Kitchen Design 101: How to Mix & Match Kitchen Styles

The last thing you want is to end up with a cookie-cutter kitchen that looks exactly like what you see when you walk into your friends’ homes. Instead, you want a customized appearance that showcases your personality and is an expression of you. One of the most effective ways to design a kitchen that is personalized to you is to mix and match a variety of kitchen styles to create a one-of-a-kind aesthetic.

When browsing Pinterest and flipping through the pages of home design magazines, you’ve likely come across various elements of kitchens that you loved. Oftentimes homeowners think that just because you love one element of a specific kitchen style you have to stick with that overall aesthetic for a cohesive appearance but that doesn’t have to be the case! Instead, you can choose between your favorite elements of kitchen styles — including modern, traditional, contemporary, coastal, farmhouse, country, and more — to design a kitchen that perfectly pairs together a mix of styles for a distinctive appearance.

While mixing and matching kitchen styles is an easy way to incorporate your personality into the space, there are some tips and tricks you should take into account when designing your space. Follow along as we help you get the best of both worlds with kitchen styles.

Mix Contrasting Flooring and Cabinets

Your kitchen’s floors and cabinets are two of the most important elements in the room. They’re one of the first things that your friends and family will notice when they come over. The endless possibilities for mixing and matching your flooring and your cabinets make it one of the most fun design formulas to figure out throughout the entire process. From traditional tile flooring and luxury vinyl plants to natural hardwood, you can use your flooring to help balance out the look and feel of your kitchen design.

Just because you want modern kitchen cabinets doesn’t mean you need to install sleek modern flooring as well. You can mix cabinets and countertops of one style with flooring from another. An example of the perfect contrasting aesthetic that pairs together beautifully is the combination of a modern kitchen with coastal flooring. Many modern kitchens boast a mix of cabinets and opening shelving and have a traditional subway backsplash — all of which are in a neutral color palette. If you love the clean and neutral appearance, you may be worried about incorporating a colorful element into the space that can detract from the overall aesthetic. Instead, you’ll often find these sleek modern elements paired with coastal-style wood flooring that adds a bit of warmth to an otherwise sterile space. This is just one example of how very different kitchen styles can pair together beautifully to create a contrasting, yet cohesive design.

Blend Different Cabinet Styles

Are you a fan of modern and sleek white kitchen cabinets? Do you love the idea of displaying your glassware and dishes on open shelving? Are you envisioning a kitchen full of colorful cabinets? There are a variety of ways you can highlight your personality in your kitchen style through your cabinets and mix modern and traditional designs.

Historically, whatever cabinets you selected for your kitchen were installed throughout the entire space as the upper cabinets, lower cabinets, and island cabinets. Nowadays, homeowners are often breaking that mold and incorporating a mix of kitchen cabinet styles, as well as cabinet colors.

If you prefer traditional kitchen cabinets but want to add a bit of flair to the room, consider installing a few upper cabinets with glass paneling that elevate the space by showing your glassware within. Another popular choice is to install lower kitchen cabinets and opt for modern open shelving up above that displays all your dishes and glassware out in the open. If you’re looking for another way to mix and match cabinet styles, you may fall in love with the look of multi-toned kitchen cabinets. Instead of having the same color cabinets throughout your kitchen, you can have your upper and lower cabinets be complementary shades of one another — or you can have your kitchen island cabinets different from the rest of your kitchen!

There are endless ways to mix and match your kitchen cabinet styles. No matter what you choose, you’ll love the way it creates a high-end appearance that is one-of-a-kind to your space.

Choose Appliances That Stand Out

One of the first choices you’ll make when designing your kitchen is the color and style of the cabinet. Your selection will vary whether you’re opting for a more traditional appearance, a modern aesthetic, or a coastal vibe. A common trend you’ll see is for homeowners to match their kitchen appliances to their cabinet style. In many cases, you’ll even see people hiding their appliances with a cabinet front, fully encompassing them into the kitchen style. Instead of blending your kitchen appliances into the space, you can break the status quo and install appliances of a completely different style!

Instead of traditional stainless steel, white, or black kitchen appliances, you can incorporate appliances with a more unique appearance. From colorful appliances in pastel blue to sleek emerald and gold, these high-end and vibrant appliances will become a major focal point in your already stylish space. Maybe you love the look of modern cabinets but old-fashioned appliances — there’s no rule saying you can’t have both! Whatever style cabinets you favor, don’t worry about following the same style for your appliances.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of kitchen styles?

When determining what kitchen styles you want to mix and match various elements of, there are quite a few to consider. A few of the most popular kitchen styles include modern, traditional, contemporary, coastal, old-world, Mediterranean, and more.

What are the most popular kitchen styles?

While there are a variety of kitchen styles, the most common styles are modern and traditional. Traditional kitchens typically include classic design elements and feature wood cabinets, granite countertops, and hardwood flooring. Contrastingly, modern kitchens are sleek and simple in their design, often sticking to a single color or a neutral color palette.

What is a timeless kitchen design?

No matter what kitchen styles you choose to blend, one thing is certain, you want to design a kitchen that will look good for many years. A timeless kitchen design incorporates elements that aren’t too trendy and won’t go out of style or need to be replaced in the next five to 10 years.

What should match in your kitchen?

When designing your kitchen, you’ll need to choose your countertops, cabinets, and flooring. While these elements don’t need to match styles or colors, it is recommended that you consider how each of these three main kitchen elements pairs together to create a cohesive aesthetic that enhances the overall look of your space.