Design Trends to Watch for Kitchen Design

Design Trends to Watch for Kitchen Design

Full article with thanks to: livingetc.com/whats-news/the-latest-kitchen-trends-197615

Kitchens trends for 2022 are more exciting than ever. Kitchens, you see, took a hard hit in 2021. They were suddenly used more than ever before, for endless cooking and tea making as well as transforming into a family meeting and social hub, a workspace and a school. This change in function has impacted kitchen design for 2022, with the room becoming more welcoming, practical and calming, and turning to natural materials and subtle design details to create beauty. The kitchen of 2022 is soothing to the eyes, hands and soul. 

“The kitchens of 2022 will feel like another extension of the home, in the sense that they will feel like a room, an additional living space within the house rather than a utilitarian place to prepare food in,” says the interior designer Joy Moyler. “This will see more refined materials, art and antiques, move into the space as if becomes less focused on pure function.”

As a key part of the house, kitchens are always of interest when we’re looking at interior design trends and this latest crop of new ideas, new moods, new materials and new textures, is just as dynamic as ever.

1. ROUNDED EDGES

Roundness in some form or other – squashy forms, arched shapes or oversized elements – have been coming to a home near you for quite a while, a trend that’s so far dominated furniture design, decorating and accessories. Now the heart of the home is getting involved, with the kitchen’s classical ‘hard’ surfaces taking a softer, curvier turn as the space’s design incorporates its new role as a place of calm, and a place to socialize. The contrast between a rounded kitchen surface and the traditional hard right angle is dramatic – it totally transforms your modern kitchen ideas. A curved edge invites you to run a hand along with it, while a 90-degree angle hints at the potential to bump into it. There’s enough pressure in the kitchen without having to worry about the bruises you might have tomorrow. 

‘Flowing forms and gentle curves in the kitchen draw you into the space,’ continues Gary Griffin, Manager at Rational UK. ‘Comfortable curves and gently rounded edges bring a soft calm to the room while adding a touch of sophistication. In the kitchen, the curves help to create an almost mystical feel, with the organic shapes drawing inspiration from nature.’

2. MINT GREEN

As interior design turns collectively towards natural materials, forms and colours as a way to bring the soothing, grounding character of the outdoors into the home, the kitchen takes up a classic, timeless tone picked straight from the garden as a key colour for 2022. Mint is an uplifting, zingy, yet subtle green shade, one that continues the kitchen’s movement toward soft pastel shades while echoing our desire to be close to nature. It’s a move on from sage green kitchen ideas which have dominated for a while, a slightly zestier approach.

‘In times of economic and social uncertainty it’s natural for us to cocoon at home in the company of loves ones, and thus a comforting palette of colours found in will continue to grow in popularity,’ explains Rob Whitaker, Creative Director of Claybrook. ‘2022 will be the year when shades such as fresh mint, olive and coriander find a natural home in the kitchen. As the room where food is prepped and cooked, wicker and wooden bowls filled with onions and garlic sit next to fresh herbs; so, it’s natural to replicate these colours in the space itself.’

3. GREEN CABINETRY

And speaking of mint green, if you want to go a step further, then it’s being used specifically for kitchen cabinet ideas. And there’s a green for every style, from barely-there sage greens that almost act as a neutral to deep forest greens for a more dramatic and cocooning look. So whether you want to keep things subtle or have more fun with your kitchen colours it’s time to switch up the greys and blues that have been ever-popular and play around with this versatile nature-inspired hue. 

As Alex Main, Director of The Main Company, notes, ‘Consumers are definitely becoming more experimental with colour and their use of raw materials within kitchen design, which is great to see. Green has continued to increase in popularity – whether used as an accent or across the cabinetry this bold colourway is becoming a key element in many industrial-inspired spaces.’

4. SUBTLY PATTERNED WHITE SURFACES

Are white kitchen ideas going away? Short answer – no, they’re still a big part of kitchen trends for 2022.  But this time, they come with a twist. The 2022 white kitchen trend is a long way from the bright, sparkling surfaces you might be picturing, and are a lesson in how to make a white kitchen interesting with just a small tweak – the addition of texture and tactility.

‘Increasingly, homeowners and designers are finding different ways to add depth and dimension to white kitchens which are so often associated with being sleek and glossy,’ says Jonathan Stanley, VP of Marketing at Caesarstone. ‘Options include drawing on pigments within the surface itself or opting for surfaces with a matte, textured appearance. Now more than ever, white and neutral surfaces come in all shades and forms – they no longer always specifically refer to the gleaming appearance we’re more familiar with but carry a certain earthiness to them that reflects and conveys the beauty and appearance of natural, organic materials.’

5. TEXTURED SURFACES

Texture may have been something we’re used to in living room trends and bedrooms for years, but it’s only recently we’ve seen it seep into kitchens. ‘Visible grain on timbers, especially on crown cut oak and ash veneers, brushed metals, honed, leathered or textured stone finishes & concrete’ are all being used more often as kitchen materials explain Oana Sandu, Lead designer, Blakes London.

The look is all about giving a kitchen depth, making it less about clean lines and hard surfaces and more about creating a layered look with plenty of tactile materials. ‘Textures and materials are constantly evolving in kitchens, and with homeowners growing in confidence with their design choices, the finishes are becoming bolder.’ says Graeme Smith, Head of Design at Life Kitchens.

‘2022 will see more expressive tactile materials such as metallics, concrete and textured doors featuring heavy wood grains as well as marble-effect and stone finishes. Adding sophistication to a kitchen layout, these striking finishes will help to tie a look together through character and individuality.’

6. FRAME FRONTED CUPBOARDS

Frame fronted kitchens, in-frame kitchens, graph paper kitchens – whatever you call kitchen cabinet fronts defined by a rim of slim, raised edging, there’s really only one thing you need to know – they’re where we’re heading for 2022 kitchen cabinet design, on the rise to give a bit of 3D interest to wood kitchen ideas.

‘The rising kitchen trend I am particularly drawn to is the geometry of framed cabinet fronts,’ says Joy Moyler. ‘The framework creates an opportunity to add to the story, creating interest – I would take them even further by placing decorative metal mesh in the inserts to add a bit of sparkle and panache.’

‘What draws us to this detail is that it adds so much richness to a kitchen design,’ explains Hugh Miller, Co-Founder and Designer at H. Miller Bros. ‘It allows for a variance of depth, so drawers and cabinet fronts can be recessed from the cabinet walls which adds light and shade, and avoids the monotony of an entirely flush and flat expanse of cabinetry.’

7. WOOD GRAIN

Nothing could exemplify nature’s ever-growing role in the kitchen than the return of the wood grain. For 2022, put down the paintbrush, forget about glossy finishes and embrace instead slices of organic, naturally occurring beauty. In the kitchen, wood grain will come to be admired as much as the veining in marble, as a one-of-a-kind demonstration of the wonder of nature a big nod to sustainable living. Get involved with cabinetry, surfaces and walls and floors. 

‘Woodgrain is aesthetically beautiful, but it also adds soothing depth to a home,’ says Rachel Carroll, Director at Custom Fronts. ‘Many people reconnected with nature during the pandemic and they want to bring it home. The sustainability of wood as a natural material also appeals hugely to those who have been reminded how important preserving the environment is. The era of mass consumption is coming to an end and there is a growing desire for classic, long-lasting products with a light footprint.’

article with thanks to: livingetc.com/whats-news/the-latest-kitchen-trends-197615

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