Well, that's me, of course, a Long Island kitchen designer! My market/territory/areas served are the Long Island and New York metro area and beyond as demanded!
We know that, so?
What I'd like to talk about today is that the kitchen design "look" of Long Island, for the most part, reflects its well established suburban roots. Long Island being situated in the Northeast, close to New England, surrounded by history, naturally evokes tradition in many aspects of suburban life, creating a Long Island kitchen design point of view.
The majority of the architecture on Long Island is based in tradition, as are most furnishings seen in the homes here, as well as traditional landscaping, artwork, accessories, and other areas of home design.
I'm yawning already, what's the point??
Don't be so impatient! Here's the point! Most of my clients are in lock step with their physical, regional, surroundings as opposed to who they are, what styles appeal to them, where their interests lie whether recreational, via their heritage, personal interests, or "other." The home is Georgian, therefore, the kitchen is traditional, is often the conventional wisdom.
The point, as discussed regarding Long Island kitchen design, as an example, can be made for other regions of the country as well. The southwest, with its tex-mex point of view, southern California, a similar style of architecture and design, the often sleek, modern kitchen design of New York City and other urban areas, the warm woodsy soft contemporary look of the Pacific Northwest, the sleek, white kitchens of Florida, and other micro-themed regional areas. Point being, most regions have their "look." Actually, some areas on Long Island are more inclined to modern styling, other areas to formal styling, and still others to white, traditional kitchen design.
Set me free!
First, be aware, be very aware! Be aware that you may indeed have an automatic reaction to what is the "right" way to design your kitchen either a) based on your region/history and/or b) based on the architecture of your home.
Can you put a modern aesthetic into the log cabin lake house? A resounding YES. Mid century in a Victorian? Why not? You get the idea. The trick is to understand combining elements such as line, color, texture, mass and form. You will ultimately be creating a composition.
If you are unsure of how to proceed with this sometimes tricky aesthetic, please invest in the services of an interior designer for surrounding rooms and a kitchen designer who understands electic style for the kitchen so that you have a common thread among your spaces. Soon I will talk more about eclectic style, but first, one needs a germ of a thought, to begin to go against the grain, and here that is. Just call me the trouble making Long Island Kitchen Designer!
Desire To Inspire is a great resource to discover your secret eclectic self! Purple Area has some great examples of eclectic styles throughout the home, and also take a look at my category, Scandinavian Kitchens for inspiring eclecticity! (New word!) Although a Long Island kitchen designer, many design languages are spoken here on this blog!