Part of the decision is what you like every time you see it or over and over again. Collect pictures online or from magazines of kitchens you like. Don't think about it too much just keep it if you like it. Then look at them and see what the common elements are.

Well, from a wardrobe point of view, classic are things that have traditional lines and no trendy elements. You can apply the same thing to your kitchen. Classic, non-trendy lines are generally simple, straight, without a lot of furbelows. Trendy are ogee edges, Italianate outcorners, "furniture" legs and feet, etc. Classic finishes are medium to dark stained wood, or white/cream painted. While stone countertops are stylish, they're also classic, as is tile or metal. Classic appliances are white, stainless or black. Classic sinks are white, stainless, copper or stone. Knobs and pulls are fairly easy to find in simple, "classic" designs, and just about any metal finish, clear or pale glass, or white ceramic, can be considered classic.

But there are stylish things you might want to have. Like a separate prep sink. Or maybe Silestone or another manufactured surface, or a Silgranite sink.

But what if you fall in love with a cobalt blue sink? Are you going to deny yourself?

Palimpsest's recommendations for how to do a kitchen for yourself are on the money. If you're thinking resale (like soon, since a kitchen is only "new" for a couple of years, and is thought to need "refreshing" after no more than 10), classic is a great way to go.

Thanks for your insights!

I would like to have my kitchen not become "dated" in a short amount of time...that is why I wanted a "classic" kitchen.

My kitchen isn't going to be dated because other than specific appliance and faucet and sink designs, which are of the moment, nothing in it is particularly trendy. It's going to be unique.

If you look at the magazines and get a sense of what the "in" kitchen is, you'll also know what will be dated sooner than later (though kitchens usually take a decade to become dated unless they're done on the far end of the trend). But beautiful things may fall from the top of "in", but they don't get "dated" if they're very nice.

Just avoid the kitchen trend version of soutache. It's been used in fashion for hundreds of years and went in and out of fashion, but when it became the hot trend and everything, including bras, had soutache, it became very old, very fast. Then all those awful things disappeared, and classic, laced coats were wearable again. Sometimes trends overtake you and you just have to ride them out.

If you get what you like, and don't let yourself be lured by things just because they're what everyone has, you'll be fine.

Another consideration is the style or period of the house. I think if one stays somewhat true to the style of the house the kitchen will appear timeless with regard to the house.

When I was trying to figure out how to decorate my living room in a classic timeless style I found an old decorating book from around the 1970s that featured the homes of various stars, designers and celebrities. I wanted to see what had withstood the test of time. What looked instantly dated to me were large or wild patterns on curtains, walls and upholstery, furniture with odd shapes and rooms with a large amount of an unusual color such as hot pink. The ones who achieved timelessness to my eyes were the ones who used solid colors, classic furniture shapes--klismos chairs, louis philippe-style cabinets, leather club chairs-- natural fabrics such as leather and linen and non-trendy colors such as black, white, brown, tan.

I think pillog had it right on about cabinets: either cream/white or medium to dark brown. I would avoid oak. I would avoid an arched door design and keep the style as simple as possible. For countertops go for classics: soapstone, granite, quartz, marble or other materials that have stood the test of time. I think the jury is still out on newer products such as concrete, paperstone, icestone etc. For backsplashes white subway tile is classic. So is marble. And porcelain tile never goes out of fashion--only the size and shape of the tile varies from era to era.

By the way when I first met with my kitchen designer I brought him a picture of a kitchen with creamy white cabinets, stainless steel countertops and green mosaic tile backsplash. He commented "oh yes, that's a very trendy look right now." I didn't bother to tell him the picture was of a 1960s kitchen that had never been remodeled. And didn't need to be either, because they had used good materials the first time around.

I wanted a kitchen that wouldn't date itself soon...so I pulled out those design mags and looked for similarities.

Here's a few that scream now and done next week:

Tuscan anything
Multi colored cabinets (island different than the perimiter screams easy to date)
Cement counters
Distressed cabinets
Shaker style natural cherry

Now all of the above (aside from those cement counters) could be used in a kitchen that's hard to date, but you have to be creative and not make it a kit. Don't do shaker cherry with tumbled marble backsplash...Very BIG right now. Do shaker cabinets with a white subway.

