How to Create a Minimal Kitchen
How can we create a minimal look in our kitchens? The minimal look is a popular choice for homeowners who are giving their interior a makeover, because the result is clean, stylish and sophisticated. Our portfolio is full of these schemes, and it is a style we love. Simple does not have to mean boring.
The Minimal Kitchen at a Glance
A minimal kitchen relies on a soft, restrained palette and on surfaces that read as one continuous plane. Creamy whites, light greys and gentle greens work well on walls, cabinetry and floors, with colour introduced through appliances, fixtures and fittings rather than the cabinets. Matching the worktop to the cabinetry or walls creates that smooth, uninterrupted look and lets a few chosen features stand out. Natural timber then warms the space up through tables, chairs, utensils and flooring. At Handmade Kitchen Company we hand-paint bespoke cabinetry to suit a pared-back scheme.
The minimal kitchen design
Choose a soft and calming colour palette for your walls, cabinets and floor. Creamy whites, light greys and a peaceful green are all easier to work into the wider interior. There are still plenty of ways to inject a splash of colour, from the appliances you choose to the fixtures and fittings. Our kitchen design choices range from
to
, where luxurious features can be added. The Scandinavian influence has been with us for years, but it is worth considering what happens when you combine it with Japanese minimalism, a look known as Japandi. It takes the Scandinavian idea of cosiness and comfort, hygge, and blends it with the Japanese notion of wabi-sabi, which is about appreciating beauty in imperfection.
Worktops for a minimal kitchen
The worktops matter a great deal to the finished result. Matching your work surfaces to the cabinetry or the walls creates the appearance of one smooth, continuous surface, which is what allows a few chosen features to stand out. Materials such as quartz and granite offer the quality of finish you are looking for, and our guide to
covers one popular option.
Appliances in a minimal kitchen
Appliances can either add colour or disappear. Matching their finish to the surrounding colours creates a flawless, non-obtrusive result, with the appliance blending into the backdrop and keeping the run clean. Investing in high-end appliances will make the scheme a success, and our
covers that end of the market.
Accessories and natural warmth
Warm the space up with natural timber, through tables, chairs, utensils and even the flooring. Wooden flooring suits any style or shade of kitchen and stops a minimal scheme feeling cold.
Minimal Kitchen FAQs
What makes a kitchen minimal?
Restraint rather than emptiness. A soft, limited palette, surfaces that read as continuous rather than broken up, concealed or colour-matched appliances, and only a few chosen features left visible. Handleless designs suit it particularly well.
What is Japandi?
Japandi combines Scandinavian and Japanese minimalism. It takes the Scandinavian idea of cosiness and comfort, hygge, and blends it with the Japanese notion of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in imperfection. In practice it means pared-back forms in natural materials, with warmth rather than starkness.
Does a minimal kitchen have to be white?
No. Creamy whites and light greys are common, but soft greens and other muted tones work just as well. What matters more is keeping the palette limited and letting the surfaces run together, rather than the specific colour.
How do you stop a minimal kitchen feeling cold?
Natural timber is the most effective answer, whether in the flooring, a table, stools or open shelving. Layered lighting helps too, since a single overhead source tends to flatten a pared-back room.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company design minimal kitchens?
We design, hand-build and hand-paint bespoke kitchens from our workshop in Essex, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London. For other looks, see how to create a
or an
. Looking to bring a minimal look into your handmade kitchen? Start with a mood board, which is a good way to discover your own sense of style and to help your designer understand your ideas.
today for more information.
