Style Guide
Which kitchen style suits you?
A 6-question quiz and 7 Italian kitchen styles, from modern to classic, with the series from our houses that bring them to life.
In short
In a few words: a kitchen's style comes down to three decisions: the door (flat or framed), the colour and the material. Modern Italian kitchens play with flat doors, matt lacquer and wood, while classic and country kitchens work with frames, patina and solid wood. Take the short quiz below, see which of the 7 styles suits you, and then we design it together with you, with series from the Italian houses we curate.
| Style | Colours | Materials | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern white with wood | White, warm white, light grey | White lacquer or PET with walnut or oak | Open, bright spaces |
| Modern dark or black with wood | Black, anthracite, dark wood | Fenix, metallic lacquer, glass, oak | Large spaces with good light |
| Warm modern | Beige, cappuccino, mocha, walnut | Matt lacquer, laminate, walnut veneer | Those who want modern without a cold result |
| Light oak, Scandinavian-style | Light oak, white, sand | Natural or blond oak, fluted fronts | Smaller spaces that need light |
| Classic and neoclassical | Ivory, aged white, pale blue, sage green | Frames, cornices, glazed units, patinated lacquer | Homes with height and classic features |
| Country, Tuscan, French farmhouse | Ochre, terracotta, sand, cream | Solid fir or spruce, talcato wood, stone | Country houses, detached homes, homes with beams |
| Solid, natural wood | The colours of the wood itself | Solid walnut, chestnut, ash, fir | Those who want a kitchen that ages beautifully |
In the showroom we often hear: «I know what I like when I see it, but I don't know what it's called». That is why we name the styles with the words you search for, such as «white lacquer with wood» or «mocha colour», and show which series from our houses bring them to life. A note: «Scandinavian-style», «neoclassical», «Tuscan» and «French farmhouse» are our own labels. The houses do not name their series this way.
01
Quiz: which kitchen style suits you?
Take the quiz: 6 questions, one minute
For each question, note the letter that describes you best, and at the end count which one came up most often.
- How do you want the kitchen to look from the living room?
A) Like part of the wall, almost invisible.
B) Calm and warm, with wood on show.
C) Like the most beautiful piece of furniture in the house. - Which door draws you most?
A) Flat, handleless, in a matt or deep colour.
B) Flat or with a slim frame, in light wood or an earthy shade.
C) Framed, with a raised panel. - What do you see on the worktop?
A) Nothing. Everything inside the cabinets.
B) One or two favourite things, a plant.
C) Jars, cookware, a shelf of plates. - Which palette calms you?
A) White, black, anthracite.
B) Beige, mocha, light oak.
C) Ivory, ochre, sage green, walnut. - What does your home already have?
A) Large openings and clean lines.
B) Wooden floors and natural light.
C) Height, beams, stone, a fireplace or classic windows. - How do you want the kitchen to be in ten years?
A) The same as on the first day.
B) Warm, just as when we first saw it.
C) Even more beautiful, with the patina of time.
| Came up most often | The styles that suit you |
|---|---|
| Mostly A | Modern white with wood, or modern dark and black with wood |
| Mostly B | Warm modern in beige, mocha, walnut, or light oak in a Scandinavian style |
| Mostly C | Classic and neoclassical, country and Tuscan, or solid natural wood |
| Split between A and C | Modern lines with warm materials, as in styles 3 and 4 |
02
Modern white kitchen with wood
How to recognise it: white lacquer with wood is the combination we are asked for most often, and rightly so. White opens up the space, wood warms it. Usually the white goes on the doors and tall units, and the wood on an island, the open shelves or the splashback. The doors are flat or have a slim frame, the surfaces matt.
- Gentili Time: the «T_12» composition pairs Frassino Bianco with Noce Medium walnut, «T_04 2023» uses PET Bianco Mat with fluted fronts, and «Essential Cozy» matt PET in Pietra and Ghiaccio.
