Clean lines. White walls. Open spaces. Minimalism has taken our lives by storm, and more and more people are enjoying implementing this philosophy in their homes.
According to Tarkett, minimalism “involves using the bare essentials to create a simple and uncluttered space. It’s characterised by simplicity, clean lines, and a monochromatic palette with colour used as an accent.”
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When it comes to designing a kitchen, the style is particularly loved. Beautiful and streamlined, minimalism will allow your space to be clutter-free and practical while still looking stylish. However, whereas buying decor in this style is pretty easy to nail down, supporting the ambience with actual appliances and cabinetry can be more challenging. For this purpose, we’ve collected our favourite styles of cabinets to compliment a minimalist kitchen.
1. Shaker
Despite its misleading name, Shaker cabinets are not here to rattle your world — instead, they’re a sleek, modern design that will support any minimalist decor you have in your kitchen. “The Shaker kitchen gets its name from a religious sect in the mid-18th century called the ‘Shaking Quakers’ (quickly shortened to ‘Shakers’),” explain bespoke kitchen designers at Harvey Jones. “Today, this famous style reflects the core principles this community believed in — simplicity and functionality.”
These cabinets feature a slightly indented flat centre panel with square, framed edges. Avoiding ornamentation and carvings, this style is both simple and timeless, introducing symmetry and balance to any design scheme. This option is perfect for those who want to maintain the minimalist atmosphere in their kitchen without sacrificing traditional principles of streamlined proportions and quality craftsmanship.
2. Tongue-and-Groove
For those who enjoy a minimalist style but are still drawn to traditional influences, tongue-and-groove kitchen cabinets are an on-trend choice that will make your kitchen look sophisticated without cluttering it with unnecessary embellishments. The close cousin of the beadboard cabinet, which is more suitable for country looking houses, tongue-and-groove removes the frame to create a far more streamlined version.
Long, vertical wood panels are connected to create these cabinets. If you’re opting for an all-white minimal colour scheme in your kitchen, these can add a subtle touch of texture and depth that don’t compromise the minimalist approach.
3. Linear
Perhaps the most minimalist option around, linear kitchen cabinets are very simple. Adorning flat doors and concealed hinges — and available with or without handles, these are the ultimate choice for a smaller minimalist kitchen that may be easily overwhelmed by any gratuitous fringe. We’d recommend opting for a neutral off-white shade to brighten up a small space.
However, linear kitchens can also provide the wow factor in a large space. This style embodies clean lines and immaculate surfaces for a pristine kitchen that’s sure to be the envy of all your guests. If you opt for a linear kitchen and your room is quite big, though, we recommend including some other interesting elements in the kitchen so that it doesn’t look too bare, stainless steel appliances and brushed chrome handles will do the trick.
4. Glazed
Glazed kitchen cabinets, what are those, you say? This is a style that once painted or stained in your desired shade is coated in a transparent or semi-transparent glaze. It’s a method used to add depth and colour to your kitchen.
In a minimalist design, these will immediately catch the eye of your visitors, creating a focal point that doesn’t take away from the charm of the space. Although the finished look of a glazed cabinet tends to steer towards the antique style, the interior can be painted in a bright hue that won’t ruin your minimalist ideas. This is a perfect design trick for those wanting to add a dash of colour without ruining the aesthetic of the kitchen. Most tend to choose white glaze on white cabinets or a darker glaze on stained units.
5. Metallic
For an industrial-influenced option, metallic touches will add depth and warmth to your minimalist kitchen. Brass finishes, for example, for your cabinetry hardware, sink faucets and appliances help to create a beautiful layered look. There are design rules for incorporating metals into your kitchen though. New York designer Thomas O’Brien suggests mixing “brass and dark bronze, brass and chrome, or brass and nickel”, and that chrome and stainless steel are essentially the same and can be used together.
Leading off from that, cool metals are natural additions to a minimalist kitchen — these fit in perfectly. Opt for a stainless steel finish for your appliances or even add industrial-looking metal worktops, which evokes a professional kitchen environment. If you’d rather keep the cool tones than go warm with brass or copper, chrome is a great idea for your cabinetry hardware. This adds a hint of colour without disrupting the overall clean minimalist appearance. Chrome is also incredibly smooth and acts as a mirror-like surface, reflecting the environment it sits within.
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