The kitchen today is considered to be one of the most sociable areas in the home after the living room so there's no surprise that designers are supporting the open-plan concept in their layouts even more than before. There's less hardware to see, more storage space and a cabinet for every appliance. The trend for integrated appliances is still popular, while natural materials in the kitchen are all the rage, especially natural stone and unfinished wood surfaces.
French designer Marc Sadler says, "Although there is a widespread conviction that most kitchens sold are white, the ones I am now seeing in homes are increasingly eclectic and varied. That's why Carré plays the versatility card, concentrating on the concept of interchangeability of textures and colours, and geometric exchange between surfaces and pure forms. The result is a chameleon-like furnishing system, capable of transforming itself and interpreting the mood of the space into which it is installed in ever-changing ways, readily adapting to the concepts of ‘total living' or ‘semi-country', but also catering to the ‘all-white' requirements of more timid users."
The fun aspect is that there's a solution for all your needs regardless of what shape or size your kitchen is. Today, there are plenty of ways to stay organized with new and improved storage solutions and if you're not up for an entire kitchen transformation there are plenty of other ways to jazz up your domestic zone instead. Look out for some quirky accessories from @Homes range and Sebastian Bergne's distinctive range of kitchen utensils in sleek finishes and quirky designs.
"Our best selling products at the moment are from the Natura cookware range. They are made from 100 per cent recycled aluminium with recycled packaging and feature soft, organic shapes. The cast aluminium material and form ensures an even distribution of heat. They are functional, sustainable and stylish," says Sebastian.
The Social Kitchen
"Meal times with my family are always so important, so we made sure our kitchen design for The Lakes by yoo was open plan - it allows you to socialise with friends and family while preparing a meal and you don't feel like you're holed up in the kitchen. We included an Aga as the centrepiece of the space, because The Lakes isn't just about the summer, it's also a fantastic escape at Christmas, and the Aga helps to create that cosy, homely feel. We are always very careful with colour, so we set back the fabulous turquoise of the Aga with the modern black kitchen surfaces.
While the kitchen is open plan it also has sliding doors, which can be closed off entirely to hide a mess when you have visitors."
- Jade Jagger, creative director, Jade Jagger for yoo
The Functional Kitchen
"For me kitchens are not just functional spaces, they are in fact the heart of a home and as such I decorate kitchens with that in mind. It is vitally important to me that they are comfortable, with great bar stools, maybe a sofa and club chairs, a place for friends and family to sit and chat while you cook. Lighting has to be functional but have the capability of becoming sexy and intimate, so I always have dimmers on all lighting which changes the mood of the space. I like the kitchen cabinetry to feel like fine furniture and match the decorative scheme of the house. Your home should have beautiful and unexpected designs in every room and the kitchen is no exception."
- Martyn Lawrence Bullard, interior designer
The Compact Kitchen
"In all the projects that I work on I try to design kitchens so that they do not look like kitchens. I like these technical rooms to be appreciated by the inhabitants and established in the dining area. I always try to hide the electrical appliances so that the room looks more like a living area, but I never try to take away the role of this room - I like it to be functional. I myself love to cook and that is why I like to make it practical. When the space allows me to, I propose many ovens, tepannyakis and retractable cookers. For a while now people have really been appreciating steam ovens. Then I often work with specific finishes to break the monochrome. When I cannot hide the electrical appliances I use stainless steel to put them in the foreground. Finally, all the kitchens that I design are user-friendly and wanting to be used."
- Fabrice Bejjani, architect and designer
The Outdoor Kitchen
Taking the kitchen concept outside has traditionally been a novelty but with the latest ranges on offer there's no wonder consumers are opting for complete kitchen layouts for the outdoors. Brands like Weber and Viking have taken the backyard kitchen concept to new levels - by introducing sleek commercial-style gas grills which are heavy duty and easy to maintain as well as super-functional. From handy storage cabinets to stainless steel warmer drawers - every detail ensures your outdoor dining experience is complete. Commenting on Weber's range. Ameena Jensen, sales director for Weber Middle East says, "The Genesis has been a prime mover in the US and Europe in introducing outdoor kitchen culture. Some barbecue enthusiasts have even gone as far as to abandon the indoor kitchen, replacing it with the large outdoor gas grill."
The Modern Kitchen
"A new kitchen is always a massive undertaking for consumers and more than ever there have to be some very good reasons to make such a major investment. In today's housing market it's increasingly important to have a kitchen that is welcoming, easy to live with and very often multi-functional. Modern lifestyles demand that a kitchen be a communal space, a living area and our collections embrace this concept. So there's been some very serious research and development going on behind the scenes to ensure our ranges are right on cue. All of our kitchen ranges are functional yet stylish and are available to suit all tastes from modern high gloss through to traditional broad oak natural wood. For example, our Painted Collection offers tremendous scope and design flexibility, especially for consumers who wish to complement traditional architecture in a sympathetic way. However, the beauty of the new range is that it can also be designed in a modern style, introducing wide, deep drawers and quartz work surfaces for an altogether more contemporary feel. Whatever style or colour is chosen the collection has longevity and will stand the test of time. We also have our award winning Metris collection where the idea was to create a boundary-free arrangement with a more spacious and sociable feel, a kitchen for living with contemporary appeal. Curves used to be luxury pieces, only available from top-end bespoke kitchen manufacturers, however with Under One Roof's array of shaped designs there is a much more affordable but equally stunning alternative."
- Nick Pope, commercial director, Under One Roof
The Classic Kitchen
Despite the design upgrades, Mick De Giulio's BeauxArts kitchen range for SieMatic remains timeless in design and conventional in style. Inspired by European and American architecture, BeauxArts plays with traditional design and contemporary materials from worktops and handles to rustic stovetops that provide an antique finish to the dining space. Mixing old and new appliances is the fun part of this kitchen design as everything fits in effortlessly. Modern stainless steel refrigerators complement the display cabinets with classical lines and glass doors and at the same time create a great symmetry. The lighting fixtures in BeauxArts offer more than a functional purpose as they are distributed across the work stations and central zone of the kitchen space. Giulio has also stepped away from traditional kitchen lighting accessories and has used living room sconces to enhance the overall atmosphere in the kitchen.
