It is easy to keep a kitchen in neoclassical style because, in reality, that style does not exist. It is simply a sensible adaptation of traditional style to modern materials, furniture, and appliances, with an emphasis on practicality.

We will quickly go through the design details and then look at many attractive photos in different colors.

Neoclassical Kitchen Interior

Modern classic kitchens, in the sense used here, resemble American transitional interiors, but in a heavily adapted form.

gray kitchen in neoclassical style up to the ceiling

Furniture and Accessories

The main points:

  1. Matte fronts with routed details are the foundation of neoclassical style in a kitchen. Remove the routed details and the interior becomes simply modern. Gloss is difficult to fit in, so it is better not to risk it.
  2. Current built-in appliances without vintage imitation. There is more choice, the price is lower, and they look natural. There is no point pretending they are traditional.
  3. Upper cabinets up to the ceiling. Making cabinets up to the ceiling is already standard. In neoclassical style, you can do this with additional stacked sections, glass doors like a hutch (I do not recommend it), or simply by lowering the ceiling over the cabinets. This also hides the range hood duct.
  4. Every cabinet layout works for neoclassical style: L-shaped, U-shaped, or straight. It makes no difference. But do not put the sink in the corner. It looks like the 1990s.
  5. Light colors and furniture that looks built in and solid – get rid of dark corners. This is another way to create a cozy feeling through cleanliness instead of a bunch of “cute” accessories.
  6. A natural- or engineered-stone countertop (expensive). If you want to save money without losing the result, use wood-look laminate. Also read about a Scandinavian kitchen and a white kitchen with wood countertops (yes, it has a separate article because this is the best combination).
  7. Cabinet and door handles, the faucet, light fixtures, chairs, and table can all be either modern or lightly traditional. They cost the same. This doubles the range you can choose from – that is the trick of a neoclassical kitchen.
  8. Use solid-color modern curtains. No valances or anything else like that. Roman shades are fine. More detail on choosing kitchen curtains, and separately if there is a patio door.

I strongly recommend reading my articles:

  1. How to choose and equip kitchen cabinets – which hardware is worth paying extra for, which should be the cheapest, how to choose cabinetmakers, and so on.
  2. Small kitchen design – relevant to everyone because it has all the ideas for maximizing practicality.

If you like brighter and less strict interiors, look at the article with a bunch of photos of Provence-style kitchens. They have a lot in common.

Finishes

Backsplash for a Neoclassical Kitchen

Good options:

  1. White subway tile (white bricks)
  2. Marble-look tile
  3. The same material as the countertop (inexpensive with laminate, expensive with stone)
  4. Solid-color glass (without a photo behind it)
  5. Large stone-look tile
white subway tile on the kitchen backsplash in neoclassical style white glossy brick tiles on the kitchen backsplash in neoclassical style glass backsplash in a neoclassical kitchen interior kitchen backsplash in neoclassical style made of gray particleboard

I do not recommend:

  1. Small square tile and mosaics. They look good from a design point of view, but there are many grout lines. Grout is not durable enough for a backsplash. The less of it, the better.
  2. Patterns and patchwork. Neoclassical style is still strict and solid, while a bright backsplash draws a lot of attention.
Small square tile diagonally on the kitchen backsplash in a neoclassical style small tile on the kitchen backsplash blue kitchen backsplash with mosaic in neoclassical style tile with pattern on kitchen backsplash in neoclassical style

There is a separate article about kitchen backsplashes with more than 100 photos.

Floor

Tile of any type works for the floor of a neoclassical kitchen as long as the color range is natural and the shade is light. In other words, it cannot be bright or dark. A subtle pattern or an offset decorative layout is possible, although I do not recommend either one.

square tile with offset decor on the kitchen floor in a modern classic style tile with pattern on kitchen floor in neoclassical style parquet and tile junction on kitchen floor in neoclassical style

Use beveled laminate in light, muted colors without a strong undertone – neutral rather than warm or cool. This is important. Dark laminate or anything that turns orange, yellow, or brown is guaranteed not to fit. If you want a wood-look floor and countertop, choose either a contrast (a white or gray floor) or a very close match. Anything in between is bad.

White laminate flooring in the interior of a kitchen in a neoclassical style laminate for kitchen in neoclassical style Combination of different wood in the kitchen interior countertop and wood-look floor in a neoclassical kitchen dark tile on the kitchen floor in a neoclassical style dark brown floor in a neoclassical style kitchen

Match the baseboard to the interior doors.

Read about choosing kitchen flooring. It also covers joints and transitions.

Walls

Everyone likes real interior photos of homes with white painted walls, but when it is time to do it themselves, people are afraid for some reason and think it will be boring or “like a hospital.” Do not be afraid. It will not. This is the standard option in a neoclassical kitchen. It is not an accent, so people do not consciously notice it when looking at photos. You should notice it.

White painted walls in the neoclassical style kitchen White walls in the neoclassical style kitchen dusty blue kitchen cabinets and white walls in a neoclassical style

Use decorative plaster and stone as accents, but not on every wall. Try to light them.

Use paintable wallpaper in light colors or monochrome accent wallpaper on 1 wall. More on kitchen wallpaper.

