This Image: Bianco Table from Adventures in Furniture, from £595
Achieve the dream kitchen by taking note of the latest trends. Angeline Villa-Clarke talks to the experts to find out what’s new
Family Future
The pièce de résistance of a home is a large kitchen-diner, which encompasses all the needs of busy family life. In fact many of us are knocking down walls or extending existing rooms to achieve a large, open-plan design.
Dreamy kitchens are large enough to house extendable tables, such as the Bianco Dining Table from Adventures in Furniture, stylish chairs and perhaps even a cosy corner with a sofa and TV.
“Not just practical, the kitchen is a colourful social space, the ideal setting for casual chatting and catching up with family and friends,” says textile designer, Vanessa Arbuthnott. “Also, food can be equated with warmth, meaning the kitchen is primarily a place of warmth – the heart of any house. As a result, it represents a creative space in the centre of the house, in terms of energy. Cooking has become a relaxing hobby for many of us, so a space to sit and enjoy the process has become important. A large table instantly becomes an art table or work space; and if you have the good luck to have room for an old sofa and open fire there is no need to move to any other room!”
This changing premise of the kitchen means an increase in streamlined kitchen design and integrated, hidden appliances, as well as a nod towards less fussy key elements in the design.
“Open plan kitchen-diners are increasingly the most utilised room of the home, simply because they are so versatile and work from a day-to-day angle,” agrees John Stephens, director at Rencraft, specialists in handmade kitchens. “When the kids come home from school with homework and you need to prepare the dinner, everyone can be in the same space. You can create a comfortable, bright and airy room that becomes the hub of family life during the week and is stylish yet practical for entertaining friends at the weekends. The chef is no longer banished to the kitchen and can be sociable as family and friends enjoy the relaxing space around them.”
Lastly, Susie Watson, owner of Cambridge-based Susie Watson Designs, advises on making your kitchen as beautiful as it is practical. “Make it a space that works just as well for Monday breakfast, as it does for an elegant dinner with friends on a Friday night.”
This Image: The Honey Bees collection of crockery, from £8.75, from Susie Watson Designs
