Five new kitchen design trends

We’re no different. There’s a multitude of resources online showcasing trends of all kinds and although some make us raise our eyebrows, there are many great ideas that we find by researching online and in magazines.

We have some favourite resources too - Elle Décor is a brilliant publication and if you’re looking for clean lines and well-thought through designs, there’s no better place to start to get your creative juices flowing. We also enjoy Country Living, Homes and Gardens and Ideal Home. 

There’s also the Ideal Home Show, which is an excellent place to browse all sorts of ideas and styles, before coming home to plan your own kitchen. 

We’ve pulled together some of our favourite features with our own thoughts on what is going to be popular this year.

Several designers are tipping more kitchens with open shelves and it’s certainly something we’re seeing more demand for. The flexibility this gives, the easy access to regularly used ingredients and accessories, and the impression of space that open shelves provides, means that clients with large and small kitchens alike choose this as a finishing touch to make their kitchen feel more complete.

There’s been quite a trend for greys and muted colours over the last few years but we’re starting to see people seeking out a feature wall for their kitchens, perhaps behind their hob or opposite their island. It can take a little bit of courage to step out and choose a brighter splash of courage, perhaps a mustard yellow with an overall pale grey kitchen, but so many clients are glad they did.

Marble is ever-popular although it’s taken a backseat to granite over the last decade but we believe – and the design pundits agree – that marble is about to reassert itself and take pride of place in more and more kitchens. It’s a material that can make a real statement or just be part of the furniture. It’s probably why we love it so much.

For an ultra-contemporary luxury kitchen design, the move towards mixing industrial metals and beautifully crafted wood is certainly going to take a dramatic step forward this year and beyond. With clients looking to reuse and repurpose materials or seeking the most aesthetically pleasing rooms with a more sensory appeal, combining metals like copper or stainless steel, with oak or ash cabinets, is a trend we adore.

Many of us remember the pantries our parents or grandparents had – cupboards stocked with store cupboard essentials and where tins would linger for emergency use (sometimes for years). Thankfully today’s pantry is a thing of beauty, whether it’s built into an existing alcove or space, or as a standalone larder, and can be used to store staples or luxuries, bulk purchases or crockery – the choice is yours. They’re certainly a highly desirable and functional element of any kitchen and clients are usually thrilled when we can build them something unique that suits the shape and style of the space they have available.