Stepping into the kitchen of 2024 will feel less like a functional room but more like the living, beating heart of the home where plans are made, company is enjoyed and memories are created, says the design team at Kitchens International.
The kitchen has evolved from a room that's purely used for food preparation, to a blended, open-plan space that's also used for dining, entertaining and relaxing in. Designer Minty Glenn of independent designer and retailer Kitchens International says: “We are seeing a rise in multifunctional kitchens, ones with incorporated dining and living areas. More and more people are spending most of their time in the kitchen, reinforcing the statement that the kitchen is the heart of the home.”
Say goodbye to neutral tones
2024 is all about embracing bold and vibrant colours in the kitchen. From deep blues and emerald greens to warm terracotta and copper oranges, homeowners are using colour to make a statement and infuse personality into their kitchen spaces. Combining this use of colour with textured woods and stones provides much more depth and comfort to a space.
In the centre of the kitchen often lies the island, which, as the centre of an open plan kitchen remains the most popular kitchen layout. But even the island has evolved into a more conversational and intimate place where family and friends will socialise, work or congregate. The options available in designs have grown massively to suit all tastes and homes.
Sit yourself down
Informality is the key in seating with breakfast bars containing armchair bar stools or even banquette seating with a table off the island. A separate area for dining with booth seating is becoming more popular and takes up less room than a freestanding table, so ideal for more compact spaces.
Store it up
Kitchen storage is one of the most important things to consider when creating a design and one of the more popular storage solutions is built-in drawers in a larder unit. This is a quick and efficient way to reach all your items, even the ones hiding at the back. Storage solutions are wide and varied with new designs every year getting ever more clever and efficient with space. From long drawers to pull out units there will is a wide choice depending on the design.
With an increase in worktop standing appliances such as air fryers, new storage solutions for 2024 include ‘hideaway units’ with pull out worktops to house these appliances, as well as sliding doors and sensor openings to create a seamless look.
Top it off
Minty Glenn says: "Worktops are usually used as the statement piece in the kitchen, with an opportunity to add large areas of texture or colour. There has been an increase in bolder colours from manufacturers which has given clients more possibilities to create something fabulous."
Light it up
Lighting has become more discreet with under wall unit, plinth or perimeter lights acting as a backlight. Louisa Forsyth, senior sales designer, says: “Layered lighting gives depth and character to a kitchen with a focus on feature pendants over the island or dining areas, while the cabinetry round the walls will be much more subtle.”
Finally, for 2024 the one (or two) items no kitchen can do without has to be a Quooker boiling water tap and integrated bins. With the rise in sustainability and push for ever more clever recycling, any new kitchen should have sorter bins with a built-in opening sensor, which allows access without contact.
