Are you planning on a kitchen makeover this year? If so, you’re probably wondering, what are the best kitchen design ideas in 2021?
While of course kitchen trends come and go, the best kitchen design is not about what’s currently in vogue, but instead about creating a space that you and your family will love and enjoy for many years to come.
The room that is generally the hub of a home, your kitchen should serve the dual purpose of being an aesthetically pleasing place, but on a practical level provides the functionality needed for all of the hard work that goes on there. After all, your kitchen is somewhere that serves so many functions – food prep, cooking, washing at a minimum. Throw in entertaining, eating and even working and you see what a workhorse your kitchen really is.
In fact, as we spend more time at home and therefore need more from our living spaces, kitchens are becoming one of the most multifunctional rooms of the house – serving as a dining area, place to relax, and even a place to get work done.
And with some pretty big changes in the world over the past 12 months, it’s unsurprising that the events 2020 are certainly likely to shape kitchen design trends this year.
With that in mind, we explore some of the most exciting kitchen design ideas for 2021.
Create a kitchen with flexible space
Potentially one of the most significant cultural shifts we will see in our lifetime as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic is the change in working habits for a vast number of people.
Working from home, be it a temporary or permanent solution is increasing across the globe. Throw in home schooling, more than one adult needing desk space and requiring a comfortable space for your Zoom meetings and it is easy to see why homeowners are now looking at the potential within their kitchens to create a place which can be used for flexible working at least some of the time.
The key to incorporating a successful workspace in your kitchen is to create an area which is separate and dedicated to work only. It’s all well and good to work at the kitchen table now and then or use it as a hub for the kids to do homework but realistically you want to make sure that there is a clear delineation between your “kitchen” and “office”. After all – no one wants to see piles of paperwork on their kitchen surfaces or a mountain of washing up next to your laptop!
2021 is already seeing innovative ideas when it comes to creating some space for working within the kitchen, with folding wall mounted desks starting to be introduced into kitchen designs. This type of desk gives you the flexibility to have somewhere to work when needs must, without interfering with your overall aesthetic.
For more permanent kitchen solutions, lower worksurfaces being incorporated into designs provide an area which can easily be adapted to desk space when needed.
Two tone kitchen cabinets
Want to inject colour and contrast into your kitchen?
Choosing two tone cabinets creates a visual interest which can draw the eye to areas you wish to highlight, and even make a smaller space appear larger. In short, it’s a great way to create an elegant and polished look but without breaking the bank.
While traditionally kitchens have been designed with a single cabinet colour and introducing contrast utilising lighter worktops, splashbacks or tiling, an ever-increasing number of homeowners choose instead to mix and match kitchen cabinets to create a beautiful and exciting space.
Additionally, incorporating two tones of cabinetry into your design can create an illusion of additional space. How? If you choose to put light coloured kitchen cabinets above darker units, the eye is drawn the lighter shaded units which trick the mind into believing there is more space. Additionally, choose reflective light materials which will make the room appear brighter as the light bounces off of the surfaces.
So how do you achieve the look and make sure that you get it right?
Firstly, be careful in your colour choices – you want your two tones to contrast beautifully and not appear jarring. Think complimentary and not clashing.
Then consider what you would like to have as a focal point of the kitchen. Many designs simply introduce the two tone look by incorporating a different coloured kitchen island or mixing base and wall units – however, you may choose to go a step further – choosing cabinetry based on your kitchen zones.
To ensure flow between your cabinets, consider what will tie the look together and provide a unified finish. Depending on your cabinets’ location, this could be provided by matching handles (or a handless design), or by way of worktops.
If you are looking for an easy and affordable way to get the two tone look – browse our replacement kitchen doors. This allows you to simply replace your doors, without the need for an entirely new kitchen.
Design a kitchen with more storage in 2021
Whatever the size of your kitchen, the best way to make it aesthetically pleasing is to ensure that your work surfaces are as clear and uncluttered as possible, and the easiest way to achieve this is by having plenty of storage.
Of course, incorporating storage into a kitchen design is nothing new – indeed it’s one of the most basic elements you should consider before planning on a new kitchen. However, what is new is some of the innovative ways in which kitchen storage is being incorporated into the layout.
Firstly making the most of your space when it comes to kitchen cabinetry is vital – if you are considering a new kitchen design, think about how you can maximise space – whether it’s by adding units at a higher level or incorporating more storage units in areas such as under islands or in tighter corners.
And then it’s all about getting the most out of those units – so think creative mechanisms to help you to double up on the space available inside your kitchen cabinets. Take our magic corner kitchen mechanism. This fantastic piece of kit gives you the capacity to make the most of your corner units – a cupboard which is so often wasted.
Pocket doors for kitchens are set to be big in 2021 too and serve the multiple purposes of hiding away areas that you would perhaps prefer not to be on display all of the time, but also they help maintain a clean, sleek line within the kitchen.
Smart kitchens
With technology continually evolving, our homes are getting smarter, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the heart of the house.
When you think about it, our kitchens have always been one of our homes’ most technologically advanced areas – from the explosion of freezer ownership in the 1940s to the popularity of food processors in the ’70s. Now, our appliances and gadgets don’t just passively do what they are supposed to – they can actively make your life easier.
Increasingly when designing a new kitchen, individuals are thinking about how to incorporate smart elements. From those digital gadgets which are becoming the norm such as connected smart speakers and voice-activated lighting, to smart fridges and ovens, many of us are making our kitchens more clever!