I have shaker style (a bit different but still basically) but I used a gold subway, with a wide groutline. My lighting is antique (1913) and I have a chicken backsplash. My range looks the same as they did a hundred or so years ago (french enamel) but I have a stainless subzero (they haven't changed much in 30 years or more). I had 30 people over on Saturday and many asked...what style is this? Since it's basically eclectic, it's somewhat dateless. But frankly, every kitchen dates itself eventually :)

We're looking at a victorian who had a remodel kitchen in the 80's...it's very 1980's victorian (screaming too many flowers and much too much burgundy and blue) and yet it is somewhat in the style of the house...Just stay away from the ultra trendy and you might get an extra few years :)

Wow, the words "furbelow" and "soutache" used in the same thread ... That's all. :-)

Actually, subway tiles are very trendy, and I think they're going to be easier to peg than some others. But by that I mean actual white subway tiles, 3"x6". Rectangles in a brickwork pattern are also trendy (hence the expansion of the term "subway") but also classic.

I tend to think that igloochic is right - it's less individual elements and more how you combine them. Appliances are often give aways and I predict the plethora of drawers (dish, warming and micro) will make the kitchen of this moment instantly recognizable in a few years. Lever handles and high arching faucets as well. I also think in a few years quite a few homeowners will be "de-Peacocking" the sterile laboratories of the previous owners. I think granite is already starting to scream dated in some instances and soapstone paired with white cabinetry is certainly next. Bar and cup pulls are all maturing. Not to say any of it won't still look good but it is certainly a trend. Good luck!

I've linked you to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune entitled "How to design a timeless, classic kitchen." The designer from Nate Berkus Associates recommended oak flooring, Shaker style cabinetry, and Carrera marble countertops.

I disagree about drawer appliances dating a kitchen. I think they're a technological advancement much like smaller microwaves replacing the huge monstrosities of years past. For many people, both drawer microwaves and dish drawers are ergonomically superior to the older types, and I predict they will continue to be popular for many years to come. Ditto with lever handles on faucets ... also more ergonomic and desirable.

I don't find Peacock-type kitchens one bit sterile. They are classic, beautiful and elegant, inspired by butler pantries and scullery cabinetry of long ago. And what could possibly be more classic than white cabinets and soapstone countertops?

I strongly agree that more important than trying to predict future trends is to match the style of the kitchen to the architecture of the rest of the house. I think it also helps to stick with neutral colors, unglazed finishes and uncluttered trim for the items that can't be easily changed.

I guess we'll have to all meet back here in 20 years and see how well our predictions turned out. =)

Here is a link that might be useful: Timeless Kitchens

Seems like everyone is doing white cabinets, but I've seen white in kitchens from every decade. Look at kitchens in the 30s, 40s, 50s... white. My house had white cabinets when the house was built and I'm putting in more white cabinets. As long as you go with a fairly simple design, you'll be fine. Personally, I see granite counters as quickly becoming dated, but that's just me. I'd rather go with something they've been using forever - soapstone, marble, butcher block... I'd even go with laminate over granite. But that's a personal choice.

Not remotely prophetic but it is fun to speculate. I don't think a classic material like oak is out but I think certain finishes and door styles commonly used with oak are out. Could maple shaker be the next raised panel oak with an arch?

First I do not have the kit I will describe. When I think of the classic "little black dress" of kitchens. I think of inset white/off white cabs, wood floor, dark counter. SS or white appliances. Timeless lighting like school house pendants and regular subway tile. Any of these elements have been around for many years.

melanie1422--

It's not just you. Granite countertops and tumbled marble backsplashes will scream "early 21st century" very soon. Just as oak says 1980s, soon cherry will say "oughties." Likewise high arched faucets (like our Vinnatas)--yet smaller elements are easy to change. Probably our apron sink will give us away too, but we like it. Stainless steel is classic in a sense, yet you never know when the trend toward industrial kitchens in the home will fade.

Safe and beautiful choices would include natural wood floors, white or creamy face-frame (inset) cabinets without too much ornate detail, hidden appliances, and natural stones such as marble or soapstone. Those are timeless, classic elements. And I very strongly agree with the advice that the era of the kitchen should match the era of your home. If you have a '60s home, then a linear, midcentury retro sensibility will always look right. If yours is a '20s bungalow, go for traditional arts-and-crafts. You get the idea.

