Hamptons Kitchen Design Ideas: 10 Must-Have Inclusions for the Hub of the Home

Updated for 2021. Today we’re discussing the best Hamptons kitchen design ideas to make this zone of your home an absolute style win. Because let’s be honest; I know so many of you are struggling with locking in decisions around fittings, fixtures and colours and it’s probably driving you bonkers.

You’re feeling a little overwhelmed, right? I get it. It can be hard to settle on your version of a Hamptons kitchen. Do you go classic? Do you go modern? How do you blend the two? There are so many questions you’re probably not getting the answers to. And trying to figure it out on your own can be tough. Thankfully you’re not alone, and I’m going to make it all very easy to understand.

The best Hamptons kitchens blend old and new, let’s start there. They give a nod to all of the traditional Hamptons elements, but they turn up the modernity. They feel contemporary and yet classic, all at the same time. And I tend to think that’s the mark of any good room design; that seamless blend. So that’s what we’ll keep in mind as we go through my Hamptons kitchen tips: the blend.

Btw, I should point out (because I know you’ll ask) that the hero image above is from my friends at Metricon. You can tour more of it and the whole home it sits in here. But for now, let’s take a look out the top 10 Hamptons kitchen design ideas you should include in your reno.

1. White and Grey Colour Palette

The colour palette is really important. It’s the starting point in getting your Hamptons kitchen design right. A lot of people go all-white here, but the space will really benefit from some contrast. Consider painting the walls in the room a soft grey.

Having that tone as your foundation will allow the crisp white cabinetry to pop. If the walls were white and the cabinetry was white, it would be less impactful. And a Hamptons kitchen needs impact.

You’ll notice in the Metricon Bayville kitchen above, that the walls are a soft grey (Dulux Powdered Rock for those of you playing at home). It really allows the white tones to contrast beautifully. 

If you want to keep the walls white, introduce soft grey in other areas, like in the veined marble of your countertop, or consider having your lower cabinets in a soft grey and your uppers in white.

Related: Top 10 Kitchen Design Trends for 2021. Does your Kitchen have them?

2. Shaker Cabinet Fronts

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Hamptons kitchen without shaker cabinets. When I say shaker, I mean the profile on the front of the cupboard doors. You can see it in the image above.

There are a few options here in terms of thickness of the outer rail on the door, but your cabinet maker will be able to talk you through the design options. Standard thickness of the outer rail is 60mm, but you can go thicker. 

You want your cabinets to be painted white or soft grey. I’ve seen cabinetry painted in blues before, but I don’t feel they are as successful. If you’re looking for that classic, sophisticated Hamptons vibe, I’d stick to white or soft grey (or as already stated, a combination of the two).

The cabinets should be painted in a satin finish, not high gloss. It’s also a nice idea to have some upper cabinets with a glass front. It gives the kitchen a high-end feel.

Looking to take your Hamptons kitchen design ideas in a DIY, flatpack direction? Take a look at Flatpack Kitchens shaker range here.

3. Black or Chrome Handles

This is the decision I find so many people struggle with. Do you install chrome handles on your door fronts, or go for matte black?

The question to ask yourself is what vibe you’re going for: something more traditional, or something more modern? The chrome is more classic, while the black is far more contemporary.

Once you have colour worked out, you need to land on what shape handle you’ll install. A common approach (and one I recommend) is to do small round knobs on your upper cabinets, and a D-shape or pull handles on lowers. Cup pulls are also commonly seen in Hamptons kitchens, but I find them to be quite outdated. But it all comes down to personal taste.

I would steer clear of brass handles in a Hamptons kitchen design. I know some people do it, but honestly it’s taking it away from Hamptons and into another design aesthetic. Resist your urges!

4. A Curved Mixer/Tap

Tapware is also important in a Hamptons style kitchen. I’ll stress again that we’re blending old and new here. So while we’re retaining classic features like the shaker cabinets, the tapware is free to go in a more modern direction if you want it to. This means you can avoid ornate tapware if you wish and head toward something more streamlined. In fact, I recommend doing this.

Above the team at Metricon have installed matt black tapware in this otherwise classic kitchen, and it really brings it into the now. They’ve matched it to the cabinetry handles as well, which is an approach you should adopt. To have the tapware in one colour and the handles in another would be an odd choice and best avoided.

Local brand Meir do great tapware in this style if you need.

5. A Deep Sink

It aint a Hamptons kitchen if it don’t have a gasp-worthy sink. And to ensure you get yours right, veer toward a deep butlers option if the budget allows. This style of sink has a real presence in the kitchen and like a few of the other elements, brings a sense of casual elegance to the room. Ensure it’s white, of course. The butlers sinks are made from ceramic so they feel incredibly chic.