- Febal Casa Origina: the compositions «Origina 04 Bianco Puro», «Origina 11 Bianco & Marmo Botticino» and «Origina 03 Rovere Asiatico & Calacatta».
- Febal Casa Origina Telaio Legno: a white frame in the «02 Bianco» and «04 Bianco» compositions, for those who want a white kitchen with a little more tradition.
In the showroom: you will see the handleless Gentili Time in Fenix Nero, the handleless Febal Origina island and the Febal Origina Telaio Legno installed. Their white versions, like the other series, we present with samples and catalogues, on your own design.
03
Modern dark and black kitchen with wood
How to recognise it: black with wood means deep, matt black or anthracite on the doors and a warm wood that breaks up the volume. Smoked glass in glazed units and metal details complete the picture. It is the most dramatic of the modern styles and needs space and light. In a small or dark space we keep the black to one zone, for example the island, and leave the walls light.
- Pedini Quadra 10: doors with a 10 mm frame, black elegance and a glazed unit in smoked glass.
- Gentili Time: the «Smart Touch» composition in Fenix Nero with Old Tabacco melamine, and «T_04» with black matt glass, black Fenix and oak veneer.
- Febal Casa Origina: the compositions «Origina 12 Nero & Metal Bronzo» and «Origina 20 Specchio Bronzo & Rovere Terra».
- Pedini Aroma: black oak, Nero Ingo lacquer and dark grey.
- Pedini Arke Shape: Cast Iron Titanio metallic lacquer with columns in black oak.
In the showroom: the Pedini Quadra 10 is installed, with handles, together with an Ascale worktop and Miele appliances. You will also see the handleless Gentili Time in Fenix Nero installed. The other series are presented with catalogues and samples.
04
Warm modern kitchen: beige, mocha, walnut
How to recognise it: the same clean line as modern, but in colours that warm. Beige lacquer, cappuccino, warm greys, mocha and warm browns, and walnut with visible grain.
The example we love is Chalandri: a Gentili Time with flat handleless doors in matt Cappuccino lacquer, with Caesarstone Rugged Concrete quartz on the worktop, the wall and the sides of the island. See the whole project in Chalandri.
- Gentili Time: «Perfect Corner» in matt Castoro and Lino lacquer with Oak Brown, «Natural Attitude» in Noce Canaletto veneer and «T_01 2023» in Cappuccino laminate with Club Cognac.
- Pedini Cucina Moka: «Moka» is the name of the series. The warm shade comes from the doors in Visone, with an aluminium frame and a handle in titanio or testa di moro.
- Pedini Materika: an island in Pietra Piasentina Taupe gres with a snack bar in Cachemire oak.
- Febal Casa Origina: «Origina 13 Bronzo & Blu Shaba» and «Origina 18 Grigio Oxford & Line Bronze», both with a Fenix Beige Arizona worktop.
In the showroom: the Gentili Time and the Febal Origina island are installed, both in finishes other than these. The other series and their finishes we present with samples and catalogues, on your own design.
05
Light oak and Scandinavian-style kitchen
How to recognise it: light or blond oak, white and sand, simple doors and plenty of light. «Scandinavian-style kitchen» is our own label. None of our houses describes a series this way, and the selection below is ours, based on the woods and colours. If a door is called «Nordico», that is the name of a finish, not a style.
- GF Interiors Skinny: a slim solid oak frame, a front of just 1 cm, Cloud oak with a stone-look porcelain worktop.
- Febal Casa Origina Telaio Legno: the «03 Rovere Naturale» composition, with a frame.
- Febal Casa Origina: «Origina 19 Rovere Biondo Cannettato», with a fluted front.
- Gentili Time: «Contemporary Flexibility» in oak veneer and «T_04» in Nordico Nodato oak.
In the showroom: the Febal Origina Telaio Legno is installed, as are the Gentili Time and the Febal Origina island. The other series and their finishes we present with samples and catalogues, on your own design.