I think that no matter how hard we try, all kitchens will eventually look slightly dated. But that can definitely be minimized and others have given good suggestions. I have to agree with Erika's statement about appliances ("I think they're a technological advancement much like smaller microwaves replacing the huge monstrosities of years past."). For example, what era do you guys think this is from - a microwave hanging from chains over the range??? Yep, this is actually in my old kitchen as you can see from the photo below :) What in the world were they thinking??!! Luckily, it's not just hanging from chains, it's also attached to the wall - maybe the chains are just a lovely decorative element? Haha! So...my suggestion if you want a timeless and classic kitchen would be to NOT do something like this :)

Traci, that micro is a hoot. But then, didn't we often see pot racks hanging from chains? And what about Tiffany lamps hanging from chains with a wire threaded through? So they had plenty of inspiration for the idea.

I just want to say a word in defense of granite. It seems to me that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of different kinds of granite, and now different finishes are available, so I don't see that as a category it can totally go by the wayside. It's getting a lot cheaper relative to other surfaces, as well, so I think we will continue to see lots of it.

Also, to me, the kitchen's layout is an important element of classic. I've seen Live Wire Oak write that most kitchen remodels are undertaken to correct a poor layout.

With the exception of the microwave on chains, which appears to be a 1970s embellishment, I think the overall look of that kitchen is rather pleasant. A couple thousand for a new microwave, cabinet to hold it, new knobs and new faucet --to correlate with whatever finish was current, and it would not be *un*classic.

I am not making any judgments about how it functioned, I dunno, but the look is one of the classic looks.

Funny! Take that MW and its chains away, though, and that kitchen's actually looking pretty classic. Tired, not up to today's functional standards, but...pretty classic.

With that picture up there, I'd like to offer "understated" as a guiding idea, to go with the "appropriate" (as in to the architecture) already on the table, for anything built in. Within those parameters I'd leave virtually all styles and colors otherwise on the design table. They're all going to be very appropriate somewhere.

It's bling I'd watch out for. The excitement we want tends to come from either genuinely fine design (very rare and desirable!) or a lot more often from mainly just being attention-grabbing in some way--new, unusual, dramatic, sparkly, whatever. If bling doesn't rise to fine design, don't build it in, enjoy it sitting on the counter or hang it on the wall. Glue the $100/square foot mosaic of the moment to a flower pot. Build in some shelves, as in that old kitchen, to hold it.

The aspect I forgot is "regional" I am sure there are aspects of design that have been common for years in your Area, that people respond to.

The "classic" kitchen around where I grew up, where most things dated from when the house was built, were never updated--was a plywood cabinet with some kind of orangey shellac stain, chrome knobs or handles, a linoleum or formica countertop with a metal edge and a vinyl floor. Sometimes the cabinets were painted. They were usually pretty dismal looking.

My parents built a house in 1969 with in an all-white kitchen with an island, and pale green Formica counters (in the Irish Linen pattern, which I wish they still made).
For all the comment it caused, it might as well had a round spinning bed in the middle.

Forty years later they still have the same kitchen, with new hardware, and a new floor (only because the icemaker leaked) The knobs and wallpaper they had in 1969 would looke more "up to date" than whats in there now. For most of its life, its never been a "wow" kitchen, but it has never been a sadly outdated kitchen.

Oh, my gosh, I've got that "classic" orange plywood kitchen floating in front of my eyes right now. And that nice Irish Linen Formica. They could do an excellent matte textured version now. How sad that the wonderful possibilities of that great material have been degraded to dozens and dozens of greige fake-stone patterns. I did seriously look at it for my counters. Briefly.

See, that's the problem.

Only the PHRASE "little black dress" is classic. If you actually threw a party, and everyone had to come in their LBD's, we'd all be howling with laughter at their datedness.

Jeans, a white shirt and a blazer. Sure. But what cut? You can't wear the same ones you wore in the 80s. Even if you'd paid $1,000 for them.

The Hepburns, Audrey and Kate the Great, inarguably icons of classic style, regularly went out in outfits we would consider clunkers. We just select the ones that look fabulous now.

