Contemporary kitchens, very simple spaces, are characterized by distinctive hard and sleek horizontal lines. A full overlay slab door style is typically the norm for these kitchens.
The small amount of ornamentation that does exist is natural and usually comes in some form of texture. For example, there may be horizontal wood grains to match up with the horizontal line scheme. Visually the wood grain gives off a textured appearance.
The motto for the Contemporary style is “less is more.” The minimalistic, cutting-edge approach lets you achieve the originality you’re looking for in a kitchen. An understatedly elegant style, Contemporary features bold, straight lines and a clean, streamlined appearance so you can make a statement that is uniquely your own.
Clean and Sleek
The contemporary kitchen borrows high functionality and streamlined surfaces from the modernist design movement, but its style often incorporates traditional ideas as well for a sleek but livable feel.
Unlike the term “modern,” which refers to an actual historical design movement and has a strict interpretation of what elements can and can’t be included, “contemporary” simply means “in the now.” Popular contemporary retailers such as Pottery Barn, West Elm and Crate & Barrel carry items that usually sport clean lines but are inspired by a host of design styles: Danish modern, Arts and Crafts, traditional, ’50s ranch and modern industrial, for example.