Kitchen confidence

Fire up your taste buds and put on a fabulous apron – the kitchen is the place to be in 2011. This is one trend we can’t wait to sink our teeth into. According to the clever trend spotters at inventorspot “Kitchens will combine eating and meeting spaces – bringing dining, cooking, meeting and recreation all together in one large space – kind of like a home rendition of Google’s office environment.

Anyone who has ever hosted a dinner party or fed an impromptu gathering of friends, will know that there is a whole lot of truth to the old chestnut, ‘the kitchen is the heart of the home’. No matter how luxurious your living room is or how orthopedic-ally supportive your new dining room chairs are, nine out of ten times your guests will end up congregating in the kitchen sipping from their wine glasses while you stir the risotto or garnish the salad.

With so much time spent in the kitchen, it’s about time you got cooking with great design ideas…

Go grey: According to Toronto-based design duo, Amy Kent and Ryan Martin of Croma Design “We’ll see warm gray neutrals, natural limestone colours and textures, paired with sleek white cabinets or dark woods.” Grey is definitely here to stay and looks chic paired with brown or white. Samantha Pynn, Contributing Design Editor, Style at Home, agrees that we’ll be seeing lots of grey in 2011, “especially in painted cabinetry. Martha Stewart just launched a new line of kitchens for the Home Depot… lots of neutral painted cabinets in shades of grey called Ocean Floor, Beach Sand, Sharkey Gray for [longtime creative collaborator] Kevin Sharkey.”

Have a bright idea: If grey is not your thing then go with another big trend–dynamic pops of colour. Seek inspiration from Africa, India, Peru, Turkey and other exotic destinations, taking a cue from the bold colours and prints in jewel tones. Anchor brightness and graphic elements with classic accessories in neutral earthy tones. Treat your kitchen like you would lay a table for an important dinner party, the goal is to create a visual feast!
Keep it classic: Whatever colour palette or aesthetic you decide to go with remember that you’ll be spending a lot of time in your kitchen and the design needs to have staying power – keep it classic and your kitchen will put a smile on your face for years to come.

Kitchen confidential: The modern aesthetic demands that kitchen cabinetry conceals nearly everything. The look is clean, and uncluttered. It’s all about hiding equipment and appliances, moving towards putting everything in drawers and cabinets – from your dishwasher to your microwave; freeing up counter space and maximising storage.

Get organised: Following the lead of high-end kitchen manufacturers like Boffi and Poliform, IKEA has introduced drawer and cabinet inserts that provide a neat, simple storage solution. Organise everything from bowls to spatulas – the modern kitchen’s motto is “a place for everything and everything in its place.”

Five kitchens to drool over

Kitchen designs with bright ideas

Over the counter advice: The Kitchen Designer