One single kitchen that would last for all time? Can't be done.

Things that please everyone and offend no one do so at the risk of boring everyone silly. I would rather risk having a dated paint color than painting anything beige.

I think the only things that outlive trends are the things that are so completely original and outrageous that they were never likely to become trends in the first place.

So I think all you can do is plan a kitchen You think YOU can live with for the next 20 years or so.

Anyhow, 1 year or 20, if the next owner doesn't like it, it goes to the landfill, timeless or not.

Well put, growlery. I was thinking the same thing, especially about the LBD.

The worst kind of dating is when people add stuff that could never be considered actually attractive. For instance, those lowered-ceiling light things that were supposed to look like sky lights (I think?) in the 70's. Who wants a lowered ceiling? And lots of embellishment, like the over-load of gold in some bathrooms in the 80's. Awful.

I was trying to think of the equivalent of that now and I really couldn't, though, which means either that the classic taste right now is pretty attractive or that it's impossible to see ugliness in your own era. I do think tons and tons of pattern is always going to be dating (and has the potential to look hideous even in its own time). I could imagine a kitchen with 5 kinds of really swirly granites looking silly in a few years.

And what about those huge hoods? It's likely we'll giggle over them later, especially the really ornate ones made out of stone. (I confess to liking them in other people's houses, though, right now). I also worry about the huge nobs on ranges right now-- I love the way they look and will probably buy a range with that look soon for my kitchen, but I can't help but think that our children will look back at our kitchens and wonder why we needed knobs on our ranges that looked appropriate for lunar landing equipment.

traci29

Wicked stove, dated in all the right ways for me. The microwave not so much.

I am not sure that I agree completely about the LBD, because the classic LBD was a little bit dull. If you shopped at Brooks Brothers or Talbots or Press then, and only bought certain things, you could still be buying them now. Of course there are going to be details that change, but I remember a couple girls in college that had really beautiful hair, for example, and they parted it in the middle and wore it straight and they would put on an oxford shirt and go out, while the "hot" girls had hair that was gigantic, and they razorbladed their sweatshirts to Flashdance extremes.

The straight haired girl didnt necessarily look hot, but she looked nice--and we don't really laugh now at how she looked.

I find it amusing that anyone would describe my old kitchen as "classic" :) We actually had just repainted everything when this photo was taken, so it didn't look too bad, but it definitely looks worse in person! As for function, it's great in that I can reach basically EVERYTHING I need without moving from one position in the middle of the room (the other side is just at the right edge of the photo out of sight, so you can see it's tiny!), but that's about it. Almost no storage and the upper cabinets are almost 24 inches above the counter! Oh, and don't overlook the beautiful linoleum floor in a brick pattern - the only room without hardwood in the house other than bathrooms, although there is hardwood underneath! LOL!

Caryscott: the range is the original - we think it's approx. 1940 and it still works, so until we're in the new kitchen for good, we're still using it! We're actually about to list it on Craigslist to see if it's worth anything to someone - I almost hate to get rid of it though :)

See, I agree.

I think Traci's kitchen is classic -- microwave, brick lino and paint color, all changeable elements notwithstanding.

It's simple, white, no novelty angles, it works, it could be from any decade, it looks nice -- not stunning, but nobody would walk in and cry. I actually like it!

Yes, you might, in any given decade, repaint with an "in" shade, put in a wood floor, accessorize. But it is, in its way, the LBD of kitchens.

But is it anyone's dream kitchen? Probably not. You wouldn't install it to look like that today.

Classic kitchens. Tricky ...

It's funny to me the notion of a "classic" anything, but in particular a kitchen. The whole time I was planning my "dream" kitchen I kept saying to everyone who would listen "I want a kitchen that looks like your grandmother's kitchen, you know warm and homey, like a 1910-20's kitchen." Funny thing is my grandmother couldn't even imagine the kitchen I have now! We still own the small house they raised my mother in, and my husband and I lived their when our first child was born. The entire house was only 1000 square feet and the kitchen was tiny!!! No pantry, no counter space, though they did have the best in modern appliances at the time and even had a cooktop and separate wall oven...quite trendy for the early 1940's!! The cabinets were dark stained flat panels with wrought iron pulls, the wallpaper had a lovely strawberry pattern, and the counters were formica with metal banding around the edges. It had one small window over the sink and a larger one by the table which took up half the room. She would be envious of my expanses of countertop and two sinks...oh the luxury! Yet somehow she managed to can vegetables, make her own ketchup, cook huge Sunday dinners for all of us including homemade cakes and rolls, all from her tiny kitchen!

