12 Great Kitchen Styles — Which One's for You?

Style is easier to recognize with your eyes than with words: You know it when you see it, and the photo that inspires you most can often surprise you. Think you know your kitchen style? Check out these guides to a dozen favorite kitchen design themes, then tell us which one takes the cake.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Farmhouse kitchens. Warm and homey farmhouses anchored a life on the land, and they still offer great functionality and comfort. Their open shelving, wide sinks, classic flooring and big kitchen table make them easy to work in and easy to love.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Farmhouse Kitchen

Michelle Fries, BeDe Design, LLC

Rustic kitchens. “Worn," "distressed" and "rough hewn" may not be the first words that come to mind when we think of kitchens. But today rustic kitchens rival the classic white kitchen in popularity — thanks to their timber, stone, brick, vintage appliances and fireplaces.

Guide: 15 Ways to Cozy Up a Kitchen With Rustic Style

Alterstudio

Modern kitchens. Definitions of "modern" vary widely, but when we think of modern kitchen designs, we often think of frameless cabinets, sleek and simple hardware, strong horizontal lines and a lack of ornamentation, with the natural beauty of the materials shining through.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Modern Kitchen

SKD STUDIOS

Traditional kitchens. Traditional kitchens are defined by their details, which can include arches, decorative moldings and corbels, raised-panel cabinets, a mix of antique finishes and furniture-like turned legs — even a chandelier. Whether they have a classic American or old-world flavor, they still carry the stamp of their owners' personal style.

Guide: 15 Elements of a Traditional Kitchen

Beckwith Interiors

Contemporary kitchens. Contemporary kitchens can be very sleek, but while a purely modern kitchen often celebrates structure and grid, a contemporary kitchen is often more playful in form and finishes, including elements of other styles and creating its own reflection of the times.

Guide: 6 Elements of a Contemporary Kitchen

CliqStudios Cabinets

Transitional kitchens. Think of a transitional kitchen as the great moderator. With the warmth and welcome of traditional design and the clean, simple lines of contemporary style, transitional spaces project balance and harmony. Because they offer a great deal of flexibility, they're a great choice for homeowners whose taste spans the two.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Transitional Kitchen

Brooke B. Sammons

Craftsman kitchens. Craftsman style arose in the early 20th century as a reaction to the mass-produced fussiness of the Victorian era. Its rich woods, built-ins, handcrafted tiles and well-made simplicity continue to charm us.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Craftsman Kitchen

CapeRace Cultural Adventures

Cottage kitchens. Cozy, happy and unpretentious, a cottage kitchen harks back to simpler times and evokes a sense of easy, carefree living. Beadboard, soft colors, vintage hardware, wood floors and colorful accents and curtains will infuse your kitchen with cottage comfort.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Cottage Kitchen

COLECCION ALEXANDRA

Paris bistro kitchens. If you long for a sugar-laced café au lait on Rue Monmartre, why not bring a little Parisian style into your house? Intimate kitchen lighting, pretty cookware on display, tile floors and a striped awning ought to do it.

Guide: 9 Ways to Conjure a Parisian Bistro in Your Kitchen

Casa Verde Design

Classic kitchens. What is classic? The answer is as varied as cooks are. Still, white or cream kitchen cabinets, simple architectural details and black accents offer a blank slate that homeowners can personalize with contemporary, traditional and eclectic touches as they see fit.

Guide: 8 Elements of Classic Kitchen Style

Nunley Custom Homes

Mediterranean-style kitchens. Flared hoods, hand-painted tile, warm wood cabinets, beamed ceilings and arched cooking alcoves are just some of the features that put Spanish revival kitchens on the most-wanted list.

Guide: 8 Elements of a Mediterranean Kitchen

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

Eclectic kitchens. Do you rebel against styles and refuse pigeonholes? It's your house; you can mix and match for your own distinct kitchen style however you please. The trick: Be a rebel with a cause. Get ideas for a very personal kitchen, with touches of modern and rustic styles, well-traveled flair, humor and irreverence.

Guide: 10 Elements of an Eclectic Kitchen