Kitchen Trends According to the Experts
Redesigning a kitchen can be a very costly and time-consuming process, but every so often, the heart of the home deserves a little refresh. Whether it be a full revamp, or a trend update which includes a selection of new home accessories and kitchenware, there are plenty of ways to infuse a new lease of life into your kitchen.
We've taken a look at some of the interior design trends that this year has in store, so it’s only fair for us to delve a little deeper and deliver some expert advice on kitchen trends too.
From classic and contemporary to dark coloured cabinets and even a nod towards eco-living, take a look at and be inspired by the kitchen trends our experts predict will be hitting the kitchen scene...
Regina Sturrock Design Inc.
A layered and unfitted appeal in kitchen design will be what resonates this year. This is a study in volumes, textures, and eclecticism. A most certain confidence and chic quality is revealed in deeper palettes such as obsidian black, plum, and green as we take a departure from the ‘all-white’ scene. Natural stone and, in particular, beautifully-veined quartzite is given every opportunity to shine within larger expanses. With freedom from upper cabinetry, open shelving will take on an elevated status through character patinas, highly-crafted brass fittings and creative illumination.
Helen Reeks, Tom Howley
More and more, we are seeing requests for statement island counters. The island counter is an integral part of approximately 80% of our clients’ kitchens, but our discerning market is becoming much more imaginative and explorative with colour when it comes to cabinetry. Many opt for neutral surfaces, pantries and wall cabinets, which they pair with a brave tone such as a deep blue on the island counter. This gives the kitchen a more contemporary feel, without overpowering the whole space. This is set to be a popular kitchen trend for this year: a classic and simple statement, letting homeowners express themselves through intelligent use of colour.
Jennifer Woch, House of J
This is the year to break away from your mum’s kitchen! We will see more kitchens designed with open shelving in place of traditional, upper cabinets. We will see streamlined ultra-functional pantries, designated coffee, juice bar and smoothie areas. We could also see the introduction of built-in composting and urban cultivators designed into kitchen layouts so we can grow our own vegetables in the heart of the home.
Matt Prall, Papilio Bespoke Kitchens
With consumers more mindful about the use of materials, we’re likely to see an increase in the use of characterful veneers such as Pippy Elm & Walnut for 2018. These materials add texture and intrigue to the kitchen and when working in a bespoke manner can be used for everything from statement wall veneers to unique cabinetry and shelving. The use of high-quality wood to create statement rooms is going to be big!
With this trend in mind, we designed an oak kitchen and breakfast room for an impressive Georgian manor house. Whilst most of the kitchen is finished in an oak veneer with crisp clean lines and beautiful textures, the sink run is finished in an opulent Calacatta Oro marble which we sourced directly from Italy. The overall appearance is quite show-stopping with the grains of the wood and natural materials taking centre stage.
Adornas Kitchens
The return of wood kitchens. In recent years we fell out of love with wood kitchens in favour of shiny gloss doors, however, wood is set to make a huge comeback. Forget oak shaker, this time around, it’s all about flat panel doors with masses of texture. Think reclaimed oak, textured directional grains and lime washes. This handle-less family kitchen shows that wood can be both modern and homely. It is the perfect backdrop for colour and pattern, without being overpowering. The striking grain on the simple doors adds a luxurious, European feel to an otherwise minimalistic design.
Diane Berry Kitchens LTD
A big trend on its way is hiding ovens in kitchens, this has many benefits; it is streamlined and helps take away the look of a kitchen making it more like a bar or furniture, creating a different appearance when the kitchen isn’t being used for cooking. It also means the kitchen is future proofed, as ovens are evolving and the colour clock and handles (or lack of) means you can date a kitchen by the oven, hiding it makes the kitchen timeless. Then there’s how clean is your oven – it’s hidden away so no fingerprints to think of or greasy drips, just close the door and deal with it when you feel like it. The kitchen pictured above won a national design award and features concealed ovens and a hidden unit for a toaster and Nespresso machine too. This kitchen is made of ceramic with a metallic finish, blended with copper which disguises any fingers prints – another trend for an easy life in the kitchen.
