EASY MAKEOVER
Want to tap into the colourful kitchen trend without going all-out? Paint cabinets in a punchy hue, then keep to white, natural wood and organic shades elsewhere.
Top wall painted in Salvia; tiles and shelf in Glass II; kitchen unit doors in Deep Water Green; kitchen unit frames in Clean White, all in architects’ satinwood, £78/2.5L, Paint & Paper Library
Once the go-to layout for a kitchen, open-plan designs are evolving to accommodate multi-use areas for cooking, dining and entertaining. The use of freestanding furniture and clever storage helps to conceal work-from-home clutter and naturally forms different zones within a room. Carefully consider layout, colour palette and materials to make yours work harder when it comes to combining purpose and practicality.
Flooring materials such as marble or stone are ideal in busy homes as they are easy to keep clean, resistant to stains and offer a low-maintenance finish. For a cost-saving alternative, try laminate, available in a variety of colours and finishes that closely mimic the real thing. Wooden planks suit a range of decorating schemes and, when laid in a herringbone design, add subtle pattern.
It’s possible to seamlessly link different zones – dining, lounging and cooking – by running the same floor throughout, adding rugs for comfort in the living areas.
An island can provide an extra worktop and ample storage but, if space is at a premium, an extended breakfast bar is a good alternative, offering additional seating. The free-flowing design allows movement around a busy kitchen.
As we spend more time at home, the desire to create an appealing social space where we can interact with friends and family has increased, with additions such as bar stools, wine coolers and drinks stations becoming must-haves for some.
Using contrasting paint pairings to inject personality into a room has also become popular, and two- and three-tone colour palettes are inexpensive and will modernise your kitchen. One possibility is using deep, dark colours on floor-mounted cabinetry and kitchen islands, then vibrant, bright shades on the walls and splashback.
Another trend is handleless kitchen cabinets, which combine simplicity and functionality. Recessed profiles, circular holes and push-to-open cupboards can easily fit into most schemes, adding a modern edge with minimal effort.