What is Urban Contemporary Style?

 For the last 20 years, "Contemporary" has typically been described as an emphasis on architectural shapes, with strong lineal interest created by blocks of space defined by the connected cabinet elements. Unadorned, structural materials are often featured (think of a New York City loft with its over sized windows and brick walls). Today's Urban Contemporary continues to have a sleek, simple architectural basis for this design.

Cabinetry/Millwork: Oak, teak, birch maple. Most popular woods are appropriate. Straight grains prevail. In many of these rooms the cabinetry doors are not wood at all, but rather stainless steel, acrylic/polyester in gloss or matte finishes or painted surfaces. Although most of the doors are slab doors, narrowly dimensioned stile-and-rail doors are appropriate. Aluminum frame doors that feature frosted, ribbed or other patterned glass accent many of the designs.

Hardware: Typically chrome, stainless steel or nickel. Polished or brass is appropriate.

Countertops: Stainless steel, concrete and natural stone are a great choice.

Colors: The only limiting factor is the designer's imagination. European designers often use large blocks of cabinetry in vibrant primary colors: blue, orange, red, lime green. Neutral colors in blacks and whiles, blue-based gray or yellow "taupe" grays are extremely popular. Stainless steel is a key accent material which "reads" gray as far as color addition. An emerging popular color is a dark black-brown used on open-grained woods such as oak or ash.

Surfaces:

• Floors: In eclectic settings, the floor could be a worn wide plank pine floor or a unique Wenge, dark floor. Alternatively, the floor could be almost a bleached, narrow plank maple flooring. Vinyl floors are a possibility, as is a concrete or cork flooring.
• Walls: Typically painted simple colors. Brick is an appropriate materials installed in 3"x6" or 4"x8" in a running bond pattern.
• Ceilings: Simple painted ceilings enhanced, once again, by open beams, skylights or other architectural elements within the room.
• Accents: The resurgence of interest in Retro furniture from Mid-Century industrial designers is appropriate.  Combining commercial -type cooking equipment or storage racks (open stainless steel racks)works well-as do functional carts. Curvilinear, soft naturalistic wood furniture in chairs and tables works as well.