How to design a kitchen that will stand the test of time

Kitchens should feel like an extension of the home, just like any other room in the house, not just a room to prepare food in. 

When planning a new kitchen, there obviously needs to be enough storage for the pots, pans, tinned goods, and crockery that you don’t want on display, however, you may opt for open shelving where you can show off your collection of cookbooks or stunning glassware.  Ensure that the cupboards go right up to the ceiling, it’s wasted space and a dust magnet otherwise.  If there is enough room, or you can make room, then plump for a separate pantry.  What a joy to open the door(s) to an organised array of containers of cornflakes, baskets of baking goodies and store the kitchen gadgets and dishes that only come out once a year!

When it comes to design you can be a traditional or trendy as you like, whether it’s neutral, shaker style cabinets, a darker colour on the base units with a lighter colour above or a vibrant gloss finish all over, the world’s your oyster nowadays, as anything goes, as long as YOU like it. 

Be clever with back splashes, go for something funky and colourful, think glass or stone for impact, alternatively go for a more industrial feel with copper, black or a textured concrete finish which gives the kitchen more depth, less clean lines and creating more of a layered look.  Reflective surfaces are ideal for smaller kitchens, as they bounce the light around, making the space feel larger. 

The humble sink doesn’t need to be stainless steel or ceramic with the modern materials such as Corian, marble, concrete, and granite now available.  What better way to style up the sink than with stunning tap, they come in all shapes, sizes, styles, and colours, think about match the colour to the splashback, cabinet handles or light sockets for a tailored look.

Why not inject some personality into the kitchen cabinets with some interesting hardware, think outside the box with glass, ceramic, agate, or leather handles rather than the customary chrome or brass.

Lighting is often overlooked in the kitchen, it needs to be layered as the room may have many functions, be it food preparation, dining or highlighting a specific area (say island or object d’art on shelves – so you’ll need a lighting plan to include mood, task and feature lighting.