It’s been said that functionality is number one in kitchen design. But the kitchen is not only a space for chores. This year’s latest styles might just get you in the mood for creative cooking.
Colour Contrast: If you’re looking for something a little different, bring colours into the kitchen. The all-white trend has dominated kitchen design for years, but now it’s all about colours – and bold ones at that too.
BRIGHT IDEA
Bring in the cheer to your kitchen with bright hues! This kitchen sports blue wall tiles and ups the ante with red appliances. It’s easy to go overboard when embracing colours though. We love how this kitchen balances the whole look with pared-down cabinets in white.
Image courtesy of Joey Khu Interior Design
PATTERNS GALORE
Want to update your kitchen without going for an overhaul? Consider replacing or overlaying your backsplash with colourful tiles. Patterned tiles jazz up understated finishes like woodgrains and neutral colours.
Image courtesy of Rice Fields
IN THE PINK
Colour can affect our moods and emotions more than we think. Pink is a great colour to bring into the kitchen for its nurturing and joyful feel. Soft, matte finishes evoke a calm ambience. On the other hand, a strong, glossy sheen like the one on these blush-coloured tiles evokes a vibrant and creative vibe. Pink pops when matched with black, white or grey. For the adventurous, consider pink with colours like red, purple, yellow and blue.
Image courtesy of Hafary
Dark Beauty: Intense dark colours are making their way into the kitchen, turning it into a sensuous hub. Enhance black with deep coffee, oxblood and forest green colours. You can also match with neutrals like grey and taupe.
CENTRE OF ATTRACTION
The kitchen is no longer a space to hide, and this one takes the philosophy to a whole new level. Let your kitchen take centre stage in the home with an island. A spacious island will provide the necessary countertop space for food prep without the need for additional countertops on wall cabinets. That will free you up to have a bold look with full-wall storage units to hide or showcase food, cookware, appliances, and other necessities.
Image courtesy of W. Atelier
BRING ON THE DRAMA
It’s easy for dark kitchens to look flat and gloomy. The trick is to bring tactile surfaces into the space. For all-black kitchens, go for textured laminates for the cabinets and opt for different textures for your countertops and backsplash. Play with shapes by having a mix of full-height storage units in addition to upper and lower cabinets. Lighting performs an important role in bringing depth and dimension to the space, so install hidden lighting in strategic places.
Image courtesy of Greenlam
MAKE A STATEMENT
A combination of dark cherry and dark red laminates, available at EDL, gives this compact kitchen a vintage vibe when combined with rounded edges and vertical grooves. Before deciding on the material palette, consider the flow of sunlight into the area. Taking into account the kitchen’s placement away from the windows, wood-looking tiles in a lighter shade are an apt choice for brightening the space up.
Image courtesy of Komorebi Interior Design
Wood Mood: As homeowners strive for the home to be a comfort zone, a trend that is unlikely to fade for years to come is wood patterns in the kitchen. They span a range of looks, from soft visual textures to hyper-realistic finishes.
MIX AND MATCH
Instead of sticking to one type of woodgrained finish, mixing different patterns in the kitchen can keep things interesting. It also changes how a space feels, depending on the light and space available in the area. Light coloured wood can make the kitchen appear more open, while dark wood at the countertop area keeps it cosy and intimate.
Image courtesy of Kompacplus
GROUND RULES
With many wanting to bring a sense of nature into the home, rich and realistic shades of wood for the kitchen continue to be in favour. Combining brown shades with dark flooring or countertops produces a grounded feel, yet runs the risk of being gloomy. With so much visual texture in the space, balancing it with polished finishes can lift the entire look.
Image courtesy of Joey Khu Interior Design
APPETITE FOR WOOD
Light woodgrains do well in compact kitchens, especially with handle-less doors to minimise visual clutter.
Image courtesy of Joey Khu Interior Design
Grey Areas: Just when you think that grey may be on its way out, it continues to stay in the game with fresh ideas. This coincides with the move towards darker palettes. New textures give this ever-popular colour a savvy update.
VARIETY SHOW
Whether you love it or hate it, grey’s versatility is perhaps the reason for its longevity. An all-grey kitchen looks good when it showcases a mix of light and dark tones.
Image courtesy of Silestone
A FRESH IMPRINT
The beauty of tiles is that they now come in an array of colours, textures and formats to cater to the creativity of homeowners and interior designers. Technology has allowed the mixing of ideas, as in the case of these tiles inspired by reinforced concrete structures. They come with unique imprints of wood fibres and knots, typically seen on concrete structures made with traditional wood formwork used in 20th-century architecture. The result is an edgy kitchen that is far from dull.
Image courtesy of Rice Fields
Soft and Light: While all-white kitchens may be dwindling in favour, crisp and clean kitchens continue to be loved. A light palette works well for kitchens that are compact or low on natural light. For an elegant upgrade, go for an off-white or matte kitchen.
SOFT LANDING
The kitchen can become a space of serenity with a soothing palette of off-white and colours like beige and sand. To enhance the feel, avoid crowding the space with cabinets. This kitchen’s L-shaped lower cabinet storage is accompanied with only one row of upper cabinets.
Image courtesy of W. Atelier
SPRINKLE SOME SHIMMER
No matter the size, it’s all about creating a streamlined silhouette. That said, injecting a dose of glamour to the combination, with metallic accents in colours like rose gold, bronze, and champagne gold will take the mood in your kitchen up a notch.
Image courtesy of Free Space Intent
TREAD LIGHTLY
If you’re ready to see white go, the lightest shades of grey and beige make a dreamy combination. It creates an airy ambience instantly, without the need for stark white. Also, working matte, light textures by way of floor tiles or other surface materials into your cabinets or island imbues visual interest.
Image courtesy of Hafary
This was adapted from an article by Rossara Jamil, originally published in the May 2019 issue of SquareRooms.
