The kitchen is the heart of the home and a space where we cook and enjoy food while socialising with friends and family. In this blog we explore five stunning trends that are taking the interior design world by storm!
Worktops
Gone are the days of laminate and dull worktops in our kitchens. This trend started to gain traction in 2016 and has soared through this year. Previously quartz for example was seen as an unnecessary luxury and even perhaps out of the price range of the average household, but the development of composite surfaces is opening the possibility of natural stone as an option for many kitchens. The upgrade from laminate to natural stone can easily increase the grandeur of the room for a relatively modest price increase.
Dark hardwood Floors
There’s a lot going for hardwood floors! Not only do they look amazing, hardwood floors are also much more resistant to spills and stains. Obviously, hardwood floors do get scraped, scratched, scuffed, dented and damaged, but this type of flooring can most often simply be sanded, smoothed and refinished. It is rarely necessary to replace a wood floor. The current “hygge” trend also recommends white or otherwise light coloured cabinets, and they look striking against a darker background.
Clever storage solutions
To reveal or to conceal, that is the question. In the past it may have been a case of striking a fragile balance between the two, resulting in a smorgasbord of storage ideas that could whip even the most disorganised of kitchens into shape. Now the mixture between these two trends seems to have ended up in a happy marriage with best of both worlds. If you’re struggling for space – store upwards! If you don’t want the toaster and coffee maker cluttering your worktops, consider a breakfast cabinet. Open shelves instead of cupboards give the kitchen a lived-in and living feel. Or consider hiding your cupboard doors into the design of your kitchen. The possibilities are really endless.
More technology
Technology is rapidly developing in the contemporary home and the kitchen is no exception! You can already turn your oven on or off remotely with an app on your phone, set timers and check on your appliances electricity consumption while you’re at it! Going forward there will be even more of a focus on appliances such as integrated speakers with Bluetooth functionality, colour changing lights and even pop up sockets for phone charging, giving traditional kitchens a subtle, modern twist.
Think appliances, think cookers
A recent survey saw the range cooker come out on top as the one appliance respondents don't already have but would want in their dream kitchen. And no wonder! The cooker is the heart of the kitchen in the same way the kitchen is the heart of the home. The kitchen a space with strong emotional bonds as we tend to associate it with not only enjoying and cooking delicious meals, but more so spending quality time with friends and family. This is where new and modern appliances, like range cookers for example, can add a whole new dynamic to the home, encouraging cooking as a family or with friends and making meal times that much more enjoyable.
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