Elements of the Organic Industrial Style in Your Kitchen Remodel
It is spring again and it is prime time to get outside and connect to nature. Why not bring some of that beauty, and the emotion that being closer to nature evokes, back into your home?
Enter the Kitchen Remodel. You probably know it is time—your cabinets look dated, and do not inspire and support your intentions of eating well, and getting there by cooking in a pleasant, efficient, and beautiful space. As you are planning your new kitchen, and considering the costs of remodeling, think first of what you want to achieve.
Style considerations of the kitchen remodel are usually the first part of the process, and it helps to identify that style first and answer the question of what do you want this to look like in the end. A wonderfully fresh look incorporates and blends the efficiency of industrial style (think metal, simple materials, and reused or sleekly new industrial pieces) with a connection to nature. In the kitchen remodel, that includes inserting materials that evoke nature, and balancing within the space less, or more, industrial materials.
The emphasis of material types, or balance in your selections to be used within the space are what takes the look from more contemporary, to more traditional. Within these variations, you will find subcategories such as that will further define the look—and depending upon your own home and location—will further help you define your style. A few subcategories to consider for your upcoming kitchen remodel include: “Urban Organic Industrial”, “Farmhouse Organic Industrial”, and “New England Organic Industrial”. These labels probably evoke a sensibility that you are familiar with—a little sleeker in the urban setting, more casual in the farmhouse (wood or painted cabinetry choices), and more traditional—simple or elegant– in the “New England Organic Industrial”. In this style think painted cabinetry and trims, with elements of historic industrial fittings in the space.
For instance, in your upcoming kitchen remodel, consider smaller references to nature such as portions of the space that feature wood elements. Depending upon how much you use (more wood equals more traditional) will ultimately determine the look of your kitchen remodel. In the case of a proportionally smaller use of wood in the space, consider the beauty of wooden bowls exposed on open shelving, perhaps a center island with a wood countertop, or a simple farmhouse table as an island. Each would insert the connection to nature and simplicity within the space, but maintain an overall industrial look if the other elements used are basically metal, glass, or painted surfaces.
Lighting is also key when planning a kitchen remodel, and there is no more need for excellent and flexible lighting choices than in the kitchen. As for style, the simplicity in terms of industrial type pendants of glass and metal are excellent choices in the space. Other contemporary elements of countertops of quartz resin or combinations of concrete and glass are also excellent choices in blending this look.
The delight that comes after the kitchen remodel is completed is hard to beat. It is possible to completely transform your basic look into this exciting, efficient, calming style of Organic Industrial. If you are fearful of too much of a change, then consider adjusting the balance between the two elements of style. For instance, utilizing more wood in the space, and capitalizing on visual cues such as more nature coming in through windows, each bring in the organic feel of nature within the space.
More wood used in cabinetry doors, and placed alongside found or replica industrial lighting fixtures are also a nice stylistic choice for your kitchen remodel. Use hard natural surfaces such as slate, concrete, or naturalized tile on the floors, and consider using the elements of metal on appliances or larger “service” type sinks, and you have a more traditional “organic industrial” style in your kitchen remodel.
Is this style more expensive than others? The short answer is no. Are there ways to make it more affordable? Of course, and one such way while approaching any kitchen remodel is to consider cabinet refacing—transforming those outdated cabinets into something completely new at an affordable cost by replacing the doors and refacing the frames of the cabinets. Other ways include harvesting your own wood pieces if you have access, creating your own tops, and paring down wall cabinets while emphasizing larger armoires or rooms for cabinetry storage and utilizing open shelving where appropriate.
Working with what you have, to a large degree, is the idea behind the style. It can be created completely new, or with a mix of reusing, refacing, harvesting, and transforming and repurposing existing industrial materials used elsewhere.
The “Industrial Organic Style” is a driver of trends in materials, and style in our time. And be sure to research Refacing Cabinets if you are thinking about doing a kitchen remodeling project that includes cabinet refacing.
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