Remodeling your kitchen or bathroom is an investment that adds value to your home and enhances your lifestyle. The first step is to figure out your budget and then you can decide on a style that is functional and works with the rest of your home’s decor.

There are so many styles of kitchen and bath designs that it’s hard to narrow it down to what would work for you. Go with your gut and choose a style that you can live with and then let this dictate each element of your kitchen or bath remodel. Tying everything together results in a coherent design, which is both aesthetic and easy to navigate.

Certain colors, patterns, shapes, and textures are affiliated with particular design styles, so it helps to research your chosen style to do it full justice. Employing a kitchen and bathroom design expert means you get exactly what you want from your bathroom or kitchen design, can maximize your available space and budget, and take the headache out of choosing the right fixtures and fittings for your new look.

Here’s our guide to kitchen and bath design styles so you can obtain the perfect balance of form and function in your remodel.

Layout

You can embrace a style to suit your existing layout or change your layout to fit your style. A good layout lets you make the most of available storage space. It also lets you move around your room efficiently with a floor plan that works for your routine requirements.

Some of the top kitchen and bath design layouts include:

One-Wall Kitchen Layout

This is ideal for smaller spaces where storage and appliances can be installed along one side, but equally works in a larger kitchen design when paired with a large island.

Galley Kitchen

This layout is the same idea, but with cabinetry and appliances situated along opposing walls. It maximizes efficiency in a narrow area.

L-Shaped Kitchen

As its name suggests, this layout puts cabinets perpendicular to each other in an L shape. Corner cabinets are capable of holding more contents with clever custom storage solutions like swing out storage accessories or pie-cut drawers.

U-Shaped Kitchen

Similarly, this type of layout places cabinetry around three walls in a U shape, increasing storage and enabling a good workflow with custom storage and well-positioned appliances.

Island Kitchen

A kitchen design with an island shifts the focus of key storage and work areas to the island in the center of the layout. This frees up space in the perimeter for specialized work zones or custom storage areas.

Peninsula Kitchen

This layout increases work and storage space by extending the countertop and cabinetry from the main base cabinets or a wall.

Full Bathroom

Typically, this bathroom layout places a sink, toilet, shower, and tub on one wall. The tub can also be a tub/shower combo to maximize a smaller bath design or save room for a larger vanity with more storage.

Three-quarter Bath

This is a similar layout to the full bath design, minus the tub. It is particularly suited to a hall or guest bathroom.

Versatile Bath

Here, the sink and toilet are on one wall and the tub and shower on the opposite wall. It’s also possible to place your tub by a window or put a double vanity or walk-in shower on a third wall. The more space you have, the greater your options for what you can include and how much leeway you have in changing the position of key fixtures.

Large Master Bathroom

A luxury master bath with sufficient space and budget allows for a custom layout with fixtures spaced out. You could even enhance privacy by placing the toilet in a separate toilet compartment or obscured by a half wall.

Go for an open plan layout or break it up with glass bricks or a low partition wall. Your choice of style can help dictate the elements of your kitchen or bath design and make your layout aesthetic as well as functional.

Your chosen design style should gel with the rest of your home design vibe, and work with your layout to enhance the functionality of your home. Here are some of the top kitchen and bath design styles.

Contemporary

A contemporary-style kitchen or bath remodel is sleek but retains softness. It incorporates parts of latest trends, including technological innovations. Keep clean lines on your cabinet design, combined with minimalist hardware and smart touches such as voice-activated controls. Unlike modern design, it can be bold and colorful, and also include some details that keep it from looking too stark. Avoid being too ornate and stick to two main shades in your color scheme for a high-impact look. Allow for strong focal points such as statement tiles or rugs.

Traditional

The Traditional look embraces embellishments and luxury materials. Clawfoot tubs, pedestal sinks, chandeliers and natural stone slabs all work well in a traditional kitchen or bath remodel. Antique-style hardware or carved cabinet doors along with decorative molding are also ideal for this style. Stick to soft blues, greens, and neutral colors, echoed by deeper shades such as dark wood tones for added depth and a classic feel.

Transitional

Transitional design is a combination of contemporary and traditional styles. It embraces neutral colors such as brown and white, as well as calming blues or grays. Sleek, but classic, shaker-style cabinets and updated chandeliers or pendants are part of this look. Quartz countertops, subway tiles, and undermount sinks also work in a transitional kitchen or bath design. It’s the perfect way to bring both clean lines and character to your remodel.

