Description

A classic kitchen design is manufactured with timeless aesthetic value. It serves as a standard of its kind and remains up to date regardless of the year of its design. Whether a particular kitchen is a classic might often be debatable and the term is sometimes abused. But there exists a body of acknowledged classic kitchen designs from the 19th and 20th Century. For a kitchen to become a design classic requires time, and whatever lasting impact the design has had on society, together with its influence on later designs, play large roles in determining whether the kitchen becomes a design classic. Thus, classic designs are often strikingly simple, going to the essence, and are described with words like iconic, neat, valuable, or having meaning.

Elegant, with verified facade decor and at the same time warm, cozy – classic kitchen designs always remain relevant. This style has features that distinguish it. Classics use restrained colors for kitchens, beautiful materials for solid wood and natural stone, and elegant furniture fittings.

When choosing classic kitchen furniture, you need to take into account that this term can often mean both the traditional classic style and its modern version – neoclassicism.

The interior of the kitchen in the classic style looks very respectable. The furniture, on the one hand, is distinguished by simple lines and clear geometric shapes. On the other hand, it has a complex image due to numerous decors in the form of carvings, moldings, and other types of finishing. If for some reason it is impossible to install a kitchen made of solid wood you can use an alternative option.

Classic kitchen interior design furniture

Design experts classify classic kitchen furniture based on one of the historical styles – classicism, baroque, rococo, empire, etc. However, look at the catalog of any of the modern manufacturers of kitchens and notice that they call any traditional kitchens classic, including Country, Provence, and English style.

The most popular type of classic kitchen in Kenya today is the so-called modern or light classic. Unlike the pompous and luxurious palace style, neoclassicism is light, laconic, restrained, and elegant – it is liked by many and, what is important, is much more affordable.

The classic kitchen differs from the modern kitchen primarily by the facades. Milling gives them a characteristic classic look. With its help, furniture makers apply a beautiful contour pattern to the front part of the facades and make their edges smooth and rounded.

The body of inexpensive and medium-priced kitchen units is made of 16 mm thick chipboard laminated with PVC film to look like wood or enamel. For more budget models, Kenyan-made chipboard is used. But for more expensive and high-quality ones, real wood is used. Sometimes you can find models with a body made of MDF.

Classic kitchen cabinets

What are the types of classic facades?

According to their design, kitchen fronts come in two types – solid and frame.
In classic kitchens of the middle and economy class, solid fronts with a milled panel are almost always used.

They look great (they are no different in appearance from frame ones), are practical, and cost significantly less.

You can find various combinations of materials:

1. Solid wood frame + MDF panel with wood veneer finish

   These are the most common facades. The solid wood frame MDF panels with wood veneer finish are the best option in terms of price and quality. The veneer texture is selected so carefully that it will be very difficult to distinguish an MDF panel from a solid wood one.
   In economy-class set veneer is used only on the front part of the panel, and the inside of the door is covered with laminated film in the same tone. In more expensive models veneer is used on both sides.

2. The door is made entirely of MDF covered with PVC film.

   An economical and very practical option for kitchen facades in a classic style. The relief on the door surface only imitates the frame and panel, since MDF lends itself well to milling. To make the facades more durable, a protective matte varnish is applied over the film.

3. The frame and panel are made entirely of natural wood.

   A more expensive option, which is more often found in premium and elite classic kitchens. The panel can be made of wood of the same species as the frame. Or it can be made of cheaper wood and veneer of the same species.

What kind of facades are you planning to order for your classic kitchen?

Glass and lattice fronts visually lighten the kitchen front.

In classic kitchens made of solid wood or MDF, instead of a blind panel, inserts of transparent, matte, satin, or stained glass are often used.

Most models of kitchen units in the classic style have curved or radius fronts. As a rule, they are also framed. They are used for end floor and wall cabinets. They give the kitchen front a smooth and complete look. But significantly increase the cost of the kitchen, as they cost twice as much as regular fronts. As an alternative to radius cabinets, you can use open shelves or a trapezoidal cabinet with a beveled corner.

1. Classic kitchens with solid wood fronts

Natural wood is traditionally considered the best choice for a classic-style kitchen.

PROS

• Wooden facades are environmentally friendly
• Always remain in fashion
• Have a unique natural structure
• They look expensive and respectable
• Aging beautifully
• With proper treatment (antiseptic impregnations and protective varnish) and proper care, they will last for many years.

CONS

• Price. The most expensive option for facades, even if inexpensive types of wood are used
• Wood is very sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. Humidity should be constant – from 45 to 70%.
• Over time, they absorb odors and moisture
• Central heating radiators dry out the air and facades can become deformed
• Very demanding in care and sensitive to wet cleaning
• Processing wood is more difficult and expensive than MDF, so radius and carved facades are significantly more expensive.

Kenyan kitchen makers most often use solid ash, alder, acacia, cherry, and birch for the production of classic models. More expensive facade options are made of walnut, oak, tulip, or beech.

2. Classic kitchens made of MDF

MDF is perhaps the most popular material for the production of affordable kitchen fronts.

 

PROS

• Many finishing options (natural wood veneer, PVC film, enamel)
• Very durable
• High-quality MDF is environmentally friendly and safe
• Easy to mill (carved finish), MDF facades can be easily given any shape
• It is easy to care for, does not deform over time, and is resistant to mechanical damage.
• Resistant to humidity and temperature changes
• MDF kitchens are affordable
• It is easy to manufacture facades of non-standard sizes

CONS

• For true fans of natural wood, its imitation will remain just a crude fake.
• In places where hot, humid air constantly hits the facade (from a stove or oven), the veneer or PVC film may peel off over time.
• It is difficult to cover an intricate relief profile with wood veneer, so veneered facades are more laconic and smooth.

