Kitchens: what will be the next trend?

[LakieLady]

We're going to have a new kitchen next year and, as we hope to sell up and move within the next couple of years, want to put in something that will be attractive to buyers rather than what we would choose for ourselves.

I think we have reached peak grey, so that will look dated by the time we sell, and doubt my ability to keep a high gloss finish free of fingermarks, so prefer a painted finish.

What does the MN hive mind think will be the next kitchen trend?

Kitchen is 16' x 10', and not very light, as the garden is higher than the house, iyswim.

My kitchen is quite dark (extension off the back of a 2 up 2 down and the window faces north) so we are planning to go for yellow walls to make it feel sunnier. We’ve got wood effect worktops, white subway tiles and white gloss units (all put in by previous owner) and I’m thinking that down the line I’ll replace the doors/drawer fronts with shaker style but still white. I really liked the sage green and white combo but DP hates green ☹️ The one thing I really want to change is to get a double oven so I can use the oven and grill at the same time!
I don’t think freestanding kitchens will become so trendy, for the same reason as open shelves - awkward to clean. We have fitted cabinets but a freestanding cooker and it drives me nuts because stuff falls down the sides/behind and you can’t really get to it to clean because it’s heavy and connected to the gas. Likewise we don’t have an integrated fridge and moving that to get to where you’ve dropped something is really annoying. Having everything fitted means less cracks for crumbs to fall down 🤣

This is our kitchen before (installed 1985!) and the reno from last year. It is only a little apartment kitchen and we live in Spain so fashions are slightly different (no shaker kitchens here!) but I love how much bigger it looks and so much easier to clean. The other side has floor to ceiling pantry cupboards, America's fridge and my favourite thing of all is the quooker tap I had to import from England so I can have nice tea here!

Anyway, from visiting all the high end showrooms it did seem that sleek and matte is the way forward and also dark, nearly black and wooden effect doors.

Like another poster has mentioned, I think black Matt will be a new trend. I’ve picked black Matt and oak for out new kitchen, I’m going to black on the base units and island and the and a full wall of tall units and integrated appliances in the oak.

I do have a large light kitchen with high ceilings though so it should be able to take dark colours.

This is the oak cupboards we’re having and they’ll be matched with the black Matt as the ones in the picture are dark grey.

We are having our kitchen done soon.
DH wanted black cupboards, I wanted navy blue. We have finally decided on something similar to QuentinInQuarantino -dark grey painted shaker style doors with a white marble finish granite top

@LakieLady

That's interesting *@Gancanny*, I thought a yellow might be nice on the walls. It could trick me into thinking my kitchen was sunny!

I only have one 10' wall to put wall cupboards on @Movinghouseatlast (one long wall has 3 windows, the other has 2 doors and the 2nd short wall has a door) and have ruled out open shelves because I'd have to keep them tidy! When I see open shelves in kitchens, they look more decorative than useful, tbh.

Yellow is lovely and i had it painted on my hallway, stairs and landing.

After about 3 weeks, i no longer liked it, as it just looked iffy... and like it was once white or magnolia and had yellowed with age or just general household guff.

So I casually mentioned to my husband that I would like it painted white instead and god bless him - he did it without too much fuss.
He is a painter and decorator, by trade, so it only took him a couple of hours to do both coats, etc.

If I were you I wouldn’t do it at all. We’re currently house hunting and my heart sinks when I see a newly fitted kitchen and soars when I see one crying out to be ripped out and replaced. People like to choose their own kitchen.

@DannyGlickWindowTapping can I ask about the led panel - does it just sit on the ceiling like a flat panel? Im intrigued by this!

We're moving to a house with a slightly dark kitchen and it needs a little updating so Im looking for ways to spruce it up and brighten it, cheaply but nicely!

@VinylDetective

If I were you I wouldn’t do it at all. We’re currently house hunting and my heart sinks when I see a newly fitted kitchen and soars when I see one crying out to be ripped out and replaced. People like to choose their own kitchen.

I agree with you, I hate the thought of paying the premium for brand spanking new kitchen/bathroom when I know I’ll rip it out and put in the one I want anyway. It feels like your paying for it twice.

I really wouldn't put a new one in. Get bits repaired instead. Chances are anyone coming in will change it.

Our kitchen was about 18 years old by the time we sold (it was in when we bought the place). If we'd put a new one in chances are it would have been ripped out along with the 2 x 5 year old bathrooms we put in that I saw in the front garden the other day.

@laiste - if you can visit DIY kitchens you can really get a feel for what you like. They even have kitchens in use - and bake cakes and biscuits for visitors along with free tea and coffee - and you can wander round as long as you like - no one hassles you. Their cupboards all come in 50mm increment widths so your kitchen can look bespoke.

Re top cupboards - I only have one and have gone for a bifold upwards so no doors in the way when it is open.

Like others I chose the handleless finish, so easy to keep clean but do need wiping regularly as bits can gather there.

No ordinary cupboards all with drawers - I especially like the unit that has a door and then wire drawers inside. The neatness of just one door and the convenience of shelves.

