post off: is a timeless kitchen possible?
Given the cost of a kitchen remodel — even if it’s a modest one — the idea of creating something timeless appeals to me. The picture above is circa 1990 and is Martha Stewart’s former kitchen. Switch out the hardware, and it seems like 20 years on, it still works. Well, at least if you’re not going the sleek and modern route. Soapstone or marble countertops. Painted cabinets. Glass doors. Big farm sinks. To me, they seem like they have achieved a certain timeless quality without sacrificing style. The question that’s plaguing me is will they age well through another 20 years? Or will they smack of 2005-2015 kitchen design? — Sarah L.
I am not a fan of the pots hanging fro the ceiling, It’s messy and dated looking to me.
Painted cabinets are a good idea because you can always change the color to suit your new tastes, and you can also change hardware. I think marble countertops, not granite, are much more timeless as well,
Maybe if timeless is what you want to achieve, you use your accessories and paint colors to make it “timely” but your essential pieces you make more neutral so they will be timeless.
I, of course, am not going for timeless at all–my kitchen is straight out of 1952! But in the end, you have to go with what you love.
Love from,
Greta
See, I like the pots, but I think there ARE too many — it looks like a display @ Sur la Table. I have always loved Martha’s kitchen’s though.
Greta, I also think there is something timeless about a vintage white kitchen with chrome drawer pulls and red linoleum floors… :)
Our kitchen (which is getting fixed piecemeal) is a balance between retro and modern. Countertops and floors are what remain, and I’m totally at a loss for what to pick. Paperstone? Butcher Block? Formica? And that’s just counters. I hope, for us, what we pick WILL be timeless, because we’ll probably only do it once, and I can guarantee it will be something we both love.
A “timeless” kitchen to me is one that has character. Our kitchen table, for instance, is a re-purposed workbench (sanded down and finished, but still showing the marks from years of wood-working), our counters are essentially slabs of wooden butcher’s block… paint colors on the cabinets and walls are neutral and we can swap out our table runner/accents/decorations in the kitchen depending on the season or mood.
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You know what already looks dated to me? Cherry-finish cabinets and black granite countertops. Expect those to be torn out of every condo between here and Jersey in the next ten years (and they are still EVERYWHERE in new construction in Seattle…please stop already). I think Martha’s 1991 kitchen not only still looks great, that hardware is actually now back in — silvers and brushed metals have given way to brass again. You could halve the crazy pot collection and be done.
Our previous kitchen (before we moved cross-country) was a complete redo that took it back to the original look of the house. Vintage farmhouse sink (picked up from eBay for just under $80), painting existing cabinets white, and new white tiled countertops, and it looked like the kitchen had been there since 1911. I miss it. : ( So my advice is to stick with classic countertops in colors that are simple (like white) for a timeless look. You can always repaint the walls! : )