Conrad Hendrick, The LWK Kitchen Company
I am seeing more clients adopting the use of more traditional Crittall windows in our kitchen refurbishment projects, bringing in some historical connections to the period property but allowing us to sympathetically layout a modern kitchen in this same space. The tall doors open up the space and throw light from floor to ceiling creating a bright open platform for the kitchen to contrast and highlight its surroundings.
Conrad Hendrick, The LWK Kitchen Company
Laura Gompertz Interiors
I believe people are moving on from the trend for grey kitchens which has been so prevalent recently. They are not abandoning it, but are developing the palette in fresh new ways. Take this statement blue island in the middle of a family kitchen. This lively colour contrast brings character and focus to the room. People are looking for a bit more fun, but taken as a whole the kitchen is still sophisticated and stylish.
Jane Stewart, Mowlem & Co
Glamour is making a comeback to the kitchen, but with a considered touch of warmth, earthiness and sophistication. The disenchantment with all that is austere can be seen clearly in design trends, and thus a judicious touch of opulence makes a welcome return to the heart of the home. Rather than overly decorative, however, these looks subtly adopt the fascination to be found in natural materials and burnished metals, or the luminous charm of modernized Shaker, or the counterpoint of glossy, sculptural finishes with limed woodgrains. Some of our favoured materials are highly veined stones with an exotic feel, copper and brass finishes in sinks, taps and accessories and distressed silver or gold leaf splashbacks. In terms of equipment, vacuum drawers for sous-vide cooking are popular, of the kind made by Miele.
Britannia Living
Known as the heart of the home, the kitchen is where we all gather and so it makes sense that this year is all about putting a personal stamp on your cooking hub. Open shelving will dominate, where homeowners can add accessories, food items, jars, and greenery to showcase their personality through the kitchen.
It also gives people the chance to open up their kitchen by hanging and showcasing specific pieces of kitchen equipment. Think brass and copper utensils, which add a modern yet classic feel to the room.
Kitchen Co-ordination
Over the last few years the trend was white kitchens, and although this gives a wonderful open effect, it seems that clients are getting braver with their colour choices. Kitchen Co-Ordination has installed quite a few deep blue kitchens and the contrast with a lighter worksurface is so striking.
The units in this kitchen are Rational Casa in Deep Blue, with Corian worksurface and down-legs on the island. As a designer, it is so interesting to see clients make bold statements with colour as the end result is really striking.
Smallbone of Devizes
This year we anticipate a focus on materials from the natural world. Imperfections, grains and natural patterns are welcome as kitchen brands embrace the use of materials left as nature intended. Whether it’s through marble, wood or stone, we anticipate kitchens with character will be a leading trend.
Helen Munro, Finch London
We think the next big trend is going to be centred around healthy living, with a focus on using more eco-friendly and renewable materials in interesting ways. One way could be removing chemicals from the home and using natural cleaning products and essential oils instead. Also, we think we will see lots more people incorporating plants and herbs into the scheme to keep the air clean and food tasting great!
Joel LaRosa Design
The kitchen is forever evolving into a reflection of our individual styles and cabinet handles are now becoming much more of a feature. This year I predict people moving away from standard stainless-steel handles and making bolder choices by choosing polished brass, antique bronze, matt black or even leather!
Nick Covell, Hehku
At Hehku, we still find there is a great demand from our clients for open plan living and requests to incorporate cooking into a centralized area, be it part of an island or a peninsula design.
The extraction systems required for large open plan areas need to be powerful enough to prevent cooking smells spreading throughout the home. Previously, these hoods have been either stainless steel boxes that look like they have been borrowed from an episode of Kitchen Nightmares or worse, a prop from a science fiction movie with no real explanation of why or how it integrates with the rest of your interior design.
We predict we will be asked to combine our kitchen design much more closely with the rest of the open plan area. Matching materials from floors, ceilings and walls, woods, colours and tiles.
These pendant lights (pictured) are also powerful extractors which bring the interior design and the practical elements of open plan living together in a single solution. We expect to see many more designs like this.
With these fabulous kitchen trend predictions, it looks sure to be a groundbreaking year for kitchen interior design. We hope you’ve found plenty of home inspiration and new ways to update your kitchen.