When designing a kitchen, it’s essential to view it as part of the broader design narrative of your home. Some choose to create individual stories within their rooms, however, many others will design a kitchen that complements the rest of their home interior.
Whether it’s a kitchen, bathroom, dressing room or media units, creating a cohesive design throughout your living space can enhance flow, aesthetics, and even the comfort of your home. Here are key strategies to ensure your kitchen complements the overall interior of your home.
Choosing the right style
One of the earliest stages of kitchen design is deciding on the style that you want to go for. This includes choosing the colour, materials and patterns that will be featured throughout your kitchen
If you’re hoping to design a kitchen that will complement the rest of your home.
Your Colour Palette
One of the simplest ways to create a cohesive design between your kitchen and the rest of your home is through colour.
If your home features a neutral palette of whites, greys and beige, consider bringing these colours into your kitchen design. Alternatively, if your home embraces a more unique colour such as a bold yellow or a darker blue, find a way to incorporate them subtly into your kitchen design. You can do this through your:
- Cabinetry
- Backsplash
- Accent Walls
- Furniture
- Flooring
However, while it’s important to stay consistent, you don’t have to replicate the exact colours.
For example, if the living room has white walls, you could choose a grey to compliment the kitchen. This approach ensures the spaces feel related without being identical.
You can find an example of this in our Hampshire House case study where off-white and grey were used across the house to compliment the white furniture and cabinets.
Match Materials and Finishes
Consistency in materials and finishes is crucial for a seamless look between your kitchen and other living spaces.
For instance, if your home features natural wood floors, consider continuing that flooring into the kitchen or choose cabinets that match the wood tones in the rest of the house.
You can even go one step further and choose to have unique wooden handles that match your wooden aesthetic. The same ideas can be applied to stone, marble and other materials.
You can find an example of how wood has been used throughout a household interior design in our Marborough design project.
Choose Complementary Patterns
As kitchen designs evolve over time, it’s clear to see that patterns are here to stay. Patterns and textures add depth and richness to any room, and choosing complementary textures can link spaces together.
If the rest of your home is simplistic yet functional in design, you could opt for a shaker kitchen that also features smoother patterns and surfaces. Take a look at our interior design work partnered with Julia Blunt Interiors as an example of simplistic and smooth bespoke kitchen design.
Use a Unified Lighting Scheme
Lighting can often be overlooked, but it plays a huge role in maintaining a consistent design flow between rooms.
Lighting usually scales into two different tones. Cold and warm.
Cold Lighting – Cold lighting leans into a whiter colour. The ‘colder’ the light, the more white the colouring will be. This sort of lighting is typically found in modern and contemporary kitchens.
Warm Lighting – Warm lighting typically leans into a more yellow/orange shade. Warm shades are typically associated with cosier designs as the colouring is less harsh.
Focus on Open Layouts for Cohesion
Open plan designs are becoming more desired as they’re a popular way to merge the kitchen with other living areas, creating a better family dynamic.
If your home has an open floor plan, you have the opportunity to design a kitchen that complements nearby spaces without the need for doors or walls to separate them.
To ensure cohesion, think of the kitchen as part of the overall room. The furniture, decor, and colour choices should blend with the surrounding living or dining areas.
A kitchen island, for example, can serve as a bridge between spaces, linking the aesthetics and function of both the kitchen and the living room. Our Calstone Kitchen project is a good example of this.
Carry Over Architectural Details
If your home has distinctive architectural details—such as crown moulding, exposed beams, or arched doorways—be sure to reflect these elements in your kitchen design. Carrying over architectural features can help the kitchen feel like an integral part of the home’s overall structure rather than an afterthought.
Julia Blunt Interiors demonstrates a solid example of how their interior design incorporates the exposed beams throughout the property.
Decorate with Intentional Accessories
The right décor can tie rooms together beautifully. If your home is filled with specific design elements—such as contemporary artwork, houseplants, or vintage accents—bring those same elements into your kitchen.
These small details can make all the difference in connecting spaces.
For instance, if your living room features a mid-century theme, you can carry that into the kitchen with retro bar stools, vintage-style light fixtures, or décor with geometric patterns.