Top UK Kitchen Design Trends for 2022
Top UK Kitchen Design Trends for 2022
With many of us having spent much more time at home over the last couple of years than we ever expected to, we’ve had plenty of time to think about things we’d like to change and improve. And, as ever, our kitchens are at the top of the list!
So this month, the team at CKD is taking a look at what are likely to be among the most popular and exciting kitchen design trends for 2022.
1 – Kitchen zoning
Open plan living has been a thing for as long as we can remember, but with parts of our homes having to also double up as offices and schoolrooms, we’re increasingly having to find ways of making our space more flexible. Hopefully, home schooling is now a thing of the past, but home working is likely to be here to stay for many of us. So unless we have a room to spare that can seamlessly fulfil this function, we need to adapt somewhere else. With our kitchens mainly used in the evening, and home working mainly done during the day, that makes it the ideal candidate. Kitchen zoning – although this method of mixing functions is also sometimes referred to as broken plan – makes for a more flexible and multifunctional space with smartly integrated workstations and Zoom-friendly backgrounds.
2 – Blues & greens
When it comes to the colours we’ll be using in our kitchens this year, blues and greens are looking to dominate the scene. Deep blues have been building in popularity over the last year or so and this trend is showing no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile greens – particularly forest greens that perhaps put us in touch with the fact that we also got closer to nature during the various lockdowns – are also riding a wave of popularity. Both pair particularly well with brass or perhaps copper accents and accessories.
Whether the colours are used to create striking dark blue cabinetry or lush forest greens on the wall, you can get the perfect tone by having a bespoke hand-painted kitchen that can provide your space with a stylish and modern look.
3 – Integrated storage
Making the very best use out of the space we have at our disposal continues to be key for those seeking to create the ideal modern kitchen. We want more space to allow flexibility and plenty of surfaces to work on. To do that we need to create as much storage as we can find so that our kitchens can be both minimalist (see the next trend) and flexible (see the first trend). That means smarter use of existing space and being creative to ensure that as little is wasted as possible. Solutions like open shelving, extra shelving where there is available space in existing cupboards and pan drawers can all be used to find homes for some of those difficult-to-hide bits and bobs.
4 – Minimalist design
So much of what we’re looking at in terms of design and layout for 2022 is affected by our experiences under lockdown. If we’re planning on making our kitchen spaces more flexible, we also need to allow room for that flexibility to happen. Too much clutter and we’ll be spending half our lives moving things around. A minimalist kitchen – including the ever-popular clean lines of shaker kitchens and the hidden, integrated storage we were just talking about – offers the perfect combination of practicality with a calm and soothing ambience.
5 – Flexible or statement lighting
Another thing that we noticed through spending more time at home is how the light changes during the day. If we’re going to be using our kitchens as multifunctional spaces (see our first tip about kitchen zoning above), then we may need to adapt our lighting to highlight different parts of the room at different times of the day. That could mean more spot lighting to allow for extra focus on any task in hand, or even ambient lighting that helps the transition from work space during the day to cooking or social space in the evening.
Meanwhile, more of us are also seeking to replicate the trend for statement lighting that has become so popular in cafes and restaurants over the last few years. That can mean industrial-style designs, large pendants (if you have the space) or even brightly coloured shades that catch the sunlight as it pours through the kitchen window.
6 – Feature flooring
Design and durability are both going to be important when we choose new flooring for our kitchens, and it looks like we won’t be holding back when it comes to the first of those. Strongly patterned tiles and vinyls are being touted as leading choices, while parquet and wooden (or wood-effect) floors are also likely to be proving popular.
Whatever your design choice, you can be sure that here at CKD, we have the experience, skill and imagination to make it reality. We can combine smart solutions and creative design to bring you beautiful kitchens that will also meet all your practical day-to-day needs.
Call us today to find out more or to arrange a free survey and cost-effective quote.
