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Many homeowners who are renovating estate kitchens often face the insurmountable task of finding the perfect countertop, cabinet and accessory combinations to match chosen kitchen themes, the estate’s decor and guest and public expectations.

As you work on your next estate kitchen renovation project, we hope to help by giving you some ideas of specific themes. Here are three common themes and popular countertop and cabinet combinations homeowners and designers are using today for you to consider.

COASTAL

The goal with a coastal estate kitchen theme is to open the kitchen so that as the light changes it is brightly lit and airy one moment and stormy the next, like the seaside. Follow suggestion below and you cannot go wrong with this theme.

Create this atmosphere by starting with light-colored butcher block countertops, or natural or engineered stone with straight or single-beveled edges in light sand or pebble designs. Combine it with cabinetry featuring upper standard overlay six to eight panel flat clear glass doors and bottom flat panel vertical groove doors. To top it all off and compliment the entire combination, coat the cabinets in a bright white or light grey laminate. For accessories, use doorknobs and drawer pull crafted in burnished brass or stainless steel.

RUSTIC

With a rustic estate kitchen theme the focus is on open shelving, decorative accenting and rich colors. If you want something rustic, follow the suggestion below and you will be happy.

Create this atmosphere by using stone countertops with decorative beveled or ogee edges. Then combine these with lower open shelves and fronts with recessed center square or arched designs and decorative accessories like crown molding, grape or acanthus appliques, grape or scrolled corbels and fluted fillers.

When choosing accessories, color combinations vary based on lighting and your personal preference. But focus on the lighting in your kitchen whether you have chosen dark or light countertops. Then you can choose either dark cherry stained, or solid white or hand-distressed antique white, blue, black or green painted, cabinetry and colonial, antique or flat black or oil-rubbed bronze hardware.

MODERN

Modern kitchen estate themes can have any countertop and cabinet combinations. The key is to maintain clean, straight lines throughout the hardware, appliance, backsplash and furniture choices. Everything in the kitchen must serve as room accents instead of decorative additions.

Create this modern atmosphere by using a natural or man-made stone in light or dark color with eased edges. Combine it with a dark stained or painted wood cabinetry featuring full overlay slab or flat, single panel shaker upper and lower fronts.

Hardware for this theme should be bright, polished bar-style door and drawer handles in stainless steel or satin nickel. Island bars can be enhanced with a waterfall edged design which carries the counter material down one or both sides of the lower cabinetry.

Whatever theme you choose, remember that choosing your accessories is as important as choosing your cabinetry and your countertops. Each piece adds to the atmosphere and lighting of the kitchen.