Choosing a new kitchen help, what's going to be naff if 5 years?

[mrsdowneyjnr]

We are replacing our kitchen but I'm struggling to choose. There are so so many to choose from. I played safe with our existing kitchen with shaker style in non offensive wood colour. It hasn't dated and we have replaced the worktops some years ago, but, it now looks worn and abused.

I would like a more modern look but would hate to spend a small fortune to then hate it in a few years.
Things I like

1. Matt white flat doors (actually this in one thing I did hate about shaker doors is the dirt catching ledges)
   

1.Wenge flat doors either matt or gloss.
1.White worktops (are these impracticable?)
1.Grey doors

The room is 5mx3m so will hope to have a island/peninsular/breakfast bar with units on both short walls. (could I have a mix of door colours, say different doors on the island?

Also, has anyone had experience of //DIYkitchens.com I have some door samples ordered? The doors are painted or lacquered which DH says are better than foil? Is this right?

[allthatglittersisnotgold]

Also having a dilema, would like white gloss, that is massively goign to date I'm sure!

Guess you just have to go with what you like and forget opinions!

[MillyMollyMama]

I have a mix of colours, pale grey and off white but not top and bottom. Just the island unit is the off white. I also would avoid white work surfaces. I have a grey flecked granite and it is fantastic. I do have shaker style hand painted units but I would definitely look at flat white and have interesting handles. I think wenge will date personally. I would also consider a very light pale washed wood. We had spray painted doors in another kitchen, and these were also tough. 1500 colours to choose from. This was a German kitchen (installed a while ago) and anything made there is usually good quality with loads of different sizes of cupboards.

I have had a gloss white kitchen and found it lasted well and I think gloss flat doors are also a good idea but a whole sea of them can look a bit dazzling. You need at least 1m between the island and other work surfaces for circulation. We have 1.4m and still get in each other's way at times.

[Mandy21]

Also updating kitchen but trying to do it on a very tight budget until we can extend. I have thought about using DIY kitchens too  have spoken to them and they were very helpful. Have searched online and read lots of reviews. Only one massively negative review and that seemed to be to do with cupboards de-laminating so I guess if you have painted or sprayed doors that won't be an issue. I am also thinking flat gloss, mainly because we don't actually have that many cupboards and could do with some reflected light, and although I love the Tom Howley / Martin Moore style in-frame kitchens, currently have an old kitchen with lots of ridges to clean and it drives me insane. I think as long as you get something relatively plain  but add detail with handles etc, it won't date. We're also having an island but only something relatively small (90cm x 1.4m) and there is 90-100cm clearance all the way around it.

[EddieReadersglasses]

Interesting thread! We get to choose a kitchen for our new house when it's built and I had been thinking along lines of shaker but hasn't considered that the doors would be more tricky to clean. I'm definitely going to avoid high gloss as I think that might date (and be tricky to keep clean)
The idea of plain doors but interesting handles sounds good though!
Watching for more ideas and things to avoid

[MrsJohnDeere]

I reckon the things that will date are high gloss flat white doors, grey walls and brick shaped tiles, simply because they are everywhere at the moment.

[EddieReadersglasses]

Btw what is wenge? I've googles it and seems to be wood with horizontal grain?? Is that right?

[Mandy21]

Just to add, I think it depends on what you like. Brick shaped tiles were 'all the rage' when we did the kitchen in our last house around 2004 so they've been around 10 years and as a pp says, they're everywhere at the moment!! So if you're only worried about what might date in a few years, I don't suppose many things will suddenly go out of fashion that quickly. And its all down to personal taste, I would just go with a design that you like particularly if you're going to have to live with it for a number of years and making quite an investment. Don't be put off what you like just because you think it will stand the test of time.

[MillyMollyMama]

Wenge is a very dark wood with an open grain. Sometimes it is nearly black. Suits large very light spaces but not small ones. I don't have kitchen tiles as the hob is in the island. Behind my main sink I have a mirror to reflect the garden. This works well. 900mm is a very small corridor between and island and other cupboards.

[LondonGirl83]

Wenge is a dark wood.

Grey will date but not in 5 years. As a kitchen colour its still relatively new and will get some mileage for at least that long.

We had a similar dilemma and got a carpeter to build us a handpainted wooden kitchen. We opted for white now but can repaint at relatively little cost as colour trends come and go over the years.

You'd be surprised what a good carpenter can make. Very modern designs can be done out of wood.

[EddieReadersglasses]

Thanks milly and londongirl

What are peoples thoughts on glass splashbacks? Likely to date? What do people use for kitchen tiles if not metro type? Ive currently got small square tiles which are very nice but probably not what people would put in now.

[apermanentheadache]

I would just choose something you like to be honest! If you are thinking of resale, the chances are that whoever comes along in 5 years' time to buy your place won't share your taste anyway. I have seen beautiful (to me) kitchens and shown them to friends/ my mom/ DH who have all said euuuuuuuurgh!

There is more wood about at the moment, and I'd imagine this might replace foil/ high-gloss as the go-to look a few years down the line.

Have to say I'd be anti-metro tiles. I'm visually bored by them [pretentious emoticon]. And they're hard to keep clean too.

If you look in a mag like Living.etc you'll find lots of ideas there - it's usually quite 'forward' and doesn't rehash current trends.

[lovingmatleave]

Go for what you like tbh. Currently thinking about new kitchen but have seen so many current ones that I think are naff, never mind what they will look like in 5 years. Our current one is only 8 years old but looks sooo old fashioned. Used metro tiles about 9 years ago in previous house but still like them. I also still like mosaic tiles, espec from Fired Earth but they are probably out of fashion.

[InsertUsernameHere]

Agree with the others - go for what you like. We used DIY kitchens and all was good. They do a vast range from vinyl wrapped to solid wood and painted wood. We went for painted wood and chose a carcass to match. Not used the kitchen yet (move in next week) but looks lovely when I go over to stare at it and maybe stroke it

[stackablegoatbearingcheesecake]

What I think looks dated today includes
anything gloss
white
grey
glass splashbacks
flat doors

and what looked dated years ago as soon as it came in was those bright white or blue lights in the kick boards.

Ours is 15 years old. Wasn't my choice but doesn't look any more dated than when it was new. It's very neutral, suits the style of the house and could be made to look ultra modern or any other decor theme really just by decorating and the window treatments.