It’s no good. You just can’t stand that cracked Formica and those awful 1950s style cupboard door handles any longer. You’ve patiently waited for the look of your kitchen to roll back around again and be super-trendy, but somehow ‘bedsit chic’ seems to have passed the style magazines by!
So it’s time for a kitchen makeover, but rather than going for a ‘rip it out and start again’ approach that would max your credit cards out and give your bank manager a heart attack, you’ve got a tight budget and you need to stick to it. So what kitchen refurbishment styles are on trend right now? Here are our top five:
Minimalist
Clear the clutter and minimise the mess. Minimalist is a look that just keeps on getting trendier and trendier, especially in smaller apartments. But be warned, there’s no room for the kid’s pictures on the door of the fridge in a minimalist kitchen, so before you go for this extreme make sure it would suit both your family and your home. Equally, minimalist kitchens may not fit in with the style of a traditional country cottage. But if this appeals, then look for clean lines, soft-touch closing drawers and doors and recessed handles.
Traditional Shaker
Traditional Shaker is perhaps one of the most popular styles for suburban kitchens. But that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Give a traditional design a few individual quirks such as hand-painted tiles on the walls or splashes of bright colours and you’ve got an on-trend and unique look for a budget price. Shaker is one of the most common types of kitchen refurbishment, but don’t let it tip over into bland – remember that the detailing will give it character. Look for quirky handles, unusual colours or finishes and flashes of modernity in amongst the traditionalism.
Contemporary
It’s easy to get contemporary and minimalist mixed up, but contemporary doesn’t always mean a pared down look, bland expanses of expressionless work surfaces and an almost souless overall effect. Contemporary can also mean quirky, so think clashing or neon colour schemes, ‘industrial’ touches such as exposed metal frames, pipes or ducts and even designs that take their inspiration from modern art. But do remember before you go for lime green and orange colour schemes that you are going to have to live with the results for years to come, so make sure a whim doesn’t quickly turn into a regret!
Family-friendly
A family-friendly kitchen is all about making the room feel like the heart of the home. So in this case there is room for pictures on the fridge door, a dog bowl in the corner and a table where the kids can do their homework while you rustle up tea. So think about storage, smart ideas that are contemporary but practical and strong doors and drawers that can put up with everyday knocks, kicks and bumps.
Country Cottage
Ah, the perfect idyll! Copper pans hanging above an Aga, herbs drying in bundles on hooks on the exposed beam and that gorgeous oak kitchen table in the centre of the room, all topped off with brick red tiles on the floor. The country cottage look is a truly relaxed and welcoming look, but again remember to consider the environment the design is being inserted into. So this isn’t a design that would work in a trendy, open plan warehouse conversion… as much as you’d like it to! But if you do decide to go for this look then think about your colour schemes and choose earthy hues matched with real wood cupboard doors and drawers.
