5 ways to incorporate 2016's top kitchen trends into your home

When it comes to kick-ass kitchens, natural lighting, bright pops of colour and an industrial edge are just some of the looks leading the pack

“Personally, I cannot remember when last I saw a kitchen that was not part of the greater open-plan living space,” says Caesarstone’s Marketing Director Trevor King.

King is right. Gone are the separate-room utilitarian workhorses of the past. Enter the age where kitchens are the new living rooms of the house. They are also the domestic space in which to show off the seamless union of form and function, not to mention the latest in design, technology and innovation, a fact that King attributes, in part, to greater levels of collaboration between designer and homeowner. Indeed, kitchens of today are often the springboard from which the whole of the home’s scheme leaps forth.

Here, five ways to incorporate the top kitchen trends of 2016 into the heart of your home:

1) Let the sunshine in

Whether your kitchen is large and spacious, tucked in a corner, galley-style or L-shape, there are myriad options to introduce light. Sunlight should be a primary design consideration, and a well-thought-out electrical lighting layout should simply complement the overall concept.

Enliven your culinary zone with sunlight by adding skylights, removing the overhead cupboards and installing glass doors or extending windows up to the ceiling.

When renovating your kitchen, it is important not to discount secondary daylight. Borrowing light from another room by taking out a wall can make a big difference if your kitchen is room-locked with no direct sun.

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2) Inject a pop of colour

The temptation with kitchen colour is to play it safe, but we're here to tell you to loosen up a bit. The days of having all your cabinets the exact same colour, style, even door front are so gone. These days you will see an eclectic mix of one to three different colours in cabinetry, a look that is most effective in kitchens that comprise blocks of cabinets. Of course, while you may love colour, it doesn’t mean your entire kitchen has to be transformed from floor to ceiling with it.

Accent colour in the form of splashbacks, tile surrounds or even flooring can bring in just enough colour to create a statement. Look to eye-catching hues such as singing yellow or poppy red.

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3) Take a seat

Do confined kitchen quarters force you to eat meals while standing over the kitchen sink? Seating is imperative in today’s multifaceted kitchens, which can be problematic if yours is a tight squeeze. Folding tabletops and stools on casters that can be wheeled beneath tables are excellent space-saving solutions in a small kitchen.

Alternatively, consider a built-in booth with added storage or an L-shaped banquette that utilises the space created by a corner. Or take to clever space-enhancing illusions in your compact kitchen. A table for two can seemingly become one for four with the addition of a strategically positioned floor-to-ceiling mirror.

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4) Add an industrial edge

Find the beauty in the utilitarian by mixing natural timber and worn textures with forged or welded tin, aluminium, iron and steel. Think brushed-steel cabinet fronts with a matte finish and a hint of characterful patina, and combine with high-gloss accents by way of furnishings and appliances.

Go for open shelving in order to display the hardworking tools of the culinary craft and opt for unfussy lighting options such as down-lights and simple pendants that place the emphasis squarely on function as opposed to decoration. The result? A clean, streamlined look that announces itself as both serviceable and unreservedly masculine.

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5) Keep it clean and compact

Kitchens are disappearing before our eyes with designers doing their best to make fridges and other appliances appear invisible. A single kitchen wall unit with integrated storage and appliances is the way to go when space is at a premium and a streamlined, minimalist look is order of the day.

Sleek and clean with all clutter concealed, galley kitchens off a main living area benefit from the installation of sliding or louvered panels that essentially tuck the bulk of the heavy-duty work behind closed doors, making it easily accessible when needed and completely concealed from sight when preferred.

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These were just some of the trends seen at Decorex Cape Town. Decorex Joburg takes place in August. For more information visit their site.