Thanks for sharing that Breezy. I'd consider your style Transitional. You are mixing the modern lines (that I love too) with some traditional things (love that too).

Had to chuckle when I got to the end of the article and there were links to other articles...and there it was....my potfiller photo!

Bee

Her history needs a little freshening. But I found this interesting tile in the comments.

To me these just look like throw away Ikea kitchens.

Being that my kitchen is going more modern to go better with the architecture and elements already in the house, I wanted to better understand modern design better so I started a thread on this awhile ago.

There was a lot of great information shared in the thread by many of the pros on this forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Modern Kitchens Over the Decades

Thanks for the references, breezy and aloha!

As I said in a different thread recently, there is a personal discipline that is required of the user of a modern kitchen. Almost any stray object can upset the calm overall interrelation of the fixed parts. I suppose that you could think of the design as an automatic autocrat forcing the user to put things away after they're used, but personally I would find that the autocrat discourages making messes at all. This is not a "the more's the merrier" kind of life, which I what I'm all about. When you see these kitchens with mounds of veg lying on the counters and a stewpot spewing steam on the range, it almost rankles the senses.

I'll have to look closer at the concept of modern and horizontal lines. Though I've obviously seen horizontal uppers for kitchen. I've seen probably equal amount of kitchen that have vertical uppers. What do you experts think about the horizontal theme in modern defining modern?

With frameless flat panel cabinets, wide tubular or flat pulls that will run horizontally with 36" wide base cabinets, lack of ornamentation having back painted glass for the backsplash, only some graining to be seen in the doors/drawers which will go horizontal, pendant lights are very unique and undeniably modern (my great buy for $1000 worth of pendants for only $150), the only industrial look I'd say I qua si will have is the SS appliances. So going through each element looks like I've been successful in my choices to make a modern space.

One thing I THINK was missed is the wide use of non natural materials. Plastics, shiny laminate cabinets, SS steel, and glass for example are often highly used in modern design. I'm using the "plastic" look glacier white countertops. Another element that I've seen a lot of that was mentioned was typically one color (white for example) or very stark differences. Very strong color differences. The black white element is seen a lot! Don't know if these are a more contemporary element that is in the current look of modern, sort of like MCM had the use of woods. What are the thoughts on this?

One thing I found interesting in the "Modern" Houzz article has more to do with the "OTK"/Classic thread. Here we read: Even in a kitchen that skews toward transitional, a standard 3-by-6 Cararra marble set in a stacked pattern rather than a brick pattern can make it more modern.

Okay, that confirms it. 3x6 marble subway tiles are now being described as "standard." Can demode' be far behind?

What I thought was interesting was the notion that the architecture of the house can be different from the style of the kitchen - that the two don;t have to mesh. Many people believe that the style of the kitchen should follow the architecture of the house but perhaps not.

befenton wrote,
What I thought was interesting was the notion that the architecture of the house can be different from the style of the kitchen - that the two don;t have to mesh. Many people believe that the style of the kitchen should follow the architecture of the house but perhaps not.

Europeans do an amazing job of "addending" modern interiors to old building that are several hundred years old. This takes really good eye/designer and good materials. It is very common to see high end modern furniture in an advertising picture (Roche Bobois often does this since they are French) inside of a 18th century Parisian apartment with all the Baroque molding and trim work intact. This is truly gorgeous. It really makes you want to live that way...The romance of 18th century Parisian building with 10 ft ceilings and the exquisitive design of modern furniture. (At least it does to me...) We are talking apartments that cost several mil euros. Alas, the advertising works for fools like me!

If one choses to do modern inside of an old building, then you really need to have a good eye and do the entire house in a style that carries it well with the architecture of the house. Modern (real modern, not contemporary) often works really well with buildings with ornate millwork because the millwork can be showcased so well when the interior pieces are nearly austere. In some of those old beautiful buildings, the original millwork, leaded windows, etc are so gorgeous, that one needs to do nearly nothing. When you do this type of design, you can't bring in grandma's floral sofa and set it next to a modern kitchen. You can't even bring "transitional/contemporary" pieces. The best modern designs often require 'ruthless editing' to take out all unnecessary components. Florantha alluded to this.

People who live with Modern design often have vey strong relationship with closed door storage and cabinets. Everything has a place and goes behind a closed door! This is my sentiment but I can't get my family to practice this....