Kitchen Styles from Around the World

It’s holiday season and we know that many of you will be jetting off to different destinations. Some of you might come back with souvenirs from your trip. We like a holiday too, but what we tend to bring back with us are ideas rather than objects – inspiration for kitchen styles from around the world.

Bespoke fitted kitchens can be traditional, contemporary and even futuristic. World kitchen styles take in all these elements while adding certain quirks and angles that seem exclusive to their country of origin.

How we cook and what we eat today tends to be more worldly and with lots of variety. We don’t think you need to be a purist in the kitchen with the food you choose to cook and combine for meals, and similarly, you might take elements from any number of these kitchen styles from around the world and put them together.

The important thing is that your fitted kitchen reflects your desires and tastes, and meets your needs perfectly.

The Spanish Hacienda Kitchen

The Spanish colonial-inspired kitchen centres on tiles to create a flavour of the dwellings originally found on large plantation estates. Think of where you would normally have tiles, such as splashbacks and above your worktops, then go for vivid patterns in a big way.

Choose ceramic backsplash tiles with distinctive blues and oranges, or mix brighter colours with earth tones of reddish-brown

Terracotta floor tiles bolster the cool Spanish feel, and here you might consider interspersing patterns among the plain floor tiles.

The sort of detailing you’re looking at in the Spanish kitchen is artisan ironwork and solid wood shelving and cupboards.

Dark wood is a Spanish design staple, so consider choosing burnished, dark brown kitchen cabinets. Don’t worry though, you can offset this shading with white ceilings and walls – white wall space works especially well as an ideal blank canvas.

Go for wrought iron light fittings and cupboard handles for the full hacienda effect.

Think about how your hob and stove will work with your overall scheme. Black is likely to be a better fit here than stainless steel.

Natural stone worktops are a good choice, and there are plenty of orange-brown granite shades to match the general Spanish kitchen colour scheme; though you may want to contrast with pale greys or whites.

French Country Style

What does French country design mean exactly? Like the Spanish hacienda style, it centres on earth tones combined with pale colours. The idea is to create a space that is functional but warm and welcoming.

For walls, use pale, pastel colours. These will provide a contrast with the earth tones of terracotta floor tiles and splashbacks. Alternatively, go for part or all your walls being exposed brickwork to really bump up the earthy, rural feel.

Typically, your cabinets will have a traditional feel, with plenty of detail – while the French country style kitchen is functional it is hardly minimalist modern.

The kitchen island is an ideal feature for the French kitchen, providing a great centerpiece for serving and displaying.

This style is also the home of the open storage idea, where you hang your copper pans from the ceiling and have your utensils either hung on walls or stood in containers, preferably pots, on the countertop. Perfect for smaller kitchens with less cupboard space.

You’re evoking a sense of homely activity here, bustling but friendly, and casually traditional.

Moroccan and Mediterranean

So, this is a bit of a catch-all, but the idea is to evoke a feel of these cultures rather than slavishly imitate them.

Why choose this as the basis of your kitchen style? Inspired by the natural beauty of the Mediterranean landscape, you get a feeling of brightness and openness, using bright blues and whites.

For countertops, go with aquatic greens and blues of swirling granite patterns to capture a sense of the ocean. Or choose cool, pale white shades to bring out the brightness of your kitchen interior.

Again, hand-painted and patterned tiles are a key component, with Moroccan patterns in sand, terracotta and burnt orange tones imbuing the space with a spicy flavour.

Go for wooden cupboards and cabinets in deep reds, orangey-browns or muddier greens. Some nice wood-carved detailing helps bring out the essence of the scene.

Lanterns are a great accessory to bolster the Moroccan kitchen theme, but resist the temptation to overdo the whole Souk effect. Remember that you want your kitchen to be a functional, friendly home hub, not a stage set.

If your Mediterranean influence leans more towards Greece, consider using bright blue shades with contrasting white – in fact, use lots of white.

The whole kitchen should be bright and reflective, but maybe with some darker wood details to give it a sense of traditional homeliness. Also think about having a plain wooden floor instead of tiles, to give it an organic, natural air.

If you’ve got the hanging space, a wrought iron chandelier completes the picture.

Scandi Minimalism

This might not be so much a world kitchen style as a way of life, so prevalent has the influence of Scandinavian home design been over the past 50 years. However, familiarity doesn’t mean you should discount this option.

This is about clean lines and effortlessness design – a kind of pared-back chic.

Think of plain looking appliances, lots of natural wood textures and open shelving. Handle-free cupboards contribute to the sense of sleek minimalism.

At the same time, you want your minimalist kitchen to feel warm and welcoming, so include plenty of plants and herbs, and be strategic with your mood lighting.

The natural materials you use should balance out the whiteness, so your kitchen doesn’t end up looking too clinical, but retains its refreshing openness.

There’s No Place Like Home…

The end of a holiday is sadness mixed with happy thoughts of going home, even if the English weather might be a bit gloomy on your return. With an internationally-inspired fitted kitchen, whether it’s in Burnley or Colne, Nelson or Skipton, you can always evoke those pleasurable holiday memories and feellings.

Get In Touch

We’re experts in fitted and bespoke kitchens, and we can take inspiration for your kitchen design from any part of the world.

Email us at sales@pd-designs.com, or phone 10282 602222. You can also complete the contact form on our website and we’ll respond as soon as possible.