The ability to mix and match different fabrics and wood tones benefits traditional design. Design by Gail Drury.

They are not "purist" kitchens, she says, but rather a more eclectic combination of styles that incorporate more detail and ornamentation than the simple clean lines of most modern styles, Drury adds.

The design works best in a room with lots of windows, because if possible the kitchen would likely include a bay window. The focus is on creating warmth and a homey feeling, says Broerman, because you're going to spend a great deal of time in this style of kitchen.

The need to bring the outdoors in to represent this style means the space will include natural materials on the floors, in the cabinetry and with furnishings. You might see marble, brick, stone and even wood on the backsplash, for example, Broerman adds, and other materials and surfaces that give the space a handcrafted look.

If wood in the room is painted, it probably will be whitewashed, with the wood grains showing through.

It's a design that allows you to mix and match the layers of detail, including color and texture, says Broerman, who lives in a Tudor style home, traditionally designed with granite countertops in the kitchen, wood beams on the ceiling and wood columns framing each side of the stove.

Use faucet fixtures and other hardware that have shape and detail. Design by David Stimmel.

How to Get the Look

To create the traditional look, here are a few tips:

• Clear the kitchen space of furniture that has no defined period style or ornamentation, and get rid of contemporary or modern pieces that have simple, straight lines. Replace this with a few period pieces that you love and build a design around those by adding molding and cabinet door trim that fit this particular style. Then mix that with compatible pieces from other periods for an eclectic blend.
  
  
  
• Consider using a pattern when designing the flooring, such as a basket weave or random pattern with wood. If it's stone, such as limestone, the irregular shapes of the natural stone itself can help create a more natural look and feel to the room. Or, mix a darker stone, such as slate, with limestone, in different sizes, and lay them down in an irregular pattern.
  
  
  
• Create a breakfast nook by the bay window with a wooden table and bench seats with chairs on one side or both ends. Look for furnishings with carved legs, columns and turnings.

Try something different when designing the flooring, such as a random pattern with wood or tile. Design by Jackie Glisson.

• Use fabric to bring color into the room. Pick nature scenes for curtains and cushions and mix them with stripes, not geometric shapes or designs, which do not fit well with this style.
  
  
  
• To create focal points wherever you look in the traditional kitchen, have fun with the knobs on cupboards by choosing different designs, shapes and colors for each door panel. Stagger the height of the cabinetry. Mix and match wood stains or paints.
  
  
  
• Avoid streamlined hardware. Choose faucet fixtures and other hardware, such as light fixtures, that have shape and detail.
  
  
  
• If you can afford to leave these out, skip anything made of lacquer, veneer or laminate.