Traditional Custom Cabinet Layouts and Ideas from Top Milwaukee Remodelers

Are Custom Cabinets Right for My Kitchen? Local Remodelers Weigh In:

A warm and cozy traditional kitchen could be just what you need in a cold-weather city like Milwaukee. Look to farmyard and country kitchens for inspiration, and even if you can't have the roaring fire of the Aga, you can still get the right feel with a spot of clever decoration.

Fifteen ways to get the look with new cabinets: 

  1. Use natural materials as much as possible. Old wooden boards, worn stone, or terracotta tiles on the floor, for example, will give you that comfortable lived-in look.
  2. Opt for an unfiltered kitchen if you can; unless you buy at the top of the range, traditional-style fitted kitchens tend to look inauthentic.
  3. Conventional cabinets look inherently modern. Opt for old-fashioned storage instead: a pantry, a Welsh dresser, or a row of simple wooden shelves.
  4. Uniformity is not what you are after. Idiosyncratic collections of hand-me-down furniture will work perfectly here.
  5. If you can afford to, invest in custom cabinet and an old-style kitchen range. If you buy new appliances, make them retro-style, or conceal modern doors behind tongue-and-groove paneling or a pretty floral curtain.
  6. Avoid steel and glass: hard-edged and modern, they won't work with a traditional look.
  7. Choose old-fashioned furniture: an age-worn kitchen table topped with a gingham or floral tablecloth, for example, or a wooden dressed deck with a collection of mismatched china plates and mugs.
  8. Opt for a farm sink and team it with old-fashioned faucets.
  9. For the countertop, use wood or a slab of time-worn stone. Sleek and uniform granite is not what you want.
  10. A bit of clutter is key in a traditional kitchen, so keep things out on show. Dishes can be arranged on a dressed, etc.
  11. Hang pots, pans, and even garlic and chilies from the rails.
  12. Dried flowers have become the show-home cliche here in Milwaukee, but there is always room for fresh flowers.
  13. Even a traditional-style kitchen needs some modern lighting solutions, but keep them subtle, and use old-fashioned fixtures whenever you can.
  14. An old armchair in a corner is a perfect finishing touch one cabinets have been installed.
  15. Add a pet such as a black lab or sheepdog!