The beauty of bespoke kitchens is that the world is your oyster in terms of the style, function and layout of the space. Whether you want a rustic country kitchen, an artsy, creative space or a contemporary space, the choice is yours. A bespoke furniture specialist can even create a kitchen that features a combination of rustic and contemporary styles.

Here’s a quick guide to the three most popular kitchen styles.

The artsy, crafted kitchen relies on the use of natural tones and materials and places a strong emphasis on hand crafted pieces of furniture. Wood is often the preferred choice in this type of kitchen design. Items that are often found in kitchens of this kind include wooden brackets, carved corbels, elaborately framed cabinets and panelled doors with thick, sturdy frames. Other trademark aspects of this style are tiffany-like lighting fixtures that bring a splash of colour to the room and stylised wallpaper.

Traditional kitchen themes are often chosen by homeowners, as this style will never go out of style and has a cosy, warm look. This theme blends the elegant and slightly formal look of homes from the 18th and the 19th centuries. Bespoke kitchen designers often incorporate a modern twist into this traditional theme, to give it a fresh and unique look. Typical characteristics of the traditional kitchen include rope and crown mouldings that add a touch of old world elegance to the room, as well as fluting and ornamental carvings on wooden pieces of furniture. A traditional kitchen will usually have cabinets that are made from mahogany, walnut or cherry wood.

For those who prefer a more contemporary look, there are plenty of options; generally, this kind of modern look consists of clean and simple architectural lines, as well as understated decorative pieces. In contemporary kitchens, the materials tend to be man-made as opposed to natural; these include lacquer, chrome, concrete, glass, laminate and stainless steel. This style of kitchen is heavily influenced by design elements found in Germany and Scandinavia. If the thought of a contemporary kitchen appeals to you but you still want to retain an air of cosiness, then try mixing some subtle wood features in maple or birch with metals such as pewter, brass or copper. This will add a certain amount of warmth to the room without overwhelming its modern design.

Many people love the look of the typical ‘country kitchen’. This rustic style is welcoming and cosy, with plenty of bright colours and light, as well as floral motifs. However, these are just rough guidelines and there are many twists on this kind of theme; lots of bespoke kitchens use this style sparingly and incorporate other themes alongside it. Some features of this style include distressed wooden cabinets and tables, as well as open-door cabinets, which are used to display old vintage china pieces. The key is to keep the overall look understated, with some well chosen accent pieces, such as throw rugs, hand crafted dining chairs and other pretty furnishings.

The creation of bespoke kitchens provides the perfect opportunity to design every aspect of the room, including the colour scheme. The right combination of colours and shades of materials can make the kitchen look far more appealing and vibrant.

Colours have been proven to have a significant impact on a room. For instance, the colour red is known to increase people’s appetite and so is a great colour for a kitchen. From an aesthetic point of view, it is also suitable in a kitchen as it adds warmth to the room. Muted oranges and yellows can also look great and have a similar effect. Having an accent wall is a common feature in many bespoke kitchens, as it is a more subtle way of brightening things up and can highlight a unique piece of bespoke furniture, such as an ornate cabinet or set of shelves.

When one has a hand in designing every element of a kitchen, the range of colours available for the materials used is vast. For example, if wood is the preferred choice of material for the main pieces of furniture, such as the kitchen island, counter tops and cabinets, then there is a world of choice when it comes to tones and colours. Many people who want a luxurious look in their kitchen opt for opulent, rich mahogany, which adds depth and elegance to bespoke kitchens, but there are others who adore the soft and subtle appearance of lighter woods such as birch and pine. Of course, wood is very versatile and can be painted to fit in with almost any colour scheme.

Trends in home decor come and go, so the best advice would be to merely take inspiration from decor ideas that appeal, rather than copying the look entirely, as this is the easiest way to create a kitchen that is both unique and timeless.

Both whites and creams are popular choices in kitchens, as they give a simple, crisp and clean appearance to a room. But these types of kitchens can sometimes seem a tad sterile and cold, so it is important to use materials that add warmth to the room alongside such a colour scheme; teak and oak are great choices in this case. An accent wall in a pastel colour is another option, as this will soften the overall look of the white walls, yet will still be in keeping with the sleek modern style that the white brings to the kitchen.

Gone are the days when just one colour was used. As people become more involved in the creation of their bespoke kitchens, they are beginning to experiment with different colours to see which works best in their kitchen. Many people now use up to three main colours when redecorating a kitchen space. Usually, one dominant colour is used on the walls, a secondary colour in the main surfaces such as the cabinets and tables and a third colour is brought into the room through small, removable pieces such as artwork and soft furnishing.