I wonder if she ever spent sleepless nights worrying about what color paint to choose, or whether her design choices would be out of style in a few years...I highly doubt it. I think, no I know, I've gotten caught up in worrying too much about what others think about what my kitchen and house look like. I'm guilty as charged, but lately I guess I'm trying to get back to the original intent of my kitchen remodel. Thankfully most of us on GW not only design beautiful kitchens but also functional ones...that to me will make them more classic than most I see today. I think the greatest design concept any of us can imbue into our new kitchens is a feeling of warmth, home, and a place where we can gather our friends and family and treat them to something special..now that's classic. Maybe we should worry less about the packaging and more about what's inside the box.

Hmmm I think I'm getting grumpy in my old age...or maybe it's just remodeling overload!

P.S. Traci if you had come on here sooner with pictures of your old kitchen (which I too think is charming) think of all the money you could have saved?! ;-)

Kat :) *picking up the latest issue of Country Living to see what is classic!* hehe

I'm strongly of the opinion that to be classic, you have to go with the authentic history of the house. If your home is mid-century modern, run with it. If it's 20's bungalow or 70's colonial, that too.

A kitchen I had a few years back in a 70's era rental was all done in avocado with those bright fake copper leaf knobs. I rolled with it: put in hanging ferns, lots of teak wood and bright deep orange plastic Dansk accessories, and it looked marvelous because it fit the building and space. Folks even admired it! (And this in an era promoting nothing but greige, taupe or stone as beautiful colors.)

The lesson I learned is that stylistic coherence and continuity of your physical surroundings, interior and exterior, creates a very solid, classic feel.

I agree circuspeanut. Working within the context of the house will always be classic. It doesn't mean you need to create a period museum but making a kitchen or bath look like its always been there (with up to date appliances) will be classic because it will not be jarring.

Whatever, like pornography, we all feel we know classic when we see it.

A point brought up relates to perception of "attractiveness," something perceived by all of us 100% subjectively and thus subject to extreme change with each shift of the public mood. In trying to capture "classic" style, it's critically important to remember that, for instance, in fashion those lowered plastic ceilings looked genuinely GOOD to people of taste and discrimination. They were clean, crisp, elegantly simple and modern, and gave off a very pretty diffused light that did a significantly better job than the single hanging fixture they typically replaced.

What if your house doesn't have much of a context? I live in a 1990s transitional, for lack of a better term, without much architectural interest. Can't say I love the house, but the property it sits on is beautiful, we have plenty of space for the kids, the neighbors are nice, the schools are excellent, and DH has a 15 minute commute. If I were to be true to the period of the house, I would put in partial overlay cathedral arch doors, like the ones I ripped out.

I guess I was lucky that my house is nondescript enough that I felt I could do anything I liked (within reason).

(This is from someone who just put in a non-classic kitchen with dark oak cabinets and a bling-y backsplash-- but it makes me happy! And I think it will for a long time.)

Very little becomes the "instant" classic.

Some of these "oh g od, not that again!" kitchens are destined to become classic in an historical context.

Morton5 youre right about transitional houses. They bridge a lot of styles and right now it is hard to see what the elements will be that define them (eventually). Midcentury Modern, for example is a 1990s coined term...it wasnt called that IN the midcentury for sure--and its going to have to change again to Mid 20th Century modern to clarify it,,,sooner than I wanna think about.

I agree with the posters above that encourage the kitchen to fit with the context and period of the house.

"I want a kitchen that looks like your grandmother's kitchen, you know warm and homey, like a 1910-20's kitchen."

lesmis: That is EXACTLY what I want! I even told one contractor to "think Grandma". My house is 1927. I can't wait to get home tonight to look up pics of your kitchen on here to see what you did. I know I have seen it and liked it - now I want to use it for inspiration.

Tina

Go with the style of the house....

