Cool kitchens are hot

Dark beauty: Moody shades such as black and charcoal look chic in the kitchen. Picture: Kitchen Choice

With a resurgence in the popularity of cooking and eating at home, the kitchen has become so much more than a place to cook.

We take a look at the latest in kitchen design and the hottest trends to help you create your dream kitchen.

STORAGE

Storage is an essential component of a functional kitchen and the number one request in modern kitchens is for easy access, says Lincoln Trager, managing director of kitchen design company The Maker.

"Clients are tending to ask for drawers and kitchen fixtures which don't involve them having to bend or reach very far to access food and/or preparation or serving dishes," he says.

According to Ulrika Thor, Ikea Innaloo's first interior designer, this means clever planning is essential.

"In order to create more storage capacity in the kitchen, people will often try to use the full height of their walls to incorporate kitchen cabinets," she says.

"But these cabinets can be hard to reach and alternatives such underbench sliding drawers would be more appropriate.

"Accommodating kitchen storage for recycling waste materials and products is also becoming increasingly popular."

Mr Trager says other trends include handle-less cupboards and recessed finger grips for a smooth door surface, soft-closing cupboards and more drawers, seen everywhere from the dishwasher to the freezer to warming plates.

APPLIANCES

It seems people are paying a lot more attention when it comes to appliances, according to Daniel Bertuccio, from appliance designer ILVE.

"With the recent fad of cooking shows on TV, even the average home chef is moving out of their comfort zone and really trying new things and getting their hands dirty," he says.

"People are spending more time at home cooking recipes that they see on TV which, in turn, has prompted them to upgrade and purchase a more 'professional' appliance.

"Also, with the trends in the TV cooking shows, the top cooking brands feel there is an obligation to provide appliances capable of getting these results at home."

Mr Trager agrees that the popularity of TV cooking shows such as MasterChef has influenced consumer demand, with more people asking for professional-style appliances and even multiple cooking stations.

Technology and "future-proofing" are also driving trends.

"I find that kitchens now are featuring more technology than ever," he says.

"A lot of this technology is focused on making the kitchen more enjoyable and adding a bit of the 'wow' factor.

"From flat-screen televisions and computer-based entertainment systems to retracting ventilation hoods and gas burners, technology can make the kitchen more fun, convenient, and cool."

Mr Trager has also noticed more clients requesting in-built recycling bins to make being green an effortless part of a household's everyday life.

In the style stakes, integrated appliances are the most sought-after in modern kitchens, according to Dominic Calautti, director of Designed Kitchen Appliances in Subiaco.

This creates a clean-lined aesthetic, with in-built steamers one of the most popular requests. More customers are also opting for induction cooktops.

"It's easy to use and very easy to keep clean," he says.

Ms Jansen says a whisper-quiet range hood was high on many customers' wish lists while wall ovens had also regained popularity.

Looking to the future, Mr Bertuccio suggests that, with the evolution of technology, the "smart kitchen" concept will become more affordable and widespread.

"So without revealing too much, I hope that with time an oven will have more than just a function knob and a thermostat but, hopefully, do things like be able to store your favourite recipes and link up with the items in your fridge and suggest what you can cook based on recipes on the internet," he says.

COUNTERTOPS AND CABINETRY

With the greater emphasis on style in the kitchen, the biggest trend in finishes is high-impact lacquered and textured surfaces which create depth and personality, Mr Trager says.

Ms Thor agrees, adding that high-gloss grey and black accent colours are popular choices.

"Combining high-gloss door and drawer fronts, stainless-steel fittings and light coloured timber benchtops is really striking and delivers a simplistic elegance," she says.

Ms Pearson says lighter tones are also in demand.

"The most popular colours seem to be the light colours such as white and vanilla with glass door fronts being brought into the design as a feature," she says.

Solid surfaces are still in vogue but, according to Ms Jansen, laminates are a good option for those sticking to a budget.

"It's lovely to have granite or stainless steel but it makes a huge difference to the price of a kitchen. It's more for aesthetics," she says.

"I wouldn't scrimp on the quality of material on the cabinets because, if you were still living in a house for many years, replacing a solid top later is easier than replacing the cupboards."

There is also a move towards kitchens which combine elements of different styles, according to Mr Trager.

"For example, there's the 'modern old kitchen', using modern materials to recreate classic styles of kitchens such as gloss doors in country-style kitchens or mosaic and terrazzo patterned stones in contemporary kitchens," he says.

COLOUR

Whether bold statement hues or a neutral palette, colour is big in the kitchen - and not just in splashbacks or small appliances.

"While consumers are still happy with neutral tones in cabinetry, benchtops and walls, they are beginning to ask for a point of difference, a focal point, a way of injecting a shot of colour or interest into the overall kitchen design," says Gavan McKenna, Smeg's national marketing manager.

Related: Design trends in the kitchen

Mr Trager says dark, moody hues such as charcoal, black and chocolate have begun to creep into higher-end kitchens for a chic "New York loft" effect, while mid-range clients favoured splashes of citrus, lime and retro-inspired shades.

For colour-shy consumers, whites and neutrals are still a popular choice, according to Corinne Morup, team leader at The Laminex Group's Osborne Park showroom.

"The 'new neutrals' come from combining both white and grey tones to produce muted and sophisticated alternatives to the traditional whites," she says.

"Whites complement so many other cabinet colours and finishes within the home.

"They are a classic colour choice which has true staying power and versatility."

LIGHTING

Once purely a functional consideration, lighting has become a key element in today's kitchens.

"Lighting is extremely important as it provides task lighting, usually under overhead cupboards but also providing ambience used in feature spots throughout the design," Mr Trager says.

In addition to task lighting, he says more kitchens are now incorporating LEDs, underbench strip lighting, dimmers and mini-halogen bulbs to create interest.

WHAT'S HOT

WHAT'S NOT

• Inviting kitchens with a clear area for people to sit

• High-gloss finishes

• Sculleries

• Coloured appliances and splashes of bold colour

• Sustainable features such as built-in recycling bins

• Luxe lighting

• Noisy rangehoods

• Difficult-to-access storage

• Under-bench ovens

• All-white kitchens