Beautiful Kitchen Trends for a Contemporary Space

There is one thing that all good kitchens have in common, and that is they are the heart of the home. For many of us the kitchen is the most heavily utilised room of the house, seeing a constant stream of activity and taking on many purposes from entertaining space to make-shift homework station. We know all too well that it needs to be a highly functional space that works for all the family, but we also want it to look great and exude style.

If you’re planning on investing in a new fitted kitchen in 2022 no doubt you’ll be looking for inspiration to help you reimagine your space. From layout ideas to ways of introducing interesting textures, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite design features that we predict to be big this year.

Wooden Kitchens

For many years now modern kitchen designs have tended to feature painted units, however we predict something of a resurgence for unpainted cabinetry. Since the pandemic many of us have rekindled our love affair with the great outdoors and so we are seeing more people wanting to bring some of the outside in. What better way to do that than with beautifully unique wood?

If you’re not quite ready for a fully exposed wooden kitchen, why not consider bringing it in as a contrasting feature on wall units or an island? Or perhaps even as a kitchen worktop?

Glass Fronted Cabinets

Much like exposed wood, people had somewhat fallen out of love with glass fronted kitchen units in recent years, with the look sometimes considered a little dated. We predict this may all change again this year thanks to the trend for open shelving.

Open shelving can look absolutely fantastic but isn’t the most practical kitchen design feature thanks to the amount of grease and dust that can accumulate in the cooking environment. No one wants to be cleaning crockery they haven’t even used because of grease build up! Glass fronted cabinets offer the best of both worlds as they allow you to display all your most beautiful items, whilst protecting them from the inevitable kitchen grime. What’s more, there are lots of interesting variations of glass available for your kitchen now to make it even more of a point of interest – we particularly love the ultra-chic frosted glass, which looks great in modern style kitchens.

Waterfall Island

If you haven’t heard of a waterfall island before, we can guarantee you’ll have seen one as they’re becoming a hugely popular feature in fitted kitchen design.

A waterfall island is simply a kitchen island where the countertops flow over the edges of the units, much like a waterfall. This creates a seamless, custom-made look which adds a contemporary edge to your kitchen design.

Waterfall islands are a great way to bring a focal point to your new fitted kitchen, with many people opting to go bold with the materials they use for them. The home improvement website Houzz noted a 250% rise in searches for waterfall islands last year, and this year has identified an increased demand for statement surfaces. They are a great way of introducing a colour or texture that you love, but might not want to commit to for the whole of your kitchen.

Texture, texture and more texture

If you follow our social media feeds you’ll know we talk a lot about the joy of adding multiple textures to a kitchen. It brings a sense of interest and depth that is difficult to achieve in any other way. We predict that the addition of different textures will continue to grown and evolve for kitchen design this year, with new and different materials being brought into the fold.

One of our personal favourites is fluting and cladding, which are only continuing to rise in popularity. Both of these looks can be accomplished using a variety of different materials, meaning they can work in any kitchen space. We love that cladding can also be added retrospectively, so it’s a trend you can get on board with even if you’re not looking for a new kitchen supplier. We’ve noticed a transition towards tongue and groove panelling in particular recently, which is really easy and inexpensive to install, and looks absolutely great.

Earthy textures are also a big trend to look out for this year, as the theme of ‘bringing the outdoors in’ continues to grow. Terracotta is making a resurgence at the moment thanks to its grounding properties, plus its eco credentials make it a popular choice for those with sustainability in mind. Natural stone floors are also proving to be a hugely popular option, giving a timeless look that will last forever if looked after properly.

Versatile Layouts

You don’t need us to tell you that life post-pandemic has changed the way we live and work, with the line between home and the office significantly blurred for the vast majority of people. That means that the space we have in our homes needs to work significantly harder, with work stations and zoom-friendly areas now a must-have. Multi-functional living areas tackle these needs really well, with kitchen sofas or comfy dining chairs helping to bridge the gap.

Bespoke joinery also very much helps to make the most of every inch of space available, which is so important now we are all spending more of our lives in our homes. Awkward alcoves and nooks can make fantastic dining areas or work stations with the help of a little bit of bespoke carpentry, making an unused, unloved space incredibly useful and practical.

Although these are our predictions for kitchen trends in 2022, the best kitchen design is the one that works best for you and your family. We’re  delighted to offer high quality kitchens with outstanding customer service. What’s more, with Kitchenroom you can always be assured of:

1. First class personal service from start to finish
2. 18 mm Rigid (assembled) wall and base units with doors already fitted
3. 8 cabinet colour options (so not just white / ivory or oak) to match the colour of the kitchen
4. 2 mm ABS edged cabinets
5. Soft close Blum doors & drawers that come with a lifetime guarantee
6. 25 year guarantee on our units / 10 years on Solid wood kitchens / 7 years on MDF kitchens
7. A typical lead time of 3 – 4 weeks
8. We can supply only or supply and arrange the fit of your new kitchen where we will take care of the whole project from start to finish

Want to know more?

Why not take a look at some of our recently completed kitchen installations?

Click here to see our range of fitted kitchens.

We’re delighted to offer high-quality kitchens with outstanding customer service. What’s more, with Kitchenroom you can always be assured of:

Want to know more?

Why not take a look at some of our recently completed kitchen installations?

Click here to see our range of fitted kitchens.