1980's five level townhouse:

Tacky big hood with mosaic and all :oP

I lived through the 80's...I didn't want to live through it again in my kitchen.

That said...what's the "style" of my kitchen? Not being able to name it lends you a good ten extra years before dating :oP

By the way, I've been in a lot of old world kitchens...not style wise, but kitchens built from 1600's on in Europe. Big hoods, natural stone...both are pretty classic if you think 1700 was a classic era...

Igloo, I agree, your kitchen is very personal, which makes it hard to date, more interesting, and just plain fun. Glad you took some risks.

Today's Washington Post features a kitchen update of the Italian Embassy, which is housed in a 1927 Tudor-style estate. Guess what? They ripped out a decades-old "classic" scullery-type kitchen and put in something Giacomo would go bananas for. I'm crazy about it, too, even though it is at odds with the architecture of the house. I think the Europeans excel at mixing antique and modern. Using the dark oak was probably a nod to the Tudor styling of the house.

Here's a link to the article. The slideshow is nice, and will show you the old kitchen, but make sure you click on the blue line "A pop up guide to the kitchen" to see the overview of the new space. My favorite detail: stainless counters with warming elements underneath, to warm plates.

Here is a link that might be useful: Remodel of Italian Embassy kitchen in D.C.

Morton5: "I think the Europeans excel at mixing antique and modern."

I always love seeing that juxtaposition when I'm in Europe ... this photo was taken from the car in Bern, Switzerland:

I also agree with matching the kitchen to the house (assuming that's possible, Morton. ;-) ) Our first kitchen was a 1910 brownstone, this one is an 1870s victorian. Both are ending up virtually the same!!! White cabinets, hardwoods, soapstone (thought the last kitchen had a man-made soapstone lookalike called fireslate - it wasn't so great and I notice no one talks about it on here so it must not have panned out for the company's owners...) I don't know how long it takes for kitchens to "go out" but we did that other kitchen 13 years ago and it's still "in."

I think it's unrealistic though, to expect to create a "forever" kitchen. Assuming the cabinet/counter quality was good enough to last, which I don't think it would be, I think 20 years or so is what you should expect to get out of the life of a kitchen. Either because it goes out of style or because it gets worn or because you get sick of it. :-)

It's enough to make you think Switzerland had been part of the communist block. Okay, so I shouldn't have made a blanket statement. But I have seen beautiful modern interiors in centuries-old homes.

This sounds like a "rule" but its not.

Kitchens and bathrooms can be more modern than the house. Modernization is a natural progression. The building I live in didnt have a kitchen in it for 100+ years. Can't quite go period there:) This is why the old/modern juxtaposition works so well in Europe: their buildings are OLD.

The "dated" issue comes in when the style is emulating something that would be older than the style of the house.

A full on Victorian style kitchen in a ranch house. The Victorian style kitchen may have been popular when the kitchen was installed--but its presence in a ranch is what gets old. (I just made up an example)

There is someone in one of the threads doing a galley kitchen in an all out 60s beamed ceiling/ skylighted / interior garden/ house--the current "in" kitchens are Granite/medium wood /tile backsplash or the White kitchen in its permutations.

Either one of those is a nice kitchen, and kitchens like that get put in houses like that. The thing that makes them look dated, perhaps sooner, is the lack of connection AND the style that is reminiscent of something OLDER than the house itself.

A more Modern kitchen in a style not completely consistent with the house but (say a modern kitchen in the Italian lacquer-y vein) would be more classic because it is "newer" than the house.

Hmm, that's something to ponder, Palimpsest.

I kind of wonder, though, because if you extend your "non-rule" to architecture in general, wouldn't Tudor houses (and many other styles) in the U.S. be kind of dated and ridiculous, because the style predates their era? You know, my British mother has always disliked Tudors in the U.S.-- faux Tudors, she calls them. But I like them a lot-- at least the early 20th century ones, not the ones from the 70s so much. Probably quality of materials has a lot to do with "classic." Of course, quality materials are expensive, so somebody embarking on a classic kitchen had better be ready to pony up some dough.

Just thinking.... As Growlery said, this classic stuff is tricky.

No. because the house is the context. Many revivalist houses IMO are more beautiful than the styles they are reviving.

