Fall in love with a new kitchen this year

Hugo Fleming, Design Director of multi award-winning local interior design studio Cranberryhome, looks into updating one of the most important rooms in your home...

Interior Design Column

We spend lots of time in our kitchen, so organising the space is critical for all users. Kitchens are social spaces now, so providing seating areas, flexibility and storage must be considered.

Architects have developed recent house designs to incorporate more open-plan kitchens. Family spaces and media elements such as TVs and gaming devices all need storage in this area. Designing these spaces has therefore become more complex. The kitchen layout is vital to a successful design. Create flow by ensuring adequate distance between islands and main work areas. We often observe new kitchens installed with little regard for enough usable worktop space. As designers, we aim to have at least 3 independent workspaces of 1.2m for an average 4-bed home.

The kitchen sink, hob, oven and fridge are pivotal to a successful layout. Arrange these so that they are within reach without being too close to each other. Position the main oven at mid-height to offer better ergonomic benefits. Full-height fridges are an essential for growing families.

Washing machines and laundry should be moved into a dedicated utility room to reduce noise. On-trend hot water taps or a water filter/ softener for a more ecological setup are great choices.

When choosing styles and colours, there really is a plethora of colours available. From rustic oak and sage greens to garnet red, black and deep blue doors; this makes choosing challenging!

Handless options, including contemporary slab doors with contrast recessed profiles look stunning and offer an alternative to the traditional shaker style. Try blending colours, textures and materials. Navy blue with oak accents and white marble worktops is a classic and timeless choice. Add interest by using a range of materials that are pleasant to the eye.

Lighting is so important, work this into your design early. You will need ambient lighting, task lighting for workspace areas and accent lighting for display areas and architectural features. Look at high-lighting worktops by installing LED strips which add a cool glow.

Finally, bring these all together with flooring. Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) is a great modern material, warmer and softer underfoot and more forgiving to breakages, kids and pets! Natural materials such as wood and stone flooring are much better suited to period properties and larger areas.

Hugo is Design Director of the international awardwinning local interior design and property styling studio in Milton Keynes. A senior House Doctor consultant, Hugo is often found at Grand Designs Live and in demand as an interior designer all over the UK.