CTOver the last two years, you have probably spent a lot more time in your kitchen than you had previously anticipated. One upside of this situation, though, is that it could have provided you with a lot of time to assess your kitchen’s design and whether it should really be updated.
However, even if you indeed reach the conclusion that it should be, you could remain short of inspiration. So, here are some kitchen design ideas to consider…
Carve ‘zones’ out of an open-plan kitchen
If you are still working from home, then it could make sense for you to divide your kitchen into separate spaces for use in — for example — preparing food, eating it and, yes, working.
The woman&home website shows how this kind of zoning can be done, with partitions being used to cleverly draw physical boundaries within the kitchen.
Reflect on your kitchen’s colours and materials
That’s ‘reflect’ in a literal, not just metaphorical, sense — as, if your kitchen is somewhat compact, you could create the illusion of it being larger by being careful what colours and materials you choose for it.
Some ideas suggested in a Livingetc article include painting in light hues and installing reflective materials like bright quartz or a mirrored splashback. As mirrors aren’t the most obvious things to place in a kitchen, they should probably be integrated into the decor rather than simply positioned in front of it.
Introduce a freestanding island
If you want your kitchen to have an island unit, you could make it a freestanding one with legs, provided that you store all of the kitchen appliances elsewhere.
That way, you could easily move the island if you are set to hold a big party — and the visible space beneath the top of the unit can help in making the room look larger. You could even make the unit yourself after buying table tops and legs in materials and colours that would work well in your particular kitchen.
Go for a modern country look
The COVID-19 pandemic has led many people to migrate from bustling cities to quieter, more rural settings. As a result, country-style interior design has flourished in popularity — but you can create a country-inspired kitchen even if you still reside in an urban environment.
It’s also possible to give country decor a modern twist — such as by pairing traditionally popular exposed beams and distressed brickwork with metallic accents and high-specification appliances.
Create a literally well-rounded appearance
When it comes to kitchen design, sharp angles are out and rounded shapes are in — or, at least, have been tipped to come back into fashion.
Kitchen design of a softer form is attractive due to the luxury and sophistication it exudes. This type of kitchen design also feels more natural; a curved seating area, for example, is more sociable than a long narrow table.
This could prove a particular boon as people adjust to a post-pandemic lifestyle of casually visiting each other’s homes and marvelling at how sumptuously the kitchens there have been designed.
