KITCHEN STYLES
Kitchen Styles: Find the One That Suits Your Home
Most people recognise a kitchen style on sight long before they can name it. These four styles cover a wide range of looks for New Zealand homes, from sleek and handleless to soft and panelled, light and airy to deep and dramatic.
Each has its own page setting out what defines it and the homes it suits. If you would rather be matched than read, the kitchen style quiz asks a few quick questions and points you to one.
AT A GLANCE
The Four Kitchen Styles Compared.
| Style | In a word | Defining look | Palette |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern | Clean lines, quietly confident | Handleless (push-to-open) cabinetry · Fluted glass and mixed metals · Stone or porcelain benchtops · Concealed, integrated appliances | Charcoal, warm white, brushed brass |
| Hamptons | Timeless warmth and detail | Shaker-profile cabinetry · Soft whites, greys, and muted blues · Decorative mouldings and curves · Butler sink and feature tapware | Soft white, sage, warm timber |
| Scandinavian | Light, calm, effortless | Light oak and birch fronts · Minimal, handle-free detailing · Open shelving for everyday items · White benchtops and simple splashbacks | Birch, chalk white, pale grey |
| Dark & Moody | Deep, warm, dramatic | Matte black or charcoal cabinetry · Timber-look panels and shelving · Pale contrast or matching dark benchtops · Pendant and under-cabinet lighting | Matte black, smoked oak, brushed brass |
HOW TO CHOOSE
Choosing a Kitchen Style for Your Home.
Start with your house. A villa or character home is a natural fit for Hamptons kitchens, with their shaker doors and mouldings, while a new build or townhouse gives Modern kitchens a clean setting to work in.
Think about light. Scandinavian kitchens, with pale timber and white surfaces, help a dim room feel brighter, and Dark & Moody kitchens come into their own where there is good daylight or where you want the room to feel intimate in the evening.
Be honest about how you live. If you like everything put away, a handleless kitchen suits that habit; if your favourite things live on show, open shelving and a softer style may sit better with you.
Wondering which kitchen style is timeless? Simple ones age best, so plain door profiles, a restrained palette and solid cabinetry date slowly in any of the four. Keep the permanent pieces calm, and bring in personality through things that are easy to change later, such as paint, lighting and handles.
You can also mix styles. A Hamptons kitchen in deep navy, or a modern kitchen with Scandinavian timber, can give you the best of both.
Still Deciding?
Pick the kitchens you like in our two-minute quiz and get a style board to keep, or browse every project in the gallery.