Kitchen Design Trends 2013

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The kitchen is probably the most used room in your house. If you’re planning a new kitchen, an extension, or just making some changes, you want to get it right. As well as practicality, you’re also looking for style, so here are five current trends in kitchen interior design that will make you the envy of your neighbours.

Bursts Of Colour

While neutral, soft and muted colours remain the norm, many people are choosing to inject splashes of colour into their kitchens. Colour can give the room a brighter and more vibrant feel, suitable for the modern sociable kitchen. This can be achieved through a combination of the typical neutral colours that you find amongst kitchen surfaces and fittings (i.e. white, beige and grey) with bolder colours on the walls and appliances. Red makes a particularly bold statement.

High Gloss

The glossy and metallic look has become an increasingly prominent feature of the modern home. There are several different ways of achieving this sophisticated and futuristic look in your kitchen, including high gloss finishes (such as lacquer) on doors and drawers, granite or chrome surfaces and, following on from the previous point about colour bursts, contrasts of white with splashes of bolder colours. Going for the high gloss look is a safe bet, as it is certainly a trend that doesn’t look like it will fade any time soon.

Mixing Materials

If you can’t decide on which kind of surface to have in your new kitchen, you’ll be pleased to know that having a blend of materials is one of this year’s key interior design trends. Mixing materials adds a bit of character and originality to the room, and it can also help to highlight a particular feature that you might want to show off. Mixing granite and wood, or stained and painted wood, are two trendy combinations.

Islands & Peninsulas

With the kitchen now seen as a sociable and open space, islands and peninsulas are the ideal solution for those who want space to eat and cook.. The breakfast bar is a well-established interior trend and, thanks to the versatility and extra surface and storage space it provides, is now regarded as a crucial aspect of the modern kitchen. An island or peninsula unit can fit into any style of kitchen, but clearly you need a sufficient amount of space.

Open Plan

The kitchen is no longer seen as merely an area for preparing and cooking food – increasingly many more kitchens are becoming a social space for eating and entertaining. Open plan isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but it is ideal for families and parties. A carefully selected, matching colour scheme and practical flooring are essential, as is plenty of kitchen storage to minimise clutter. Lots of white and natural light are favourable, whilst oak furniture, such as the Toulouse Dining Table, is a popular choice for the eating area.

Hopefully this guide has given you an idea of some of the current trends in kitchen design. If you know of any more, or want to share your kitchen stories with us, then leave a message in the comments section.

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Joseph Rutter is a languages graduate who blogs on a wide range of topics, and has written on topics to do with the home before and writes for Oak Furniture Superstore.