A Transformation Guide to a Contemporary Kitchen
A contemporary kitchen is a pleasure to cook in as well as a stylish home design statement. We take a look at the latest kitchen design trends and how you can incorporate them into your new or existing kitchen.
Defining Contemporary Kitchen Style
Contemporary style is about embracing the latest looks and trends, and today’s kitchens have the same clean and understated feel as the rest of our homes. A contemporary kitchen tends to have clear and sleek lines; however, these days it’s more about simplicity than the ultra-minimalistic look of the early noughties. We’ve retained the understated feel (it’s more hygienic for a start – fewer details, less dirt), but we’ve added a touch more warmth.
So, you can still expect walls of glossy cupboards for discreet storage and smart island units; however there’ll be pops of accent colour, metallic textures and greenery in the form of plants and indoor herbs. With sociable island units, breakfast bars and tables, the kitchen remains the heart of the modern home.
Creating a Functional Layout
What is the most popular kitchen layout in today’s home? With the continuing popularity of open plan living, kitchens often have a large, multi-purpose island or bar to separate the cooking space from the dining and living areas. Unless you have a very large space to play with, the kitchen layout is usually determined by the shape of the room: square = U-shaped, rectangular = galley and so on.
Most layouts are based around the “Kitchen Triangle” (or “Golden Triangle”) principle. This aims to create an easy-to-use layout by having the cooker, sink and refrigerator in a practical triangle, making it easy for the cook to reach everything they need.
Utility rooms and walk-in cupboards are popular add-ons to the contemporary kitchen, and great spaces for things like dirty boots and laundry. However, don’t be tempted to hide things like the main fridge in a separate space – you really want those three key most-used items close to each other.
The Top 5 Essential Appliances
We’ve taken a quick look at the Kitchen Triangle. What are the other heroes that every kitchen needs?
Cooker and hob. The main purpose of the kitchen: cooking. Contemporary fitted kitchens often separate the hob from the ovens, which are typically eye-level (much kinder on your back). If you have an island unit, this is a great location for the hob and work area, and if you’ve got a large surface area, an extra prep sink.
Fridge freezer. Whether you have a space-saving stacked fridge-freezer or an American-style beauty that’s larger than a car, we’re all agreed that this is a real kitchen essential. If your kitchen is open plan, look out for fridges with a Quiet Mark to cut down on the background hum.
Dishwasher. Some might argue that a dishwasher isn’t essential: but try living without one after you’ve used one for years! If you want to keep your kitchen looking sleek and minimalist, a dishwasher is a must, and a model with eco modes will use less water and energy than washing up by hand. In most contemporary kitchens, the dishwasher is integrated.
Alternative cooking appliances. In the constant quest to keep our household bills low, we’ve all embraced energy efficient cooking appliances. The air fryer and slow cooker are effective, efficient and easy ways of cooking tasty and healthy meals, and don’t forget that older stalwart, the speedy microwave. Think about where these items will go when you’re planning your kitchen makeover. Can any be integrated?
Kettle. In a British kitchen, this should really be the number one item. What appliance do we always leave out when we’re packing to move house? Exactly.
What about those other essential white goods, washing machines and tumble dryers? They could be in the kitchen, yes, but are also found in utility rooms, bathrooms and garages.
Choosing the Right Materials and Colours
What are the latest kitchen design trends for colours and textures? Black and white are still popular trends for cupboards, worktops and islands, with neutral shades adding an extra bit of warmth. Grey and pale woods are on-trend – just keep textures smooth rather than Shaker-style to keep that contemporary kitchen edge. Keep thinking sleek and clean when you’re choosing your materials.
Don’t despair if you love a bit of colour! The latest kitchen palette includes vibrant pops of colour for tiles and splashbacks. Choose deep orange, hot pink or rich purple if you want to warm up the look, or opt for cooler blues and greens to keep a calmer vibe. If you love a more natural look, introduce wooden elements such as shelving. Touches of copper and other warm metallics remain on trend: think about zhuzhing up your sink with gold-tone taps or having a metallic splashback.
The Power of Lighting
One of the many wonderful things about a complete kitchen renovation is that you can design the lighting scheme from scratch, but you can still retrofit plenty of elements to suit your tastes. Place light exactly where you need it, while creating another opportunity to create mood and add character.
Ambient. This is the overhead lighting that we all use as our easy, default setting. These are usually bright in a kitchen, which suits the clean and practical vibe. However, if you install dimmable LEDs, you can change the ambience by lowering the luxe levels to a lower background level.
Task. Introduce the kitchen equivalent of the desk lamp to your hob and prep area. The extractor hood and the base of overhead cupboards are both handy places to add focused task lighting. A must-have for any home chef that ever bones fish.
Accent. Purple lights under the cupboards? Strip LEDs along the plinths? Have fun with some additional lighting elements, including colour-change designs that are perfect for entertaining.
Adding Personal Touches
We use terms like “clean”, “understated” and “sleek” a lot. This doesn’t mean you have to sweep away all traces of character and stash them neatly in your soft-close gloss cupboards. The contemporary kitchen has touches of personality, from those colour pops we mentioned earlier to quirky kettles.
Plants and planters are a lovely, natural way to soften the industrial look of a minimalist kitchen. Grow herbs, chillies and micro greens in your kitchen, or add a statement tree like a dwarf indoor citrus.
As we mentioned at the start, today’s modern kitchen ideas are about simplicity rather than starkness. Keep those elegantly smooth lines, but bring in interest with pictures and planters, and think about how to individualise fixtures such as taps, lighting and door handles.
Enjoy Your New Kitchen
At Hopkins Homes, our new-build houses all have stylish contemporary kitchens, designed for family life and entertaining as well as being a joy to cook in. Contact us to find out more about our new-build homes.
Find your dream home with Hopkins Homes. Explore our new build developments to find the perfect space for you.
Feel free to get in touch with any questions, we’re always happy to help!