more streamlined than it used to be. Currently, many de- sign cues are coming from the Great Depression and post-WWII eras, as well as mid-century looks. Today's transitional also focuses on brighter spaces that evoke warmth. While there is a huge trend toward white kitchens for transitional, even darker cabinets and designs can em- brace the look, as long as there is enough light in the space. Natural light is a huge part of this design, as is task lighting. For ambi- ent lighting, industry pros agree that fxtures are getting larger and bolder. Lights have gone from small, color- ful pendants to larger, artsy pieces, notes Ott. "They add a little bling to the kitchen," she comments. "Exposed element fxtures, indus- trial-type fxtures where you can see the Edison bulbs; these aren't hard- core, but are just way more pared down," and are at home in transitional design, believes Bowen. In cabinets, white is a good tran- sitional color, according to Bowen, because it can be a super bright, crisp white for a more modern look, and it can be a warmer, softer white for someone who swings more toward the traditional element. "There's a lot of gray in the transitional style, This kitchen, designed by Christy Bowen, CKD, CBD of Twelve Stones Designs in Austin, TX, features classic transitional elements, such as a classic Shaker door in a warm white paired with a darker stain, neutral-toned quartz countertops and a limestone 'subway tile' backsplash on a broken bond. The more contemporary concrete foor works with the traditional chandelier, playing on the 'anything goes' mantra. This open kitchen design by Katie Ott of Kitchen Studio: Kansas City in Kansas City, MO features wood tones on the island and refrigerator armoire, ofset by the creamy tones of the cabinetry, walls and countertops, resulting in a bright, clean space. Crystals in the lights, as well as polished chrome hardware and faucets, add a little extra sparkle for interest. Photo: Mark Kocourek Photo: Casey Fry Photography

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Kitchen & Bath Design News - JUN 2015