Pick a Colour!
Soft beiges, utilitarian whites and pale Scandi tones begone! The kitchen designers of the world are relishing newfound colour freedom and they’re bringing bright ideas to a kitchen near you. Be brave and start with strong central colour for cabinets and balance with other components. Key palettes include forest green cabinetry matched with marble surfaces and antique brass hardware; French blues with marble tops and black hardware, or burnt yellows with wood and black.
Black is Black!
Black is dominant in both senses of the word! Matt black appears throughout many kitchens, with strong use of the colour in hardware – taps and basins included. The brave may include black or graphite colouring in cabinets and appliances or in a large slab of black granite.
Set in Stone
Make that piece of granite or marble a feature of the kitchen, not just a surface to wipe down. It’s been an emerging trend for a few years now, but that big piece of characterful, (ideally natural) stone brings personality, warmth and a definite link with nature to the modern kitchen. Use it on the island and maybe also on an oversized splashback to double the impact. Wood and stone were made to work together so use wood to contrast and soften the feature.
Natural Brass, Rose Gold, Pewter and Gunmetal Hardware
It’s out with the new and in with the old as the trend for authentic materials takes hold. Shiny, easy-care chromed taps take the back seat in the modern kitchen, replaced by hardware in vintage shapes, in metals your grandmother would have known. Natural brass fits perfectly with wooden bench or cabinets or natural stone elements. Pewter and gunmetal work with grey palettes but without the gloss. Antique gold or even rose gold offer warm options against dark colours.
The Rough with the Smooth
Texture is so important in modern kitchen design, and designers are delighting in the range of textures at hand. Bandsaw effect wooden floors to offset smooth cabinetry, vintage hardware to contrast stone benches; vintage butcher’s block to offset black steel framing; handmade tiles next to sleek appliances…
Making a Splash!
The splashback continues its rise in prominence in the kitchen. No longer just a protective surface, this area has become a place for art, drama and personalisation. Print your favourite picture, pattern or artwork onto glass, use a large piece of patterned stone or marble, or create joyous patterns from recovered or handmade tiles.
Wood Works
Wood is welcoming, calming and has a natural warmth. As people seek to reconnect with nature they’re embracing all the many and varied finishes of wood in the kitchen. Use it as finely crafted cabinetry or as a rough-hewn breakfast bar, as a vintage replica cabinet or island, or solid wooden doors to contrast lacquered cabinetry. Wood and stone go hand in glove, but add black steel, copper or brass to complete all the essential elements.
Integrate Appliances
Integrated appliances are a hot trend in kitchens with appliances designed to fit seamlessly into the cabinetry or benchtop. Perhaps it is because of the trend to bring kitchen/dining/living areas together, that designers increasingly want their appliances to ‘disappear’ when not in use. This trend sees induction cooktops for a sleek uncluttered benchtop, integrated microwaves fit seamlessly into cabinetry, fridges and dishwashers are perfectly camouflaged behind painted door-panels, and range hoods are replaced by almost invisible benchtop extractors.
Getting the Hang of It
Statement hanging pendants are an essential part of the open-plan kitchen, denoting where the kitchen ends and the dining begins. Pendants could be oversized industrial fittings with bare metal surfaces to suit the kitchen’s colour themes, or mid-century Italian retro brass fittings or vintage glass shades. Make a lighting statement and define your space.
Digital Devices
Wifi enabled fridges and oven timers, app-driven coffee machine or lighting attuned to mood and music, get ready for a kitchen that not only knows who you are, it knows what you like to cook and when. It may be that soon the most important cooking utensil will be your phone, but be ready for a stove that interacts with your iPad recipe book or even phones you at work when the roast is cooked.
Apply Yourself
Appliances more common in a commercial kitchen are becoming commonplace in the home. Expect to see steam ovens, blast chiller, vacuum drawer, thermoseal oven with steam assist, a sommelier drawer, combi-steam oven, speed oven, multizone induction cooktop and cookers equipped to provide sous vide cooking methods. On the bench look for clever coffee machines, and delightful retro styled juicers or even ice makers.
Modern Classic Mix
In 2019, kitchens will be a mix of classic and modern. People want modern amenities and integrated looks, but they don’t want their kitchens to look like they’ve come straight from the fabricator. It’s the old, the unique, or the found items that give the kitchen an authenticity, a sense of being timeless but not stuck in the past. Mix the old with the new and enjoy!
