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La Cucina – Italian-Style Kitchen Design
The kitchen is the beating heart of the Italian home, where family and friends come together to bond over home-cooked dishes that follow recipes passed down through generations.
It’s little wonder, then, that we expect a lot from the Italian kitchen, requiring a combination of well-thought-through practicality and style. Uncover ideas for your own home as we tour a typical kitchen in the culinary capital of the world.
Modern Italian kitchen cabinets
Wooden cabinetry dominates the Italian kitchen, but its style has transformed over the years to reflect a change in modern tastes. Raised panel doors may have been commonplace in traditional Italian kitchens, but today, you’re more likely to see a Shaker-style cabinet with simple functional cupboard handles in brushed nickel or black matt.
Whether you prefer Shaker-style or ornate panel doors, forget about upper cabinets. If it’s an Italian-style kitchen you’re after, opt for open shelving instead. Open shelves are ideal for showcasing kitchen accessories, cookbooks and treasured curiosities you’ve collected over years.
If you prefer cabinets to shelves, take a tip from Milan Design Week and consider opting for glass panel doors. Glass-fronted cabinets provide a stylish yet organised way of displaying your ceramics and glassware.
When you imagine an Italian kitchen, you might think of high ceilings with exposed wooden beams and terracotta floor tiles. Natural materials like stone, wood, and brick are baked into Italian kitchens. Hardwearing and imperfect, they reflect a longevity that is often overlooked in today’s ‘throw-away’ society.
If you’re lucky enough to already have a striking feature in your kitchen, like an old fireplace or arched alcove, make that the focus of your design. Otherwise, pair granite worktops with handcrafted wall and floor tiles to imitate that authentic ‘lived-in’ Italian look (extra points if the materials are locally sourced!).
For a similar aesthetic without the high price tag, consider ceramic worktops that mimic the appearance of stone. Dekton’s Ceppo countertops feature a distinctive blue-grey form inspired by the Ceppo di Gré stone from Italy’s Lombardy region.
Elevate your kitchen design further with a curved countertop. Sleek and fuss-free with no harsh edges or sharp corners, curved countertops are predicted to be the next big kitchen design trend.
Italian-style kitchens
Luna
Luna
Tatton
Tatton
Wardley
Wardley
Integra Ascoli
Integra Ascoli
Integra Brunswick
Integra Brunswick
Earthy tones and natural materials
The natural materials that dominate Italian kitchen design also influence its colour palette. Warm neutral colours and earthy tones permeate – think cream, terracotta, and warm taupe paired with wood (usually oak or walnut) and granite.
To avoid colour drenching the space, add a pop of colour to your room design. Your kitchen splashback is an ideal place to add an accent colour that won’t risk overwhelming the space. Popular Mediterranean shades like blue and yellow provide a vibrant juxtaposition to the warm, earthy tones that make up the rest of the Italian kitchen.
Offset the heavy use of stone, wood, and clay by incorporating a mix of different patterns. Break up the monotony of a large tiled floor by laying your tiles in a herringbone style. For wall tiles, consider a diagonal pattern to create visual interest.
Sink area with Dekton in Ceppo backsplash and worktop, Nordic Nature cabinetry and a brass Quooker tap.
A kitchen island in Ambleside Lake, with pendant lighting above.
Pendant lighting for high ceilings
Italian properties tend to have high ceilings, and for that reason, they favour pendant lighting, but these lights provide more than just low-hanging illumination. They also add dramatic effect to a space, drawing the eye, which is why you’ll often see them hanging above a dining table or kitchen island.
Traditionally, the kitchen island would have a different worktop and cabinetry from the rest of the kitchen to break up the room’s design. Adding a pendant over the island reinforces its position as the hub of the kitchen where food preparation, eating, and entertaining all happen.
Discover how Caroline put family cooking at the heart of her Italian-style kitchen.
Italian-style copper accessories
A range cooker positioned under an exposed brick archway serves as the focal point of a quintessential Italian kitchen. If you already have a range cooker, consider adding an Aga mantle. It’s the perfect place to display your curios, artwork, and earthenware, adding personality to the room.
Look for other spots around the kitchen where you can add artwork with a Mediterranean feel. Rustic landscapes and still-life compositions featuring wine and fruits all nod to the Italian countryside, creating a warm and inviting decor.
If artwork isn’t your thing, consider a collection of hand-painted plates with vibrant patterns in a mix-and-match style. You could position them above your range cooker or use them to fill an empty wall space.
Copper accessories are central to Italian kitchen design. Copper cookware, cupboard door handles, and taps add warmth and a rustic charm that will put the finishing touches to your kitchen. Beyond cookware and hardware, copper accessories can be incorporated in bowls, trays, and vases filled with fresh flowers or herbs.
Italian-style copper accessories
Lived-in Italian kitchen design
Italian kitchen design encapsulates everything that makes a home warm, authentic, and above all, imperfect. Keeping to these principles when you’re designing your kitchen will ensure you end up with a space that feels inviting and lived-in, where every detail tells a story.
Continue to add to your design over time to build up that lived-in feeling with personal touches, comfortable furniture and natural materials. This is a space where you can embrace and celebrate the imperfect.
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