Kitchen lighting controlled by a voice device such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home is exploding in popularity – with the ability to change the ambience of the space with a simple voice command – switching your kitchen from your bright prep space to a relaxing spot for an after-dinner glass of wine with just a word.
Those looking for the real wow factor when it comes to tech turn to some of the top-end smart fridges, which have all the bells and whistles you may need. Some have cameras inside to allow for checking you have got everything you need in stock on your phone, and others have their own touch screens and can function as a communication centre – even allowing for screen mirroring from your TV or smartphone. Incorporating this type of fridge into kitchen design is an exciting challenge as instead of being part of the background, your fridge becomes a focal point of the space.
Additionally, smart ovens can make us better chefs, built in sensors and controls that sense how your meals are coming along and avoid your culinary creation burning.
Put simply your kitchen can be as smart as you desire.
Curved Kitchen Units
Curved kitchen units have been growing in popularity in recent years and are set to go big in 2021. The reason? The absence of sharp edges created a softer, warmer feel in the kitchen – and right now, it’s all about creating comforting spaces in our homes.
Curved kitchen units work particularly well with open plan spaces as they promote flow between areas, which in turn means that your living, cooking and relaxing zones blend seamlessly, without the feeling of an abrupt finish of the kitchen to living space.
Additionally, one of the significant benefits of curved kitchen units is, of course, the fact that there are no hard edges which little heads can knock into! And with many of us homeschooling and the kitchen being used more than ever before – it’s as good as time as any to ensure that your kitchen is the safest space possible.
A more domestic touch
Let’s be honest – in 2020 we learned that having a kitchen that was “show home perfect” wasn’t so much use when we are spending so much time at home. While of course, a kitchen design should always be visually appealing, more than ever, the kitchen really is the heart of the family.
We expect that the kitchen as a sanctuary rather than a showcase is something that will become ever more important in 2021, with more and more people introducing those domestic touches that make a kitchen more than a room – but a place that feels like home.
Touches such as bringing in houseplants, a stack of cookery books, or merely adding comfy cushions and little cranny’s in which to relax move the kitchen from being a purely functional space to one in which you actively want to spend your time.
Lighting is also likely to be big in making the kitchen cosier- with many homeowners turning their thoughts to adding ambient touches to their lighting schemes – such as warm coloured downlighters and dimmers.
Breaking up an open plan kitchen space
There is a new “word on the street” when it comes to kitchen layout – and it’s Broken Plan.
Open plan living has been rising in popularity for several years and with excellent reason. Having an open plan kitchen provides additional light and space, and creates a focal hub of the home; an area where you can cook, entertain, relax and come together as a family.
However, it’s not without its downsides. As a room designed to serve multiple functions, open plan space can reduce privacy – leaving nowhere to “hide”. And with many of us now working from home, the need for a little nest away from the hustle and bustle of family life can be a lifesaver.
Additionally, one of the biggest downsides of open plan kitchens is keeping the entire space looking clean and tidy. After all, you don’t want to be staring at dirty dishes when trying to relax and unwind.
However, there is an answer that falls in between an entirely separate space and open plan – and that’s broken plan.
Put simply; broken plan living is designed to keep all of the things you love about open plan – the light, the space, and the social aspect, and provide answers to those downsides such as privacy and clutter.
Broken plan space can be introduced by breaking up an open plan area with half walls, glass partitions, or even selective kitchen cabinetry placement. Whether you are looking to create a division between the kitchen and living area or seek to create a cosy snug area or office space, the broken plan trend looks set to be big in 2021.
Bringing nature to the kitchen
Potentially a side effect of a year in which we have been yearning for the great outdoors – and our “daily exercise” has become more and more important to us. There is most definitely a trend towards bringing a taste of nature directly into our kitchens.
It has been known for some time that having access to green spaces improves mental wellbeing reducing stress and lifts mood. However, it has also been found that even photographs of nature offer health benefits, so it’s no surprise that more and more people are looking to bring nature’s gifts into the heart of the home.
The great thing about this trend is that it works in almost any space, and there are several ways to achieve a little slice of nature in your kitchen.
Over the past few years, blues have dominated kitchen cabinetry, but now we see a greater demand for kitchen units in enticing greens. Dark greens are becoming more popular in interiors and bring a sense of calm to the kitchen.
Choosing wooden materials is another way in which to bring a feeling of nature into your home. From choosing luxury solid wood units to introducing natural eco-friendly worktops natural, unpainted wood evokes a sense of reconnection with the natural world. Stripped wood flooring combined with neutral tones can also produce a calm, almost yogic feeling in the space.
Of course, for kitchens which do connect with gardens, balconies or terraces, there are several ways in which you can combine your elements to bring the feeling of outdoors into your kitchen space.
Introducing plants into your kitchen can deliver a double benefit of bringing a feeling a green space, but, choosing herbs and even chilli plants also give you fresh produce to use in your cooking.
Whatever 2021 holds for you – if you are considering a new kitchen, Kitchen Warehouse can help.
We provide great quality kitchens at excellent prices in a wide range of styles, colours and finishes.
All of our high-quality kitchen units are available to buy online and are supplied with the very best kinds of kitchen doors on the UK market. They are manufactured using state of the art technology and the most cutting-edge techniques available.
Browse our website to be inspired or feel free to get in touch with us to find out more about our kitchens.
