Kitchen trends and colourways basically follow 10 year life cycles.  Needless to say, urban areas lead the charge incorporating new ideas with more remote reaches following in less rapid footsteps.  However it is relatively easy to tell which decade or period a kitchen has been installed by looking at cabinetry colours and finishes:  Tuscan brown/ creams and earth tones means a mid eighties – mid Nineties throw back.  The grey/black/white Parisian trend gave way to grey and painted wood kitchens more recently.  Black is definitely the next big thing in kitchen cabinetry.  

However, if you are designing your forever kitchen or installing a kitchen into a property that you plan to sell at some point, following current trends can be fraught with problems.  The last thing you need is to grow tired of the colour yourself in a couple of years, or to hear a prospective buyer exclaim that the first thing they need to do is to change the kitchen cupboards and talk down the sale price.  Keep your fixed elements classic and timeless and bring in the trend with interchangeable pieces.

The latest and greatest ideas also do not necessarily translate into a tropical setting.  Mosquitos love love love dark spaces and standing at a kitchen sink being nibbled by the small critters is not anyone’s idea of fun!   Nonetheless, there are definite ways to incorporate this stylish trend AND make the scheme work in a hotter climate.

White kitchens are by far the most timeless and classical. They are the most used in magazines and the most searched Hardware on cupboard doors can be changed as trends come and go as can back splashes without too much of a financial outlay and disruption and accessories are a great way to stay current and on top of any style wave.

Lighting

Wicker, stainless or glass conical pendant lights still look fabulous, but due to the new ideas springing from kitchen and appliance manufacturers, powder coated matt black lighting is becoming readily available.

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Hardware and Accessories

Incorporating gold or brass with this look is increasingly popular and does not need to incur an extensive outlay.

Similarly, black hardware and accessories used in conjunction with a white kitchen and gold or brass accents creates a modern conversation and warmth whilst maintaining a clean minimalist feel.

Back Splash and Windows

Imagine the above images without the styled addition of green plants and fruits. Don’t forget that nearly all rooms benefit from a splash of nature and potted herbs and plants the kitchen feel bring a room to life as well as being useful.

Flooring

A Dash and Albert rug in black and white plays with the black trim on the windows and newly installed hardware on white cabinetry.  Without the rug, and foliage, this kitchen may look quite stark and clinical. A neutral wood floor is a good example of a timeless fixed element.

Appliances and Furniture

Major appliance and furniture manufacturers are embracing the black trend and expect to see more items offered in black, from stoves, ovens, dishwashers, microwaves, hoods and seating. If a white kitchen is out of the question for you – there is a compromise and a warm alternative with a warmer lighter wood finish, paired with white counter tops, and back splashes and black seating.

We are looking forward to seeing how this trend is incorporated and available in the coming years and how we interpret it to suit our tastes and decoration.

Your home should make you happy.  Please contact us for interior decorating advice, styling and colour consulting advice.

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