Three Kitchen Styles

(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: MARCH/APRIL 2004)

A "cottage" was first defined in Europe as a humble and modest, yet comfortable, home. Today's cottage style reflects that lack of pretentiousness by emphasizing simplicity in colors, furnishings and adornments. A cottage look begins with a white palette and lots of natural light. Ornamentation is pretty but basic in accessories such as curtains, chairs and fixtures. Color comes in as an accent.

The cottage look suits this small kitchen in the Kenilworth, Illinois, home of Scott and Adrienne Wisenberger. They removed an interior wall to create a dining corner, and encircled it with windows to admit plenty of sunlight and visually expand the kitchen area. A pro-style range tucked into the scheme adds culinary firepower. Stretching storage space are a butler's pantry, and white cabinets that extend to the high ceilings.

"I love the cheerful tile and big windows," Adrienne says. "Now, the room is light-filled, efficient, yet cozy."

This modest style is great for compact kitchens like this one in a historic home. Plain white cabinetry with old-style cup pulls is the basis for a simple aesthetic, with checkerboard tiles adding colorful whimsy to backsplash and hood. A new apron sink recalls older country versions, while honed granite countertops provide subtle luxury and easy clean-up. A built-in banquette with wall-attached table surrounded by beaded board gives a cozy cottage feel. A faux cabinet door hiding the dishwasher preserves the vintage look.

Rustic

When planning a rustic space, look for the colors and textures in nature. Don and Diane Brooks just turned to the wooded lakeside setting around their cabin on Michigan's Walloon Lake.

The Brooks took colors from fall leaves-yellows, golds, rusts and browns-and liberally sprinkled in nature's materials: stone in the sink and slate counters, wood in walls and floors, and mineral elements in the coppery faucets, light fixtures and pots and pans.

Choosing a rustic look doesn't have to mean giving up the latest kitchen conveniences. The Brooks' kitchen features a stainless double-door refrigerator, four-burner range with center grill, and a pot-filling faucet, warming drawer, wine cooler, ice maker and storage racks within easy reach. The island holds a built-in microwave.

When you surround sleek appliances with earthy materials, you can cook in luxury and still embrace Mother Nature.

This style is all about primitive handmade character and the use of rugged materials. A weathered barnwood range hood/enclosure, copper countertops and a slate tile backsplash with a "fall leaf" tile pattern give the cooking zone a rustic flavor. The sink area's earthy appearance comes from a rough-faced granite basin, natural woodwork and an oil-rubbed bronze faucet. Leaf tiles on the island bring the outdoors in. Slate tile counters preserve the natural look atop the wine cooler and warming drawer that let this lake home handle visitors.

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Traditional

Traditional style relies on elements that have stood the test of time. Cultivated comfort, convenience and classic lines in everything from cabinets to countertops define this look. Chris and Michelle Levois chose the style for their home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, because it looks sophisticated for entertaining, yet is comfortable for their three children under 10. And it never goes out of style.

Their kitchen features clean lines and symmetry, and is rich in the ornate millwork that's a hallmark of traditional style. Detailed crown moldings, for example, grace the cabinets, many of which feature classic glass fronts.

A cooktop framed with cabinetry and backed with tile creates the comfortable impression of a traditional hearth.

The versatile kitchen includes a granite-topped island, where kids can enjoy snacks, and a comfy couch that lets guests or family relax nearby.

Formality and conventional sophistication mark this enduring style. The cabinetry's mix of stained and painted wood offers a new take on classic style, while a raised-panel door profile and fluted supports reinforce a traditional theme. Timeless white tiles set on a diagonal, with display cabinets above, provide conservative continuity in the cooking area, which boasts two ovens. Between formal bookcases, a built-in bar with sink and refrigerator handles refined entertaining. Slide-out spice racks elegantly hide near the cooktop.

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Product Guide

We list manufacturers' names and addresses on first references only. Some manufacturers provide additional information on their Web sites.

Rustic kitchen
Kitchen designer Liz Firebaugh, Signature Kitchens, 3890 Charlevoix Ave., Suite 120, Petoskey, MI 49770 (231/439-0100; www.signature kitchensonline.com).
Builder Gale Charbonneau, Bay Area Maintenance & Construction, 4730 U.S. 131N, Walloon Lake, MI 49796 (231/535-2166).
Woodworker David Balogh, 4725 River Rd., Boyne Falls, MI 49713 (231/535-2150).
Barnwood Conklin Authentic Antique Barnwood & Hand Hewn Beams, R.R. 1, Box 70, Susquehanna, PA 18847 (570/465-3832).
Antique cupboard The Quiet Moose, 2666 Charlevoix Ave., Petoskey, MI 49770 (231/348-5353). Decorative tile Ann Sacks (800/278-TILE; www.annsacks.com).
Dishwasher Miele USA (800/843-7231; www.miele.com).
Faucet Herbeau Creations, France (www.herbeau.com).
Light fixtures Hi-Lite. Available at Lighting Center, 2607 Charlevoix Ave., Petoskey, MI 49770 (231/439-0346).
Range, microwave, wine cooler, ice maker and warming drawer Viking Range Corp. (see Cottage kitchen, Range).
Refrigerator Sub Zero Freezer Co. (800/532-7820; www.subzero.com).
Sink Stone Forest, Inc. (888/682-2987; www.stoneforest.com).

Traditional kitchen
Kitchen designer Dianne Zald, Kitchens by Dianne, Inc., 18899 West 12 Mile Rd., Lathrup Village, MI 48076 (248/552-8105).
Bar area sink Elkay Manufacturing, Inc. (630/572-3192; www.elkayusa. com).
Cabinetry Holiday Kitchens from Kitchens by Dianne, Inc. (see Kitchen designer).
Cooktop, undercounter micro-wave, warming drawer and two ovens Dacor (800/772-7778; www.dacor.com). Dishwasher KitchenAid (800/422-1230; www.kitchenaid.com).
Kitchen sink Franke KSD, Inc. (800/626-5771; www.frankeksd.com).
Refrigerator GE Profile Series. GE Appliances (800/626-2000; www.geappliances.com).
Undercounter wine refrigerator U-LINE Corp. (414/354-0300;www.u-line.com).