Today’s kitchen is both the focal point and social hub in updated and new homes. No longer walled off from view, the kitchen is open and inviting where cooking is communal and entertaining often gravitates around the island and dining spaces. Style is more important than ever with the kitchen front and center in the home; however, the aesthetic choices and layouts can be overwhelming. To help you decode your kitchen design, Orlando Custom Homebuilder Jorge Ulibarri offers the following style guide and tips for creating a kitchen that is functional, inviting and in sync with your home’s interior decor and architecture.
Florida-Modern Kitchens:
Orlando Custom Homebuilder Jorge Ulibarri often designs kitchens in a style he calls “Florida-Modern” that embraces and balances the sleek, clean lines and modern materials with warmer, natural materials and elements. Natural stone floors and a mix of natural stone and engineered surfaces bring texture and a contemporary edge to the look. Lighting fixtures can either emphasize the modern look or counterbalance with more traditional designs. “I like to add reflectivity to the Florida-Modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances and chrome fixtures and chrome-framed glass fronted upper cabinets mixed with natural wood cabinets. Gray and white color palettes provide an ideal foundation to create this look because it feels fresh, airy, open and current,” says Ulibarri.
“A lot of my clients want a less fussy, sleeker, easier look, to match their lifestyle,” says Ulibarri.
Transitional-Styled Kitchens:
There’s a lot of design buzz about transitional-styled kitchens. Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri’s interpretation of this hybrid style is the Modern-Mediterranean kitchen. Envision sleek cabinetry, single-color, solid-surface countertops, geometric hardware, a glass mosaic back splash, sculptural range hood and lighting fixtures and stainless-steel appliances for an industrial luxe vibe strategically set in a rustic palette of travertine stone floors, ceiling beams and travertine split-face stone on accent walls.
In Florida, our unique take on the transitional kitchen honors our attachment to the traditional, timeless appeal of Mediterranean architecture and our desire for something modern and edgy.
Mediterranean architecture endures in Florida as a style perfectly in sync with its surroundings and history. But exterior curb appeal doesn’t have to dictate interior decor.
Florida Custom Builder Jorge Ulibarri says most of his clients prefer some variation of Mediterranean architecture, but their interior preferences often merge Old World and 21st century styles. “I have clients who want a home that looks from the outside like it has endured for generations. Yet on the inside. the style is sleek and modern-a look commonly defined as contemporary”
Traditional-Styled Kitchens:
The traditional-styled kitchen with a nod to Tuscan influences, remains a perennial favorite look among Florida homeowners. “Many of my clients prefer a Tuscan-styled kitchen for its timeless appeal that feels like the home has been there for generations but with modem amenities,” says Jorge.
Rustic elements figure prominently in traditional kitchens with wrought iron light fixtures, travertine floors, stained cabinetry, corbels, mosaics, ornate detailing, beams and barrel tile ceilings.
“The look is warm and inviting, typically with a sun-kissed or earthy color palette of reds, oranges, browns and beiges.”
For more design ideas and inspiration give Jorge Ulibarri a call at 407-733-5500 to discuss your custom home and subscribe to Orlando Custom Home Builder Jorge Ulibarri’s video series, Trade Secrets
