The California style in areas as neuralgic of the home as the kitchen only confirms one thing: this is the heart of the house. While trends set a pattern from time to time, it seems that all this confinement has led many designers and architects to rethink the importance of this space and the true meaning of comfort in it.

Thus, the California style in the kitchen makes it clear that this is the place that radiates a feeling of relaxation and harmony to the rest of the home.  Just look at the use of color, the elements and details it incorporates, to understand this style and let yourself be carried away in a wave of calm and wellbeing.

This style is characterized by the freshness, lightheartedness and eclectic touch of its color combinations, and textures that are inclined to perpetuate the warmth of the summer at home. The Californian trend, also known as beach style, seems to want to replace both to the asceticism of the Nordic style -also very fashionable- and the sophisticated and overloaded aesthetics of the vintage style.

Beach people

As soon as we see a kitchen decorated with this new taste for the bright, the cosmopolitan and the cheerful, we can hear the Beach Boys in our head as a soundtrack, because this style is able to give a fun and relaxed air to this space of the home where alchemy takes place.

The trend that takes as inspiration the style of the beach houses of Malibu and Santa Barbara (the Californian coast) allows everything from the luxury of the summer residences of the rich and famous to the modesty of family-owned cabins by the Pacific. However, a common point in both is certainly the simplicity.

This means that while the Californian style is not over the top, it doesn’t have to be minimalist either. As we said before, the details in it are important. But, don’t get us wrong, this style has nothing to do with the incorporation of marine elements (anchors, sailboats, seashells, etc.) into the kitchen.

This has everything to do with a special color palette full of different shades and the mixture of prints and youthful styles. In other words, we’re talking about a casual, and somewhat irreverent aesthetic. The idea is to recreate the way of life and the emotions associated with the summer and the period of vacations.

The must do of this style

The California style promotes spacious kitchens, with natural lighting and large windows that allow the air to circulate and cool the atmosphere. The color palette is essentially filled with white-based tones as it seeks to create a sense of clarity and open space.

All of the above can be combined with:

• A mix of colors. Touches of vibrant colors mostly of the citrus family (lemon/lime green, yellow and orange) and warm tones that refer to the sun and sunset during the summer. These shades are combined with cooler colors, but in shades oriented towards the blues representing the sea.
• Some licenses. This style can be between the classic and the eclectic, so it supports vintage details (from the 50s and 60s), along with objects reminiscent of surfing, a relaxed life, and the beach, but without exaggerating.  Worn leather benches, vases, and pewter silver can also be used to recreate this light-hearted and even rebellious style.
• Woods (countertops, floors, chairs, and ornaments) are basic in this decorative style.
• Boho chic prints (through tapestries, and decoration in general).
• Tropical touches. These are present through small details such as plants or chairs, and the idea behind it is to be immediately transported to a tropical resort and imagine that you are on vacation as soon as you see these details.

Obviously, not all elements should be present to turn your kitchen into an example of this style. Customization is essential when it comes to this style. There’s a bit of neurodesign hidden in the Californian style if we consider that its motto is to generate sensations and a relaxed atmosphere when you prepare those delicious dishes for your partner, friends, or family.