A classic kitchen with MDF fronts will cost 60-70% less than a similar model made of solid wood.

Decor and fittings

Carving on facades

Inexpensive classic economy-class kitchen units can rarely boast of beautiful finishing. The relief pattern applied to the facades of budget kitchens using milling is usually very simple and unpretentious. It remains to rely on the color and quality of the imitation of wood texture.

Patina

Perhaps the most popular method of finishing classic facades is patination. A special tinting composition with a golden or silver undertone is applied to the surface of the facades, which gives them the charm of natural antiquity.

Coloring

Kenyan furniture makers also offer other options for additional processing of facades that will emphasize the classic mood of your kitchen. For example, they are coated with matte, less often glossy varnish or matte color enamel, or painted using Decape technology, which gives the kitchen an antique look. In essence, this is double-painting with scuffs. First, the surface of the door is treated with a metal brush, then painted with the main color and rubbed with wax in places. When the excess wax is removed, an additional tone is applied to the surface of the facades, and finally covered with a layer of varnish.

Handles and fittings in a classic style

Classic kitchen models are very demanding of fittings. Incorrectly selected handles can ruin the whole impression of the spectacular design of facades and expensive finishing materials.

The traditional choice for classics is medium-sized metal pull handles or knobs. The most popular option is artificially aged antique or satin bronze, but manufacturers also offer handles in gold, copper, brass, silver, chrome, and other materials.

The classic kitchen design is very effectively complemented by handles with ceramic inserts or inlays of rock crystals.

When planning a classic interior, be prepared to budget a sufficient amount for handles. Classics will cost significantly more than similar models in a modern style.

Important!
When choosing handles, make sure that all other metal accessories – rails, and hinges of the interior door, curtain rod, and other small items – have a similar coating. Antique bronze and shiny chrome in most cases do not get along well in the same kitchen.

Behind the classic facades of the furniture set are hidden modern pull-out systems – baskets, cargo bottle holders, columns, “magic corners“, mesh shelves and shelves with glass bottoms, trays and rails, pull-out storage containers, and built-in trash cans.

Such systems take up a minimum of space in kitchen cabinets. But when pulled out, they provide an excellent overview of the contents and easy access to them. An excellent combination of beauty, comfort, and ergonomics.

In classic kitchens, the doors of wall cabinets are rarely equipped with gas-lift mechanisms that lift them. Hinged doors are still more common for classics.

Tabletop

Stone is the best companion for a classic-style kitchen.
For elite models, this is a countertop made of natural stone (granite, marble, quartzite, basalt). For more budget-friendly sets, an excellent solution can be artificial stone – a more expensive and durable agglomerate or more affordable acrylic.

A wooden tabletop made of a set of solid wood looks warm and soulful. But this solution will not suit every kitchen model. After all, wood is closer to country-style kitchens than to modern classics.

An inexpensive option for a countertop for a classic kitchen on a modest budget is ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles measuring 10 by 10.

The cheapest kitchen options are equipped with countertops made of chipboard with PVC film, or postforming plastic, simulating the texture of stone or wood.

Sink and mixer

The sink and faucet should also meet the requirements of the classic style.
When choosing a sink, give preference to models made of artificial stone or ceramics. Stainless steel sinks always look foreign in such a kitchen and will spoil the entire impression of the interior.

A kitchen interior in a classic style cannot do without the right faucet.

Household appliances in a classic kitchen

Modern design of household appliances often disrupts the integrity of the interior of a classic-style kitchen. Designers traditionally offer two solutions:

• hide built-in appliances (refrigerator and dishwasher) behind facades
• buy household appliances stylized as retro or antique.

However, a light classic style set is quite capable of coexisting harmoniously with a modern hob and oven. Especially if you choose a model with a neutral, rather than too technological design.

If the kitchen fronts and fittings are emphatically classic (with a patina effect, imitation craquelure, handles in the style of aged bronze, stained glass, pilasters, cornices, etc.), try to allocate a budget for the purchase of an oven and hob in a retro style.

In a classic kitchen design, the hood takes up a lot of attention. To ensure that it does not conflict with the fronts of the kitchen unit, there are 2 solutions:

• choose a hood with a classic style hood
• hide a modern model behind a wall cabinet door.

The second option is often cheaper since vintage hoods often fall into the mid-to-high price range. And the kitchen front will look more compact, uniform, and neat.

In some cases, it is possible to select a modern hood with a neutral design that does not clash too much with classic facades.

Small kitchens in classic style

 

Do you think that classics are not the best choice for a small kitchen? This style requires space and high ceilings. It is in such spaces that its beauty, elegance, and grace are truly revealed. That is why classic furniture is quite rare in tiny kitchens.

In a small space, the relief finish of classic facades and the decor traditional for this style can look deliberate and excessive. And therefore visually overload the already small space. However, this is not a reason to deny yourself the kitchen of your dreams. A good solution is a compact kitchen set in the style of modern classics, made to order.

Your small kitchen should not be overflowing with decorative trim. The best option is modest, laconic facades with classic panels and interesting handles. And don’t forget about symmetry and balance in everything!

If you decide to add a couple of glass facades to the kitchen front, you should give preference to stained glass, matte, or satin glass. The exception is a wall cabinet with transparent doors for beautiful dishes. But always keep it in perfect order.

Light facades in a small kitchen are preferable to dark ones. Many designers share this opinion, and this old trick always works. If you have always dreamed of a classic dark wood set, balance the brown facades with a light countertop, apron, wall, and floor trim.