Adding layers of textures to kitchen designs was a predicted trend for 2016 and the trend is still going strong, as far as we can tell, as we move through 2017. But really, when you think about it, mixing textures is something we’ve done all along, ever since we started having kitchens as a designated room in our houses. In our kitchens, we have combined smooth porcelain sinks, shiny copper pots, wood-grained cabinets, rustic file floors, speckled stone countertops, and even rough cast iron stoves (if you want to go waaay back).
So maybe today’s trend toward mixing textures is really more of a celebration of all the many textures it takes to make a beautiful, functional kitchen in the first place? We like to think so!
Regardless, if you’re considering ways to layer, mix or combine textures in your new kitchen design, you have countless ways to do so. Today’s homeowners and kitchen designers can choose to mix and match shiny mirrored surfaces, rough barn wood, brushed stainless steel, grainy granite countertops, rustic terra cotta tiles and so much more. To inspire you to get creative with your own mixing and matching, we have ideas below, each of which can add a new type of texture to your new kitchen design.
Add texture to your kitchen design with semi custom cabinets
You might not think about your semi custom cabinets as the place to start adding texture to your new kitchen, but today’s kitchen cabinet makers offer you multiple ways to do so. In addition to the different types of wood you can choose from, you can use semi custom cabinets to add texture with:
- Distressed and heirloom finishes
- Hand wiped glazes
- Brushed on glazes that show the brushwork
- A strong wood grain, such as oak
- An absence of texture with smooth, sleek cabinet surfaces
- Detailed woodwork and designs on the cabinet door fronts
Add texture to your kitchen design with flooring
If you’re planning a new kitchen in 2017, you have almost countless types of flooring to choose from as well, flooring that can add texture to your new kitchen design or only be a subtle backdrop for the texture provided by your cabinets. You can choose from laminate, wood, tile, bamboo, cork, vinyl, linoleum and more—and each of these is available in a rough or smooth surface.
Add texture to your kitchen design with countertops
As with flooring, you have almost countless options to choose from with countertops, it seems, including concrete, recycled glass, granite, quartz, laminate, butcher block, marble, tile and even stainless steel. Each of these will give you a different texture you can layer in with other textures in your new kitchen design.
Add texture to your kitchen design with details
You can also add texture to your kitchen with your backsplash, the hood over your stove, the handles and drawer pulls you choose, fabrics used for curtains or on furniture—even accessories such as pottery on a shelf or artwork on the walls can add texture and visual interest to your kitchen design. And let’s not forget the appliances, that can be rough or smooth, dull or shiny!
When you’re planning a new kitchen and thinking about texture, however, our suggestion is to consider the semi custom cabinets first. See what your favorite kitchen cabinet makers have to offer and decide if you want to start with and build on that texture—or not. Whichever way you go, you’ll be celebrating the lively combinations of textures our kitchens have always featured, as the busy rooms used for so many purposes and offering so many pleasures.