My house is a new build and the kitchen in my old house was a beech foil finish. The kitchen is 20 yrs old and the new owners do intend to replace it but they have been there a year now and say there is no rush because it is perfectly serviceable.

People have been saying that grey going out of fashion for ages but like cream is is neutral and will remain a classic, not least because grey is not just one colour, there are so many shades.

Mine is small and part of my one room, living, dining and kitchen (I live alone) I love it being grey and neutral.

That’s a beautiful kitchen @RealityExistsInTheHumanMind. I love the light fitting, where did you get it?

@RealityExistsInTheHumanMind

That's a lovely compact kitchen. That worktop is similar to my kitchen and worktop colour.

It doesn't date and is very fresh.
A light coloured flooring also keeps it very bright.

@RealityExistsInTheHumanMind
That’s a lovely, fresh looking kitchen. It’s a sort of classic contemporary style that wo t date quickly.
We put a new kitchen in our old house using DIY kitchen cabinets. They were well made and sturdy. When we sold, the new buyers redid everything- except the kitchen, which really surprised me.

Kitchens trends are like fashion clothes, they date! Some of them remind me of Leggo in a
goldfish tank with the large expanse of glass doors. Sleek and slick but cold. I think classic designs don't date, they might not be all the rage but stand the test of time

In general I think the kitchen should be based on the era and architecture of the house. I'd go for something fairly low-key but following that principle if I was looking to sell
That’s my philosophy too. I think a trendy kitchen would jar in an old country cottage for example.

If I were you I wouldn’t do it at all. We’re currently house hunting and my heart sinks when I see a newly fitted kitchen and soars when I see one crying out to be ripped out and replaced. People like to choose their own kitchen
Same here. A new kitchen in a property would put me off unless it was exactly what I’d have chosen as, out of principle, I couldn’t rip a perfectly good new kitchen out. Such a waste.

I love reading about kitchen trends!
We live in an old farmhouse dating from around 1870 and have a freestanding kitchen. It's 3 custom built butcher blocks - 2 for prep and one is a stand for a huge double ceramic sink. We have a freestanding armoir with glass doors and we keep our delph in there. I really love it as it is perfect for this house but not like anything I've seen anywhere else - which could be a bad thing haha!

I have 2 friends who have fitted dark green kitchens in the past 18mths. They're both lovely, but one is nicer than the other in my opinion due to the larger size of the kitchen, the amount of light with lots of huge windows and the shade of green used.

I like navy, but think perhaps it's a bit done now, same a grey, which is a great pity as I love grey!

I think I would love to plan a new kitchen but in reality suspect it would be very difficult and I would dither!

We have just done ours and it's dark blue, not quite navy with brass handles and a pale quartz worktop. Shaker style.

It is on trend but as we're not moving anywhere for at least 5 years, probably more like 10, I don't care. It's a big light filled south facing room so it can cope with dark units. Unfortunately it will never be spotless and clutter free due to 3 children.

We lived with our old kitchen for 5 years as we couldn't afford to change it and that was so badly laid out with cheap white units which showed all the stains and nasty black laminate worktops. I am very glad to see the back of it.

I’m just in the process and I have gone for green base units, no wall units, a long shelf and brass accents.

When we were buying, we avoided "trend" kitchens like the plague. Kitchens are expensive. The last thing you want is one that will date like mad, you will either be stuck living with something very obviously out of style or will end up spending a lot to update it.

Go for a simple, classic style. Light coloured units, granite work tops in black or grey. Its easy for a buyer to accessorize it to add their own style, but won't be extreme enough to put anyone off.

The kitchen & general decor trends in magazines are always relatively specific because they want you to feel you must constantly spend to update.

@VinylDetective
It's this one

I got it direct from Amazon though not a third party

This is what our kitchen should look like in a few weeks.

This is what it actually looks like now

[quote RealityExistsInTheHumanMind]@VinylDetective
It's ]]

I got it direct from Amazon though not a third party[/quote]
Thank you. It looks much better in situ than online. I love it.

@bridgetreilly the issue with the mortgage was that the mortgage company thought they would take with them. It was estate so I’m not sure how a dead vendor would take a freestanding kitchen with them, presumably use a unit as a coffin. It was horrendous and we ended up pulling of the purchase.
Think the vendors daughter ended up buying a second hand kitchen on eBay as she was really struggling for money but it’s been a long time since that happened.

After almost 2 decades of my hints, moans and flounces my DH said, this weekend, that we should totally redo our kitchen. The current one was installed when our house was built in 1988! The doors are solid oak - painted by me last year as a stopgap.

So, you would think that I would have had plenty of time to decide exactly what I want in a new kitchen but, as PP have pointed out, fashions have changed so regularly that the flat, white gloss doors that I would have chosen 5 years ago are no longer 'the thing' and, frankly, I want a bit more!

Whatever the colour (probably a neutral) I will have:
lots of deep pan drawers instead of lower cupboards
a pull out larder
quartz worktops
integrated white goods
wall cupboards that go all the way up to the ceiling.