This style of sink in a Hamptons kitchen design is a winner because it’ll provide a nice sense of contrast to the black tapware if you’ve chosen to go with this option. Even IKEA does affordable butler’s sinks if you’re after a budget option.

If you don’t want the ceramic overhang vibes, by all means go for an inset sink. Just make sure it’s a double sink to give that sense of grandeur, and ensure it’s quite deep.

6. Marble Benchtops

Marble Benchtops are absolutely necessary. I don’t think I’ve seen a Hamptons style kitchen without one. And I don’t mean it has to be actual marble if your budget won’t stretch that far.

A Caesarstone option like the Calacatta Nuvo above works well, but you can also use Calacatta Gold, which despite the name only gives off a slightly aged gold appearance in some of the veining (it’s really quite subdued, don’t worry). 

The focus here is on the vein and the width. You do want it to be thick in appearance. The thicker it is, the more high-end your Hamptons kitchen design will look overall. If you’re ever in doubt, go for more vein than less.

There’s nothing worse than investing in a material like this only to realise there’s no wow-factor in the countertop once it’s installed. More is more and less is a bore.

7. Statement Pendant Lights

Now, this is where you get to tap into a little bit of the traditional: choosing a pendant style. And it’s fair to say the approach here is a little more restrained. You might have gone for some more contemporary elements in kitchen handles, for example, but it’s nice to keep the pendant lights fairly classic. That’s not to say they need to feel old-school, just a nod to that vibe.

In terms of the amount of pendants, it’s quite common to feature three of the same pendant running across the top of your kitchen counter. I always look to some black metallic lights with some glass included, but you don’t have to go down that path. The option below in the Metricon Bayville kitchen, for example, takes things in a completely different direction but it works really well.

Both the The Lighting Collective and Montauk Lighting Co have some great Hamptons pendant light options if you need. The ones below are from Montauk. Of course, somewhere like Beacon will have budget-friendly options.

Related: What Height to Hang Pendant Lights in Every Room.

8. Dark Floorboards

A great kitchen has contrast. You have a tonne of white cabinets going on in your Hamptons style space. But to have a light floor (or white floor) would make things feel less impressive. To provide balance, you want a dark foundation underfoot. A deep walnut tone is my preferred option. 

Now, you might be doing a kitchen reno and sadly the light flooring has to stay. Fair call. And to be honest, it’s not an absolute deal breaker. An oak floor can still look good in a Hamptons kitchen, it just may not exude that sense of luxury that a dark floor will. So fear not, your Hamptons kitchen design can still look stunning.

And if you need to get some inspiration, I recommend checking out Carpet Court’s range and this one is my fave. A nice wide plank of almost 300mm is nice.

9. A Striking Splashback

Now this one is truly a ‘choose your own adventure’ scenario. Out of the 10 Hamptons kitchen design ideas here, this one is a decision your heart will be drawn to when it sees is. There are some guidelines though.

My top recommendation, and one I tell most of my design clients to go with, is to carry the stone that’s on your countertop up the wall so it too becomes your splashback. It’s a really nice, subdued approach that leaves the kitchen not feeling too visually chaotic. 

The other option, of course, is to investigate tiles. A marble mosaic tile is always a nice idea, as is a slightly glossy textured tile in a herringbone or brick stack pattern. Just ensure your grout colour is kept light. Gone are the days of bright white tiles (subway, for example) paired with dark grey or black grout. It’s too visually impactful and takes the kitchen in an outdated direction.

If you’re going more dramatic with tiles, keep other elements in the space (like lighting and decorative accents) more subdued.

10. Finishing Touches

My fave part of any room is bringing in the finishing touches. A Hamptons style kitchen needs lots of decorative love too, so don’t be afraid to run wild.

A kitchen is a hard zone (so many cold surfaces) so it’ll really benefit from warm materials. Think timber trays and wooden stools, but also bring in deep sea blue tones in through vases and bowls.

I have a few posts relating to this topic that’ll help you:

• Best stores to shop for Hamptons decor at (in-person and online)
• Our fave kitchen stool options and where to buy them from
• Top kitchen countertop styling ideas to make spaces shine

I’m positive once you’ve given those articles a read you’ll be a kitchen styling pro in no time!

Don’t be Leaving Yet: Explore a Hamptons Bathroom!

If you’re keen to explore more Hamptons rooms for design inspo, check out this Hamptons Bathroom.

If you’re struggling to put together a Hamptons style kitchen, fear not. Just drop me a comment below and I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction.

Also drop me a comment if there are some awesome suppliers you used when shopping for your Hamptons kitchen design. I’d love to know about them!

Happy decorating.

This post includes images and/or videos of Metricon display homes and events, reproduced with permission.
© Metricon Homes Pty Ltd 2021.