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There are many things to consider when redesigning a kitchen and whilst most people will have their kitchen designed for them, there will still be various areas which need some input from the customer to get the best effect.

Kitchen design has been standardised somewhat over the last decade or so with most people choosing a built in kitchen with a stone or wood worktop. However there are still bespoke designs available and using certain specific elements you can give a standard kitchen a lift from the norm.

Floor surface - new kitchen trends

There are a wide range of different floor surfaces now available which are suitable for kitchen use. And recent advances in vinyl flooring have meant that this type of flooring has become the designers‘ number one choice. Vinyl flooring from manufacturers such as Amtico and Karndean is used in domestic and commercial establishments because it is so hard wearing. And because it can be made to resemble any type of natural material the design themes you can create are almost endless.

Lighting - highlight the kitchen

Kitchen lighting is really important and over recent years steps have been taken to make sure that there is a wide array of different lighting available for all situations. From stylish lamps which can illuminate the kitchen table to downlights over the kitchen surfaces and even inset floor lights which can accentuate the stylish kitchen cabinets, there’s a huge wealth of choice available.

One of the new ways to highlight a kitchen design is to insert inset lights into the kickboards under your base unit cabinets. This is a great way to illuminate the floor space whilst also showing off the cabinet’s finish.

Splashbacks - give your design the wow factor

Kitchen splashbacks were traditionally a few rows of tiles which were fitted just above the worktop to enable easy cleaning of splashes when preparing food. However you don’t have to stay with convention, there are now other types of splashback available.
Glass splashbacks are trendy, functional and they look fantastic. They are the new designer way to accentuate your kitchen design. Glass splashbacks are available in a wide range of different colours and you can even order a bespoke size so it’ll fit around your kitchen layout. Holes for electrical sockets can be cut to your specifications and different types of surface highlighting are available to bring out the natural reflective nature of the product.

Range cookers - get the look

Range cookers are back in fashion. A few years ago all the kitchen appliances had to be built in. however recent trends have dictated that the cooker should be free-standing and be wider than the conventional 600mm. Whilst it might not be within your budget to have an Aga, you can still get the range cooker look by choosing a competitor model.
Kitchen designers can sometimes overlook some of the things above which really ‘make’ a kitchen so make sure you discuss all the available options with your designer.

Hannah Jackson found that most kitchen designers will only concentrate on the kitchen layout and fixtures and fittings. She wanted a complete design which included the décor and electrical fittings. She used fabulous lime green kitchen glass splashbacks to bring colour to her mostly-white kitchen cabinets.

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