Photo murals and frescoes are a very risky option, but sometimes they work.

frescos in the interior of a kitchen in a modern classic style

Ceiling

I support single-level matte white ceilings when we are talking about an ordinary apartment. If the kitchen is combined with the living room, you can make it more complicated.

simple white matte ceiling in the neoclassical style kitchen-dining room

The standard is a dropped section above the upper cabinets so there is no gap between them and the ceiling. Crown molding is also used in a neoclassical kitchen. If you have a lot of money, you can add a second level and decorative molding, without going overboard. Although if the budget is not unlimited, there are more rational ways to spend money during a renovation.

ceiling with molding and lighting in a neoclassical style kitchen-living room

3 Colors for a Neoclassical Kitchen

Most styles are built on a simple principle:

The main area and all the finishes are done in neutral, usually light colors (white and light gray).

Two-color combinations are used in small amounts as accents.

This is the most common option. I covered it and the other options, as well as the main rule, in my best article about interior color combinations (I really recommend reading it).

A neoclassical kitchen is built on a less common principle. It is either a monochrome interior in pastel colors or exactly 1 additional color and its shades.

1. White

White, beige, and ivory are the most common choices for both furniture and finishes in a neoclassical kitchen. This choice is completely justified, although without photos of real interiors, it would be difficult to argue that it has a right to exist (many people demand something bright).

Beige kitchen-living room in neoclassical style White kitchen in neoclassical style with black decorative stone White kitchen in neoclassical style with beige finish White kitchen in neoclassical style with loft elements White kitchen in neoclassical style with vintage oven Large white kitchen in neoclassical style Large kitchen in neoclassical style with a column for appliances Large corner kitchen in neoclassical style with high ceilings kitchen in neoclassical style in white tones kitchen in neoclassical style in a private home silver and white neoclassical kitchen chessboard-colored neoclassical kitchen modern classic kitchen combined with balcony neoclassical kitchen in light tones ivory colored kitchen in neoclassical style kitchen lighting in neoclassical style simple kitchen design in neoclassical style combination of matte and glossy white in neoclassical style kitchen corner white kitchen with a window in neoclassical style corner kitchen in neoclassical style with sink by the window

2. Gray

If I were making a neoclassical kitchen for myself, I would choose matte gray cabinets. Subjectively, I would choose graphite, as in the photos:

Graphite-colored kitchen in a modern classic style Graphite-colored kitchen with transparent upper cabinets in a neoclassical style U-shaped gray kitchen in neoclassical style A gray-blue kitchen in a neoclassical style with an island

But absolutely every shade of gray works. There are no rules here, although the lighter it is, the more practical it is. If you like this version, go for it. It is cool.

White and gray kitchen in neoclassical style kitchen in neoclassical style with corner upper cabinet kitchen in neoclassical style combined with balcony combined kitchen and balcony in neoclassical style linear gray kitchen in neoclassical style light gray kitchen in neoclassical style with bar counter light gray linear kitchen in neoclassical style gray kitchen in neoclassical style up to the ceiling a gray kitchen up to the ceiling in neoclassical style gray kitchen-dining room in neoclassical style Gray-blue kitchen in neoclassical style with a buffet A gray-blue kitchen in a neoclassical style with a chandelier A light gray-blue kitchen in a neoclassical style Gray-brown kitchen in neoclassic style corner gray kitchen in neoclassical style in tiny apartment

An article about kitchens in gray tones.

3. Blue

Blue for a neoclassical kitchen is heavily diluted with white or gray, and then it works perfectly. In other words, it is more accurate to call it dusty blue or pale blue.

white and blue neoclassical kitchen Light blue kitchen in neoclassical style light blue kitchen in neoclassical style without upper cabinets Dusty blue kitchen cabinets in neoclassical style small light blue kitchen in neoclassical style Light turquoise kitchen in neoclassical style light blue kitchen in neoclassical style blue bottom white top to ceiling in neoclassical style kitchen blue lower white upper kitchen in neoclassical style blue kitchen in neoclassical style blue kitchen-living room in neoclassical style dark blue kitchen in neoclassical style dark blue corner kitchen in neoclassical style corner white-light blue kitchen in neoclassical style corner blue and white kitchen in neoclassical style

If the cabinets are blue, you can echo them with furniture or curtains, but you do not have to. In a muted version, the color is quite self-sufficient.

Other Colors for Modern Classic Style

Any cool color and some warm ones can be used in a neoclassical kitchen, again in dusty and pale shades.

The less saturated the color, the more area you can use it on. Every pastel has a right to exist: olive, pistachio, cappuccino, and so on.

White kitchen in neoclassical style with milk-colored walls Turquoise kitchen in neoclassical style buttermilk kitchen in neoclassical style milk-colored kitchen in neoclassical style light brown kitchen in modern classic style

I collected many examples with unusual colors in the article about kitchen design.

You have probably already noticed that the main idea of neoclassical style in a kitchen is variety. You can choose from all modern finishing materials and decor and a significant share of traditional ones.

The main thing is not to lose your head and start overdoing it. If you have a 100-square-foot kitchen, or better yet 110 square feet or more (in the article about a 130-square-foot kitchen, I called this the best style), you can safely choose it. Combine calm, solid things and get a predictably stylish interior. Also read my article about traditional kitchen design, and good luck with your renovation!