This is the stuff some of the best kitchens in the UK are made of.
What Makes A Kitchen Look Luxurious?
We’ve all heard the enthusiasm-dampening warnings and sharp intakes of breath when it comes to the mere mention of renovating a kitchen. There are those who will always tell you that you’ll need to splash upward of £30k when it comes to creating a really impressive dream kitchen. And yet, as the excellent K!tchn website advises, there are some really simple ways of aping elegant luxury modern kitchen designs you may have seen within the pages of glossy magazines – simply by strategically paying attention to certain factors. This informative feature on how to make your kitchen look more expensive than it actually makes some great suggestions. As it advises, if you covet marble in your kitchen, there are clever ways to use smaller amounts of it to fancy effect. Another example is to choose one area – such as the sink – to spend money on and thus highlight, as well as using lighting effectively, particularly over islands. Additionally, do use colour wisely, the right shade can elevate the tone without actually being any more expensive. (Note: it’s all about context. In some kitchens creams and whites are the most elegant in modern kitchens, meanwhile, dark greys and even black can speak of contemporary elegance). Read the full feature here
Pay Attention To The Details
Details matter when it comes to renovating a home. And for no one is that truer than the best kitchen designers in the UK. A well thought-out scheme is intuitive to use and beautiful to look at – as evidenced in this Real Homes feature, which lists 27 UK-based luxury kitchens in which budget is no barrier; we could pore over them all day and we will. After all, they are ripe for detail-devouring – and ultimately filching for our own homes. You might take from this list the idea that you should invest in bespoke cabinets that speak elegantly of quality and that won’t date. Perhaps it might remind you that you should make room for ample seating around your island (no one likes to be the one who didn’t grab a pew). Or maybe it will inspire you to go for an industrial modular and customisable kitchen in the finish of your choice. Or it might give you the brainwave of incorporating a really lavish in-built larder. Any which way, there are excellent ideas aplenty here. Some may remain the stuff of dreams, while others could make your list or be the one element you choose to really splash out on. And if you are using a luxury kitchen designer, it is always worth collating the ideas you like for the mood board you’ll create together. Read the full feature here.
Invest In Bespoke Cabinets
Famous kitchen designer Harvey Jones specialises in bespoke cabinets. Well-versed in their merits, then, the company advises that, since most people invest in a new kitchen no more than once a decade, it can really pay to invest in cabinetry that is built for your space – and to last. As they say, ‘It’s important not to confuse mass-produced, off the shelf units with quality bespoke kitchen cabinetry, as these will be created in bulk in large factories and will often come flat-packed for assembly at home. A kitchen that’s constructed using traditional methods, featuring high quality hinges and drawer runners as standard, and fitted by experts will not only look better, it will last longer, too.’ On top of the quality considerations, one of the major benefits of bespoke cabinetry is having a kitchen that fits your space like a glove. Since every room is different, standard units will never use every millimetre for efficient storage without wasting any space. Nor can an off-the-peg unit compete with made-to-measure in terms of catering to your own personal needs. If, say, you are particularly tall, you may want your worktops to be higher than average. Harvey Jones kitchens come with a ten-year guarantee – and the personal touch. As they say, ‘A bespoke design isn’t just about the cabinetry construction. An experienced kitchen designer, one who really takes time to listen and understand your needs will make a huge difference when it comes to making your kitchen dream a reality.’ Read more here.
Use Nature-Made Materials
One of the joys of kitchen trends 2022 in the UK is that there is no prescribed style. Anything goes, from classic to contemporary; from luxury modern white kitchens to dark-hued sultry beauties; from sleek Italian detailing to handmade shaker-style cabinetry. One unifying factor, however, when it comes to creating a really beautiful kitchen that will stand the test of time is to opt for nature-made materials where you can – and there’s no reason to stick to just one example of such either. If, for example, you are creating a modern luxury kitchen island, you might consider mixing up your natural materials for a really showstopping effect.
Talking to Homes & Gardens, Achala Knights, head of design at minotticucine London, said: ‘We love to use nature-made materials in a very contemporary way. The contrast between the natural fluidity of defined woodgrain or heavily veined marble, against the crisp lines of modern cabinetry, feels unexpected. The simple form of our furniture means there are no visual distractions, just the beauty of nature.’ Meanwhile, if you do choose to use wood, there are all manner of new trends that can make the choice more interesting right now, in part thanks to an onus on long-eschewed darker timbres. As Andrew Hamilton Barr, director, of Espresso Design, told Homes & Gardens, ‘Combining darker tones with lighter finishes allows our designers to balance the feeling of solidity and depth, while still making the most of any natural light.’ For this, and more ideas on how to create a designer kitchen in the UK, do read the full article here..
