Kitchens. They’re for cooking, right?

Well, yes.

But to assume that this is their only function would be to ignore the way that real people are living, right here, right now.

Lockdown has taught us all a lot, and what’s become abundantly clear is just how much families rely on the kitchen as the hub of the home.

Yes, it’s a place to cook, but it’s a place to talk, to share a glass of wine, to hope, to dream, to commiserate and to celebrate.

All this means that when it comes to designing your kitchen, it’s not just about creating a place to cook.

It’s crucial to create something that’s a pleasure to be in and doesn’t look dated in two years’ time.

Which means keeping up-to-date of the latest trends; understanding the way that living habits change, and factoring both into your design.

And right now, there are three key kitchen design trends to make sure you’re aware of:

Open-plan living

This is fast becoming the most desirable way for people to live.

Gone are the barriers between each room, and in its place a fluid, flowing floorplan, with core materials and colours linking up each zone.

The Metal Manhattan kitchen by Nolte exemplifies a modern kitchen that the family can gather to cook, chat, socialise, as well as eat in their kitchen living space:

Incorporating a kitchen island

Kitchen islands became popular a few years ago and this trend isn’t going anywhere. They add interest to a kitchen, provide much needed storage and allow your living space to become sociable.

And they aren’t just for the bigger kitchens. You can incorporate the feel of a kitchen island in many ways, such as a breakfast bar addition to a main worktop, or freestanding, customised units.

For kitchens like this, you might like The Ferro Nova Lack kitchen by Nolte, showing options of combining both an island and a breakfast bar.

Contrasting colours

Country cottage neutrals, or modern chrome and black aren’t your only options now.

Some of the best kitchen designers are focusing on colourful kitchens, using doors, splashbacks and worktops to add a splash of colour, and create something bold, but inviting.

We love The Melrose kitchen by Masterclass, painted here in Lava & Wisteria:

And if choosing a colour palette is on your agenda at the moment, look out for our next blog, where we will be focusing on a current project of ours. This project makes full use of the contrasting colours trend, and may well give you some ideas.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for inspiration, click here to check out our kitchen ranges page. Both Masterclass and Nolte have great examples of what’s on trend right now, and they feature heavily in our recent projects.

Contact The Kitchen Store for Modern Kitchen Designs

If you’re looking for a high-quality modern kitchen design, then please get in touch with us. We’re an award-winning independent kitchen designer that specialises in top-quality German and British kitchens. We can help you bring your vision to life.

We have re-opened our kitchen showroom with PPE rules in place. Simply call us to book an exclusive appointment and we can discuss your kitchen design needs.

Call us on 0127 395 7778 or you can send us an email here.