What is Contemporary Style?

Contemporary style kitchens or cabinetry refers to a modern aesthetic that is achieved through the use of manmade materials and efficient minimalist designs. Living spaces designed in contemporary styles will incorporate stainless steel, laminates, glass, concrete, chrome and lacquered surfaces. Coloring will be bold and stark. This is a style that originated with the European influences of the 1940s designers that sought to bridge art and design together for a function-oriented approach. Contemporary style is a term often interchanged with ‘modern’ or ‘industrial’ because of the common use of exposed metals and stark straight lines in these styles of design.

One of the key factors in creating a contemporary aesthetic is that there is little to no decoration utilized. A goal in contemporary design is that everything in the design has a function and has been arranged in order to achieve an optimum efficiency. Finding appliances to compliment the contemporary style of one’s kitchen is relatively easy today as most manufacturers produce a line of either brushed metal or bold lacquered coloring. To achieve the contemporary style with one’s cabinets, consider using concealed hinges and metal doors. If wood is used, then it should be finished with a high gloss enamel to match to overall look. Contemporary style is a general term with plenty of latitude for including personal preferences.