06
Classic and neoclassical kitchen
How to recognise it: framed doors with a raised panel, cornices along the top, glazed units, handles with character. Classic Italian kitchens come in wood or in patinated lacquer, in ivory, aged white or soft colours. We use the word «neoclassical» for the most formal version, with capitals, relief and gold details. It sits naturally in a home with height and classic features. You will find more in our guide to classic kitchens.
- Febal Casa Sinfonia: a solid alder frame with a veneered panel, an ageing patina, in Siena scuro wood or in Bianco and Grigio anticato lacquer.
- Gentili Romantica: a lacquered frame, cornice and glazed units, in Avorio, Celeste or Verde Salvia.
- Febal Casa Opera: solid ash, baroque decoration, a silver or gold patina.
- Sira Cucine Vittoria: the «Black Baroque» versions with carved capitals, «White Corinthian» and «Roman Gold». It is the series that comes closest to what we call neoclassical.
- Sira Cucine Eva and Sira Cucine Sofia: classic compositions in solid wood, in aged shades.
- Scandola Maestrale: «M08 Classica elegante» with the Margot door.
In the showroom: the Febal Sinfonia and the Gentili Romantica are installed, and you can see and touch them up close. The Sira, Scandola and Callesella series we present with samples and catalogues.
07
Country, Tuscan and French farmhouse kitchen
How to recognise it: solid wood with visible grain, framed or slatted doors, earthy colours such as ochre, terracotta and sand, a matt stone worktop and a hood that looks like a chimney. The country style kitchen is the wider family. Tuscan and French farmhouse are our own names for two shades of it: Tuscan with warmer, ochre and terracotta colours and clean lines, French farmhouse with lighter, cream and white colours and a more romantic mood. No house names its series this way.
- Scandola Tabià: a 2.5 cm solid fir door, in the compositions «T01 Country provenzale», «T02 Stile country» and «T03 Stile rustico», the last with a piasentina stone worktop and a chimney-style hood.
- Scandola Nuovomondo: solid fir in Argilla and Lino, with cornices, and «N1» in a shabby chic mood.
- Callesella Everyday: country in almost every composition, talcato wood in Fieno, Canapa and Creta.
- Sira Cucine Clio: white framed doors, country romance, and walnut for a warmer version.
- Gentili Village: limed ash, a frame and glazed units with glazing bars, in a cottage mood.
In the showroom: we will be honest: no country series is installed. We present them with the houses' samples and catalogues. To feel frames, patina and warm wood, the installed Febal Sinfonia and Gentili Romantica are the closest example. In Piraeus, the Romantica in ochre and white showed how close to the Tuscan palette a classic kitchen can come. See the project in Piraeus.
08
Solid, natural wood
How to recognise it: here the material defines the style. Solid walnut, chestnut, ash or fir, with grain, knots and small differences from door to door. A solid wood kitchen can be classic, country or even more understated. What they share is that the wood shows and ages with you. We explain the pros and cons in our guide to solid wood kitchens.
- Sira Cucine Eva: 24 mm solid wood in seven shades, among them Bianco Antico and Beige Antico, and walnut in the Noce version.
- Sira Cucine Sofia: 24 mm solid chestnut with a solid panel, in eleven finishes, from Noce Scuro to patinated lacquer.
- Scandola Maestrale: solid fir, «M03 Legno vecchio» with reclaimed beams and «M07 in legno» in Coke walnut.
- Callesella Everyday and Callesella Atelier: solid fir in exposed talcato wood, and in the Atelier brushed Liquirizia fir.
In the showroom: none of these series is installed. The Febal Sinfonia, with a solid frame and a veneered panel, is the kitchen you can touch up close. The other series and their finishes we present with samples and catalogues, on your own design.
09
Worktops and appliances by style
The worktop and the appliances can complete a style or spoil it. We choose them together, always next to the doors.
- Modern white, dark and warm: a slim worktop that continues onto the splashback or the sides of the island, in Caesarstone quartz or porcelain or in Ascale sintered stone. Built-in Miele appliances that disappear into the tall units.
