With the ongoing glut of cookery programmes, competitions, and lifestyle programming on television, kitchen-envy has never been more prevalent. Kitchen design trends appear to range from the classic complete with range cooker, to the sleek, inner-city pared-back look, where you could be forgiven for thinking that no one ever cooks there, and the fridge is empty apart from champagne and designer olives.
But when does kitchen design go beyond being the envy of all your friends, and instead having them whispering behind their backs that you’ve missed the point, and your brand new kitchen is simply “too trendy”? In short, your kitchen should be the hardest-working room in your home, and if design triumphs over functionality, you know it’s time to re-think, and make some changes.
Getting Kitchen Design right
For example, who uses your kitchen? That may seem like an odd question, but think about this for a second – is the kitchen exclusively your culinary domain, or is it more of a family-oriented utility area where food is produced almost as an incidental factor? If it falls into the latter category, usability is key, and the worktop clutter of high-end gadgetry is likely to tip the practicality factor into “too trendy” territory.
Fitting your kitchen with the best quality counter material possible is a good start; put as much as you can afford into the most practical and durable material for your needs. If your family is young and inclined to enthusiastic experimental cookery, granite is likely to be more practical for your needs than wood. Tie your look in with co-ordinating doors and other accessories.
Kitchen design for the rather more streamlined family is a different matter, but if you find you’re stumbling over the latest must-have to even make a cup of tea, you’ve strayed into “too trendy” territory!
If you are unsure about your plans for your new kitchen, get some ideas from our finished kitchens gallery or contact us, we’d be happy to help you make the right selection for your home.