Now and again, we all like to think we’re a professional chef, but to be a professional chef, you have to have the kitchen to match – so, where do you start? Style, of course. When picking the style of your kitchen, you’re spoilt for choice – from rustic and traditional themes to minimalist and monochrome, there options are practically limitless.
Today, we’re taking a look at the industrial style and how it can be incorporated into the hub of your home – providing a place for you to master your culinary skills.
Having an industrial kitchen is all about making it as efficient and functional as a professional kitchen might be, while ensuring style is considered in every corner of the room. A classic industrial look combines dark coloured granite worktops, cabinets and units, sometimes an exposed brick or glass feature wall and metal utensils – and the introduction of copper tones will make way for a striking look.
Kitchen granite worktops
Naturally, we’re going to start with kitchen worktops first. As mentioned, an industrial kitchen has a pretty fixed colour scheme – so when picking out your granite tops, bear in mind that dark colours tend to work best here. Think greys, blacks and browns, as even the lightest option of these colours will work well. Something like our Absolute Black Honed would be a great alternative to a solid black granite worktop if you wanted to introduce a slightly lighter colour.
Breakfast bars or kitchen islands are a popular choice when it comes to the industrial trend. Whether you’re using this space to entertain or prepare a meal, you’ll be able show off your culinary skills and equipment, ensuring your professional skills are noticed. Not only do these sorts of additions introduce style to the room, but they provide further storage options – with some kitchen islands allowing you to utilise underneath and overhead storage.
Kitchen appliances
As mentioned before, an industrial kitchen is all about efficiency and functionality, which means you could consider having the best appliances possible by replicating those that you would find in a professional’s kitchen. If you have opted for a kitchen with grey cabinets and granite tops, then chrome or black appliances would have impact here.
Pick out a large oven which has an impressive amount of space and pair with a double doored chrome American-style fridge which not only has aesthetic appeal, but will supply you with bags of storage space.
Kitchen sinks
A stainless steel sink is the perfect choice for an industrial styled kitchen, as the metallic look achieves everything you need it to without having to add anything to it. Not only are these options attractive in an industrial kitchen, but they tend to be hardwearing and easy to keep clean, especially if you complement the sink with a pull out or spring neck tap.
Kitchen storage
Sleek and stylish kitchen cabinets and storage units are what can give the kitchen its professional edge. A distinctive look for an industrial kitchen storage unit is to opt for something that allows you to keep utensils on display, making it easy to grab whatever equipment you might need. When done properly, these open storage units can be an attractive addition, with tidy rows of shining glasses and crockery combining style with function.
When choosing your storage units, consider incorporating metal options that will complement a grey granite worktop, adding utensils in copper tones and adding in all of your staple ingredients – such as pasta and rice in glass jars – to complete the exposed, industrial look.
Kitchen finishing touches
When picking out your finishing touches for the kitchen, keep metallics in mind. From the cabinet and drawer handles to the utensils used for cooking, rich copper colours will look fabulous in an industrial kitchen – finishing the look off perfectly. To give the professional edge to your kitchen, invest in some knives that even a professional chef would envy and display them in a knife block on the kitchen bench or on your open storage unit.
Industrial kitchens feature a lot of upcycling as part of the trend, enabling you to incorporate unique accessories throughout your design that you won’t find in anyone else’s home. Whether these include homemade storage containers or accessories picked up in an antiques shop that you can give a new lease of life to, they’ll be the perfect final touches for your kitchen.
If you enjoyed part 3 of the Timeless Interior Styles, then take a look at part one & two in the series for other interior style ideas. Do you have a favourite interior style you’d like us to examine? Let us know at info@burlingtongranite.co.uk