Choose Gorgeous Lighting
You’ve got your cabinetry and you’ve decided on your style of the kitchen island. Now, what about the lighting? While we scrupulously seek out ambient low-lighting in the sitting room and bedroom, it can be easy to overlook it in the kitchen, especially when you’ve spent so much time and money on the bones of the room. If you can, however, do make space in the budget for lighting – it will transform your experience of cooking and eating in this hardest working room every day. After all, you’re likely to entertain in the kitchen more than anywhere else; it makes sense, then, that lighting should be flattering, dramatic or welcoming (all three if you can manage it). In this multi-purpose room, a layered approach to lighting tends to work well. Task lighting covers the food prep areas; mood lighting is for creating an atmosphere to fit your purpose, and feature lighting creates drama. Homes & Gardens collates a comprehensive guide to lighting. Talking to the magazine, Tom Howley, Design Director of his eponymous kitchen design brand, says, ‘Have fun with different shapes and shades, but if you’re mixing it up, stick to a theme or a core tone so that everything hangs together visually.’ For this, and more ideas, find the full article here.
Pick Suitable Kitchen Island
A well-designed kitchen island can create an ideal centre-piece in a busy kitchen. A workspace, a breakfast bar and a place for guests to sit and sip a coffee or a glass of wine while you cook and chat, it is a multi-functional addition – which can also provide extra, much-coveted storage too. However, as Alexandra Churchill writing for the Martha Stewart website points out, not all kitchen islands are created equal – but if you follow a few failsafe rules, there is no reason yours shouldn’t be a showstopper. First off, do consider your space and allow enough room for kitchen traffic (she advises 36 to 48 inches of space around all sides to avoid human traffic jams in the busiest part of the kitchen). It is also imperative to ensure that there is enough legroom; no one likes to squeeze their knees under an island at breakfast time – or at any other time for that matter. As with all design matters in the kitchen, it’s all about what works for your individual space and style. For example, if you’re a baker, you may want to factor that in when designing storage and choosing a material for the worktop. Additionally, if your room isn’t a standard shape, there is no reason your island has to be the standard rectangle, which adds another layer of food for thought. For this, and more ideas, check the full article here.
Introduce A Two-Tone Color Combination
Choosing a colour for any room can be tricky as you go back and forth between paint samples, and make a final decision – only to change your mind again the next day. But, as Homes & Gardens says, why choose one when you can have two? (Do note: for some, this might make the agony of choice even more acute!) Choosing two shades for your kitchen cabinetry may feel de trop but as well as adding interest and depth, it can also be a practical choice. Jasper Middleton, design director, Middleton Bespoke, told Homes & Gardens, ‘The beauty of painted kitchen ideas and two-tone kitchens is that in time, should fashions or your taste change, it’s simple to create a new look, especially if you restrict your bold choice to one unit, like an island or dresser. When choosing bold shades it’s important to consider the architecture of the space as a whole in order to give the colour room to breathe. Here the bold pop of orange is balanced by the soaring ceiling and simple backdrop of polished concrete and blue-grey hues.’ Find more here.
What Does Every Luxury Kitchen Need?
When you approach a kitchen to remodel, there are so many things to consider – all of which apply regardless of style or whether you want to create a modern luxury black kitchen, one full of colour-pops, or a white-washed affair. Unless your budget is limitless (and whose is?), then it’s worth making a checklist and deciding on your priorities. Are luxury surfaces the most important element to you? Perhaps it’s a statement island or excellent lighting? Maybe it’s the paint scheme, modern minimalism, natural materials or a classical style that matters? Any which way, it’s worth consulting this article to ensure that your checklist is as thorough as it might be. But what all kitchens – whether luxury kitchens in London or rustic country-style affairs – need is good appliances. As they say, ‘Every luxury kitchen should be kitted out with the best kitchen appliances. Appliances are amongst the most used components of a kitchen and can elevate both the room’s design, functionality and sense of luxury. As one of the most essential appliances in the kitchen, it’s important that your oven meets the requirements of your family. However, there is no need to compromise on style. Particularly for bigger households, mealtimes can be a little testing, so consider making cooking easier by investing in a state-of-the-art double oven.’
Read the full article here.
By Nancy Alsop
April 2022
