Inspiration from David Lisle

Forget Labels: Minimalist vs. Maximalist Kitchens

When viewing your new, perfect kitchen in your mind’s eye, making a conscious choice between a practical, innovative, minimalist design or an extravagant, bold maximalist one may seem to be the essential starting point. Two very different paths lay ahead. One leads you towards painted muted colours, flush appliances and plain, handleless cabinetry, whilst the other consists of heavy moulding, eccentric wood combinations and quirky light fittings. Therefore establishing a definitive choice early on between the two makes the next stages of your design much easier, right? Perhaps not.

Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a clear vision for your space. Many of our clients come to us with such, and we are always happy to work with them bring their specific desires into reality. However, if you, like most, find decisions such as minimalist vs. maximalist a difficult one, then, we ask, why choose?

Forget labels minimalist maximalist Kitchens 01

Encasing heavily moulded pieces in the same soft grey oak to blend seamlessly with simpler cabinetry.

Bespoke service - bespoke results

The beauty of using a truly bespoke service such as ours is that we can craft virtually any design. This opens up a world of possibilities for our clients, enabling them to create something completely personal to them. Our main goal is to help our clients achieve this.

Strictly following fashion trends means any interior will inevitably become outdated, whereas forcing oneself to completely step out of your comfort zone will result in a space that has no reflection of your personality. But a kitchen that is specifically tailored to your lifestyle and preferences, you are guaranteed to take pride in for many years to come.

Forget labels minimalist maximalist Kitchens 02

Combining statement pieces using ziricote and bright pink with white, simple door designs.

Making hard decisions easy

With countless possibilities and combinations to choose from, discovering and deciding on your own perfect features and styles may seem like a daunting task, but with the right designer, it is actually remarkably easy.

At David Lisle Kitchen Design, one of our primary aspirations is to ensure our clients enjoy their experience. Designing and receiving your perfect kitchen should be fun, stress-free and exciting. In the early design stages especially, we don’t want our clients to make any big, definitive decisions. This can often limit creativity and the opportunity to explore new ideas.

Instead, David first simply asks our clients, “What don’t you like about your current kitchen?” From here, he suggests various solutions and helps them to discover their personal preferences and what features are important to them. Then, further down the line when more concrete decisions need to be made, our clients, with David’s advice, already have the knowledge to make these easily and with confidence.

Through this process, labels and stigmas surrounding interiors often become irrelevant to our clients. The terms “minimalist” and “maximalist”, “contemporary” and “traditional”, although useful, are not defining features in their kitchens. These terms, we believe, are not fixed opposites, but scales. Concepts to explore and combine in unique ways, the results of which all depend on the most important feature in all of our kitchens - personal perfection.

Forget labels minimalist maximalist Kitchens 03

A strong contrast of white and ebonised oak gloss with a statement splashback.