The key is making something look like a natural progression. Take that Tudor revival: if it was built in the 1920s, it started with a 1920s kitchen, if it was built in the 1970s, by that time, unless it was a really expensive build ...the inside was a 1970s interior and the Tudor was "wrapping" on the outside--so it had a 70s kitchen. For a lot of the 20th century, kitchens were what they were...but they were NOT fancier than the house itself.

So today, that house could have a very traditional Tudor-ish looking kitchen, a 1920s kitchen, or an all out modern kitchen --and if they were tastefully done, any of them would look ok.

The problem comes when you try to go "in reverse" for example a 1975 ranch burger with 3-inch trim and then you walk into an all out Colonial Revival kitchen that is clearly different, And in a style that Antedates the house.

I am not against the ranch burger or split level 70s thing at all, but they deserve a nice if plainer kitchen than what you might see in a fancier house...and the house as a whole will be better for it.

I think white kitchens with black counter tops look dated and have for a while due to the contrast. I grew up with a classic kitchen with a big butler's pantry in a NYC apt overlooking Central Park. Sometimes it was painted yellow and other years my mother would paint it another color, but always it, and others like it in the building and in similar buildings - everyone seemed to have the same style cabinets, were done in a single unifying color. Even the thick wooden counter tops were painted the same color. The bar top in the butlers pantry was made of teak with grooves for draining glassware into a zink sink ( I think it was), I believe, and stayed a natural color. Top cabinets in everybody's kitchen had glass doors. Some people painted over some of theirs to hide any mismatched china or just the mixing bowls. Every apartment had double enamel over iron sinks with no cabinets under them. One bowl was large and the other enormous - big enough for a bucket. And roaches - I think they went with every Fifth Avenue apartment, gratis.

I like that someone quoted nate berkus because I used his guidelines loosely in choosing the elements of our kitchen.

Not that mine will be anywhere close to a Peacock style kitchen, and I'm far from an expert, but it seems to me that he uses elements that are not trendy. For example, the original faucet to this house had a gooseneck with wrist blades, so that's what we've replicated. We also chose cabinets (white shaker style) that are similar to those that were in our original 70 year old butler's pantry. The pantry also had black counters, so that's what we're sticking with. Finally, the whole house has antique style glass door knobs, so we are using glass knobs on the cabinets. I think if you keep in line with the style of your house, with some modern updates, you cant go wrong.

Also, don't worry too much about faucets, appliances, etc., because you will need to swap those out at some point. If you want classic, really focus on your cabs and counters. HTH.

I can echo ebse: our 1930 house has its original glass doorknobs backed by polished silver/chrome. But the little knobs on the hall closets wouldn't work in our kitchen--too small, and I don't want to push a tiny button to get out the plates. Our KD keeps saying: think classic, think simple: so I'm looking through Schoolhouse Electric and Rejuvenation and RH catalogs, and we're trying to reproduce the look of our shaker cabinets (but updated: slides and depth added). Our home, according to previous owners, had linoleum, and I love the Marmorette I've chosen. The finish carpenter wants to duplicate some of the woodwork, since we're taking out a wall and the kitchen will open into the former formal dining room.
But the sticking point is this: I want SS appliances. I want those two lovely SS sinks and faucets. I had Traci's double-oven for 15 years (it finally died---it's from the 60's. It was the first GE to make a self-cleaning oven, according to the old appliance store where we purchased it back in the early 80's). So, we all make those decisions to try and reproduce the elements that remind us of "days gone by."
Ellen Goodman wrote years ago about our generation building huge homes to act as perfect stages where we perform our lives...except, nobody's home, because we're all working hard to be able to pay for those big stages. Sigh.
The most hospitable home I've ever been in was a tiny, nondescript ranch in So. Cal. where a tiny Japanese-American woman cooked over a gas range, in a non-A/C kitchen. The food was amazing, and always prepared with love. Best kitchen I knew. I want a prettier "stage," but I want her essence in that room. I'm working on it.

Many here think that Christopher Peacock creates a classic kitchen. Here is a link of many of his kitchens to use as guide to recreate your own. Also on FKB there are many white kitchens that I think are very timeless & classic looking. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: C. Peacock Classic Kitchens