Modern

Minimalism is the main focus of modern design. It’s a look that favors strong, clean lines. This fuss-free approach means that the key elements of your modern remodel should be as high end as possible as they will stand out and define your room’s style. Wall-mounted toilets, high quality vanity or kitchen cabinets with handleless or recessed handle doors, and streamlined fixtures are the way to go here. White, black, beige, and brown work well in this design and other colors can be introduced as accents.

Farmhouse

Farmhouse grew in popularity as a design style as it promotes the feeling of country living and getting back to basics. For this reason, it’s advisable to keep it simple with farmhouse classics like large apron front sinks, big wood tables that fit the whole family, wooden paneling, and shaker cabinets. A farmhouse pantry could have plenty of open shelving and be enclosed by a sliding barn door. Opt for colors that occur in nature and incorporate features in natural stone or wood. This is a look that is durable and welcoming.

Mediterranean

There’s no sunnier style than Mediterranean. It owes much to traditional Spanish design, centering on exposed ceiling beams, decorative lighting, arched alcoves, and whitewashed walls. Rich colors abound, reminiscent of the Mediterranean coastline, so there is plenty of blue, orange, terracotta and yellow. Keep materials natural such as stone, brick, and burnished metal. Kitchen and bathroom cabinets should be made from wood with a natural finish. Large lighting fixtures and vessel sinks add to this style which is warm and earthy.

Rustic

Rustic kitchen and bathroom design makes for a warm, textured space. The natural materials used should be as faithful to their original form as possible. Distressed and roughhewn finishes on furniture and surfaces complement natural materials throughout a rustic design. A copper sink against a rustic wooden countertop or a sheepskin rug on a natural stone floor are all perfect examples of this look. Add trendy touches such as filament bulbs or open shelving. Envision a stylish, comfortable mountain cabin and you’re on the right track.

Industrial

Industrial design is influenced by a functional, urban aesthetic. It’s all about keeping materials raw and focusing on functionality. The colors used are utilitarian shades of brick, steel, and concrete. White ceramic and black matte finishes also come into play along with accents of color. Stainless steel countertops, exposed pipes, iron seating, glass bricks and trough sinks all work in this style of kitchen remodel or bathroom design. It’s a sleek look that exposes functionality for a sophisticated end result.

Coastal

This beach-inspired look is ever-popular in both kitchen and bath design. It’s a breezy style that works in light-filled spaces with reflective surfaces. Pastels, deep blues and nautical stripes are the classic colors here, but coral and tropical shades work really well too. Natural materials such as rattan, rope, natural stone, and reclaimed wood bring a laid-back feel to this design. Waterscapes, pebbles, and shells make good accessories. Adding metallic elements, such as this year’s brass, brightens and refines the look. Incorporate glass-fronted or white cabinets, tiles, or flooring for brightness and balance.

Craftsman

Craftsman design is all about appreciating fine materials and crafting methods. It comes from a movement that was a reaction to the mass production introduced by the Industrial Revolution. This style encourages simplicity without blandness, and high-quality materials and production techniques. Shaker cabinets, handmade tiles and stained glass all feature in the Craftsman look. Natural stone is often used in flooring and countertops, and lighting fixtures predominantly favor geometric, clean lines. Rich wood tones combined with earthy greens make a warm, welcoming design that oozes character.

Cottage

Embracing this style lets you recreate a cottage in the country, incorporating some elements of coastal design styles. It’s a light and open design with soft colors and vintage touches. Floral motifs, retro-style hardware, sink skirts, beadboard, and unique, repurposed furniture all contribute to this look. Whitewashed wooden floors and plenty of open storage make your room a place where you’ll want to relax in style.

Eclectic

Choosing an eclectic style is a good decision if you don’t favor one design style over another. This lets you choose elements from different kitchen or bathroom design styles, resulting in an individual look. This might sound daunting but be confident in your choices and then link them together with a common element. A color, theme, pattern, or function makes it easy to put some structure on your eclectic design. A strong layout with custom storage also eliminates any sense of chaos in your kitchen or bath remodel. The key is to keep your different styles to a minimum and balance the elements for equal representation and a truly eclectic style.

Deciding on a style for your kitchen or bath design is an exciting part of your remodeling process. It should suit your taste and specific needs, fit your overall home style, and work with your layout. Once you have a style in mind, it narrows down the vast array of choice for each element of your design.

At Woodmaster Kitchens, we can help you choose a layout and style for your room and guide you through which fixtures and accessories work best for your kitchen or bath remodel. Our proven design process takes your lifestyle, practicalities, and budget into account, without compromising on style. Whether you’re remodeling to stay or sell, contact us today to discuss getting started on your new kitchen or bathroom design.

Understanding Kitchen and Bath Design Styles