- Light oak: a worktop with a light stone or marble look, so the wood stays the star.
- Classic, country and Tuscan: a matt stone texture and a more generous thickness. From Bertazzoni, the Heritage series with its traditional look and the range cookers of the Professional and Master series.
In the showroom you will see installed Caesarstone and Ascale worktops and Miele and Bertazzoni appliances. We explain the differences between the materials in our guide to kitchen worktops.
10
How we design it together with you
You do not choose a style from a photograph. We build it together, step by step: visit, design, moodboard, quote, installation, after-sales. On the moodboard we place doors, worktop, colours and handles side by side, so you can see your future home before you invest. If you are starting from scratch, first see how to choose an Italian kitchen. If you want to see all the series in order, start with modern kitchens and classic kitchens, and for flat doors read our guide to handleless kitchens.
11
Frequently asked questions
Which kitchen style suits my home?
The one that fits the space, the light and how you live. Take the 6-question quiz above for a first direction, and at the first appointment we confirm it together on your floor plan.
Modern or classic kitchen? How do I choose?
Start from the home, not from fashion. A modern kitchen usually suits open spaces with clean lines, because it hides everything behind smooth doors. A classic one suits a home with height, windows or features with character, because it shows frames, cornices and glazed units. If you cannot decide, a modern structure with warm materials, such as matt lacquer in an earthy shade and wood, is the most common middle ground. In the showroom you can see both, from the handleless Gentili Time to the Febal Sinfonia and the Gentili Romantica.
Does an island fit in a small kitchen?
Often yes, as long as there is a comfortable aisle around it. When space is short we suggest a peninsula with a snack bar, as in the «E06 Piccola e elegante» composition of Scandola Eclettica. In a small space we prefer light colours, white or light oak.
I am renovating a small kitchen. Which style should I choose?
Usually light colours, white or light oak, and smooth doors that do not cut the space with lines. What finally suits you is decided by the floor plan: where the aisles run, where the oven goes and how much storage you need. Bring us the floor plan and we test two or three layouts before you choose a style.
Can I combine two styles?
Yes, and we often suggest it. The most successful mix is modern lines with warm materials: smooth doors in an earthy shade, wood with visible grain, a stone-textured worktop. We keep one style for the structure and borrow the materials from the other.
What is the difference between a classic and a neoclassical kitchen?
A classic kitchen has framed doors, cornices and glazed units. What we call neoclassical is the most formal version, with relief, capitals and gold or silver patinas, as in Sira Cucine Vittoria or Febal Casa Opera. «Neoclassical» is our own label.
What are a Tuscan and a French farmhouse kitchen?
They are two names we use for two shades of the country kitchen, not series names. Tuscan with ochre, terracotta and stone. French farmhouse with cream and white, more romantic. Of our houses, Scandola Tabià, Callesella Everyday and Sira Cucine Clio fit.
I am renovating. Where do I start?
From the floor plan and from what stays in the house: floors, windows, beams. These often show the style before we do. Bring us the floor plan and a few photos of the space, and we design the kitchen to fit the rest of the home, often together with wardrobes and living.
How much does an Italian kitchen cost in each style?
Style does not set the cost; dimensions, the series, the materials, the worktop and the appliances do. Two kitchens in the same style can differ a lot. What affects the price is explained in our kitchen prices guide, and we give a quote for your kitchen after the appointment and the design.
Can I see them in person?
Yes. In our showroom in Neo Psychiko we have the Gentili Time without handles, a Febal Origina island, the Febal Origina Telaio Legno, the Pedini Quadra 10, the Febal Sinfonia and the Gentili Romantica installed. The other series we present with samples, catalogues and the houses' photographs, on your own design.
Did you get a clear result, or was it split between two styles?
Bring us the images you like and the floor plan of your space. We design the kitchen together with you, and often the whole home. 267 Mesogeion Avenue, Neo Psychiko, Athens, or call us on +30 210 674 8332.
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