Serve up some style

The kitchen has become the heart of the home, where we not only cook but also entertain and sometimes work, create and dine. Home Improver editor Vivian Warby explores trends and ideas for a pandemic world

FLOORING – WOOD

We personally love wooden floors because of their warm ambiance and nowadays you have an unlimited selection of laminated flooring – it’s completely budget dependent.”

SUE LEDERLE, FOUNDER OF LEDERLE DESIGN

I’m all for wooden floors – which these days have great finishes, making them kitchen-friendly. I like a seamless look from the kitchen throughout the house.

WILL ENGELBRECHT OWNER OF WillDesign

GREEN IS THE NEW KITCHEN COLOUR

We are seeing a huge shift from a more neutral, traditional colour palette to one of colour, such as reds and greens, and also interesting textures.”

SUE LEDERLE OF LEDERLE DESIGN

There’s a definite move to colour for the kitchen. We are seeing more pastel and comforting shades: think pistachio green, ballet-pump pink and duck-egg blue.

WILL ENGELBRECHT OF WillDesign

LIGHTING

In your kitchen you want the lighting to be both inviting as well as bright enough to see what you’re doing while preparing your meals. For warmth, we enjoy a woven lampshade but this will depend on the style of the home and its owner.

SUE LEDERLE OF LEDERLE DESIGN

“Think flexible lighting –especially the new “train lights” that you can move and adjust to where you need them. Layered lighting is still big – go for spotlights, pendants, table lamps, floor lamps. A multi-purpose kitchen, which serves so many uses today, means you need lighting to change the mood in an instant.” WILL ENGELBRECHT OF WillDesign

And don’t forget natural light – skylights and windows are big in the trend to bring the outside in.

THE KITCHEN-DINING ROOM

With the move to a more open-plan multipurpose kitchen, it makes sense that the formal dining room has been ditched and is now part of the kitchen. This offers a practical and functional answer to how we operate in a pandemic world. The trend is multi-pronged. Some families are converting the formal dining room into a study, using it as a storage space or an “isolation bedroom”. Another way to bring the dead space of a dining room back to life is to break down a wall and incorporate it into the kitchen. The extended island (see overleaf) is a result of this trend.

THE EXTENDED ISLAND

One of the biggest trends right now is the extended island, with seating hidden under it and not jutting out. This is partly because of the death of the dining room. Extended islands functioning as dining tables also reflect the bigger trend of having more kitchen seating. A table abutting the island similarly creates a versatile workspace or a homework spot for the kids. It becomes a casual gathering place as well as a designated dining area. Added to that, extra storage can be incorporated into the island.

ROOM DIVIDERS

With the move to more open-plan kitchens, designers are having to come up with clever ways to handle the bigger space. We are seeing glazed walls, sliding panels – such as the ones in the picture by artist Mark Hilltout – and slatted screens being used instead of walls, offering greater flexibility. The key, say the experts, is to ensure the space can be transformed into different areas, if necessary. ” TIPS: Use removable wallpaper, painted panels, a big rug or different flooring to separate areas, for instance a patterned vinyl floor in the cooking area and hardwood in the dining/living section. But use colours and textures that link the areas.

EXTRA STORAGE

No, we are not just talking about extra cabinets for pots and pans which, of course, are a must. We are talking about spaces beyond the pantry. The pandemic has seen people stock up on food and other goods and often the pantry or shelves are just not enough to contain them. Never mind all that extra toilet paper. There is a move to second freezers, bigger pantries and using cupboards in other rooms (think the dining room) for storage.

CAFE CORNER NOOK

This trend is growing as a small-space solution. To recreate it, conjure up the idea of your favourite coffee shop. You can do this by adding a wooden bar counter against a wall or a window and accompanying that with bright bar stools creating a place to eat, drink, read or even work. Plus a view outdoors, if you have one, will create the illusion of more space.