Minimalist Kitchen

The minimalist kitchen is modern concept for the best possible use of kitchen space, whether it is large or small. The idea when designing or planning a minimalist kitchen is to achieve a clean, clutter-free look with maximum user-friendliness. This means that storage spaces are much more likely to be hidden away, rather than having open shelves along the kitchen walls, for example.

Who Goes Minimalist?

Kitchen owners opt for the minimalist look for different reasons. Some are simply enamored with ultramodern, futuristic design and are primarily interested in creating a piece of kitchen art. They may not cook particularly often - therefore the presentation of the kitchen is more important to them than its usability. In the most futuristic of minimalist kitchens, the sink and cooker top are the only visible signs that you are actually in a kitchen and not some other type of room.

Others people may want a minimalist kitchen precisely because they find it more useable than a traditional alternative. They may want a logical storage system for their utensils which hides them away from young children, or a flowing, all-in-one work surface which facilitates faster cooking for a large family.

Before deciding to convert your kitchen look to minimalist, it's worth considering whether you and your family members have the time and the self-discipline to maintain the level of organization required to get the very best out of your minimalist look. Really, the kitchen needs to be kept clean and free of objects to create the best impression, and to be easy to use. There's no point in having just one work surface if it's constantly covered in various items each time you want to cook.

Minimalist Materials

By their very nature, minimalist kitchen designs are very simple. A combination of a maximum of two materials is often used. Popular choices are stainless steel (which is easy to maintain), chrome, wood and glass. Someone who wants to "warm up" the feel of their kitchen might be tempted by some natural wood tones.

Minimalist Colors

Color schemes for minimalist kitchens often consist of a maximum of two shades, but this doesn't mean you are restricted to black and white. Successful designs have been based upon red and cream, or green and white, for example. Many don't include white at all - rather they combine the silver look of steel with another shade. The color scheme of your minimalist kitchen is another powerful factor in determining the overall coldness or warmth of the design.

Minimalist Storage

Some minimalist kitchen designs completely forgo traditional storage methods such as wall cupboards. Others have them, but disguise them, so to speak, by combining them all into one storage unit, along one wall, with a modern-look door. Generally speaking, from the outside, the storage spaces are deceptively small - but when you open them, you find a maximum use of space created by drawers which are much deeper than they appear.

Minimalist Surfaces

Work surfaces in minimalist kitchens are often one color, and may not have a traditional shape. For example, if your kitchen is small, you could opt for an arc-shaped surface that combines a sink, a cooker top with an oven, and a work space with a kitchen bar-type table and stools at the far end.