Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Aug 08, 2025

Transitional Style Is the Most Popular Kitchen Design-Here's How to Ace the Look

Transitional Style Is the Most Popular Kitchen Design-Here's How to Ace the Look

These bright, no-fuss spaces are the perfect mix of classic meets contemporary.

Transitional kitchens, which blend contemporary and traditional styles, are bright, relaxed, and often loaded with storage. So it's no surprise a recent National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) study identified them as the most popular style (and predicted it to remain that way for the next few years).

“Transitional-style kitchens display an airy and casual elegance that draws you in,” says Atlanta-based interior designer Loretta Willis. “Its clean architectural lines and often neutral finishes speak to an ageless and classic style that borrows the best of traditional and contemporary design.” Another reason for its popularity? The versatile style draws from and feeds into surrounding rooms, making it especially effective for homes with open layouts.




The key to this blended style is a simple color palette and a cohesive design that eliminates visual distractions like patterns and clutter. According to the NKBA, white transitional kitchens are most popular, followed by neutral colors like grays and beiges. Wood tones are a staple, too. Looking for something a little more vibrant? Blues are the most common non-neutral in transitional kitchens and one of the most popular colors of the year.

Transitional style also relies heavily on storage to create a space free of clutter, so most of its visual impact comes from the cabinetry. The majority of transitional kitchen cabinets are painted wood or woodgrain cabinetry, and their signature look comes from recessed-panel doors with clean lines, similar to Shaker cabinets. When it comes to countertops, transitional design gets much of its streamlined look from low-maintenance quartz or quartzite countertops with a sleek, no-frills edge. A thick countertop profile and waterfall countertops on an island are also common to the style.

Because of simple surfaces and colors, appliances have more visual impact in transitional kitchens than you might expect. For consistency, the NKBA says appliances are typically all stainless steel, but paneling appliances to blend in with the cabinetry elevates the look even further. Range hoods are often built-in or covered to help them blend in rather than stand out.

Willis suggests maximizing the simple aesthetics of the transitional style with “great lighting, innovative and energy-efficient appliances, and floor plans that serve and support the homeowner’s lifestyle.” Let the following transitional kitchens and elements inspire your own remodel.



Transitional Lighting and Flooring


Pendant lighting is the most noteworthy decor element in transitional kitchens. You’ll see a lot of industrial and oversize pendants that lean more modern, but this kitchen proves there’s a place for the traditional, too. The dark, slim lines of the open shelving mimic the delicate cages of the traditional lantern pendants above the island. So neither item feels out of place, the curves of the light fixtures are reflected in the kitchen's elegant faucets, and the crisp lines of the shelving are repeated on island seating.

Plank-style flooring is also common in transitional kitchens, specifically wood and wood-look flooring. Dark or light, the rich hues bring traditional warmth to the space. A simple wood accent draws the eye to the range area without overshadowing the rest of the room.



Transitional Kitchen Finishes


Modern transitional kitchen ideas include black and brass finishes. In this space, the painted window sash, kitchen faucet, appliances, and tile grout incorporate the same dark elements so that none of them look out of place.

Similarly, with small pulls instead of oversize cabinet hardware, a brass finish stands while keeping a low profile. Geometric tiles are a contemporary idea that mimics the overall crisp lines of transitional style. If used in small doses, dark grout lines add interest without becoming too busy. However, if using geometric tiles on a bigger surface area or in a small kitchen, choose a grout color closer to the tile to minimize the pattern.



Timeless Transitional Kitchen Accents


Herringbone is a classic pattern perfect for transitional kitchen backsplashes, and these long ceramic tiles give it an updated feel. Simple wood trim strikingly frames the window above the sink and imitates the Shaker-style cabinet doors without taking away from the wall pattern. Wood flooring warms earthy green cabinet color. Willis suggests turning to transitional kitchen floors for a little touch of personal style. “Updating the flooring by adding a great runner or designer rug in color tones enhances the entire look of the kitchen space,” she says.



White Transitional Kitchen Ideas


The island, flooring, and ceiling beams contribute cool wood tones that contrast warm white cabinetry in this white transitional kitchen. Paneled appliances are integrated into the cabinetry for an uncluttered perimeter. A colorful patterned backsplash works because it’s limited to the range area.

While the foundation of this space skews traditional, substantial light fixtures give the look an edge. Their deep black is balanced by dark cabinet hardware, windows, and wood ceiling beams. Dramatically thick marble countertops tie the room together.



Emphasize Natural Light


Commonly outfitted with neutral cabinetry, transitional kitchens capitalize on natural light. This space takes it a step further by reflecting light with white ceramic tiles on the walls and range hood. Bringing the cabinetry and wall treatments up to the ceiling creates a crisp profile for the entire kitchen.

Other prominent design features of transitional kitchens include apron-front sinks and abundant cabinetry drawer storage. Dark bin pulls might seem like potential visual clutter, but tucked below the countertops and inside the kitchen work zone, they're more helpful than distracting.



Ideas for Open-Concept Kitchens


Transitional style is frequently found in open kitchens in part because it easily incorporates features from other spaces. In this space, glass-front cabinets, while an unusual choice for transitional kitchens, draw the blue from the curtains in the adjacent room. Anchored within a wall of mostly closed cabinets and paired with a simple mix of white, glass, and chrome dishware, the cabinets add interest rather than appearing too busy.

Leaning contemporary, waterfall countertops are a common, elegant feature of transitional kitchens. In open spaces, it streamlines the look of an island and hides some of the chair legs and island base for less visual clutter.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Increases Reward for Arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro to Fifty Million Dollars
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
×