What style of Kitchen is going to age well

[WhatWouldHopperDo]

We are in a (rare for us) position to be able to rip out our kitchen and start from scratch. We can change the layout and style to (almost) anything. We have a large kitchen but I am fairly shit at picturing what something will look like.

What styles of kitchen have you got/seen that won’t look out of date in 5 years?

Also any recommendations for who to go to for a really good design/layout. Is a local independent better than someone like Wren or similar?

I was in the same position and chose white Matt flat doors with a black/grey,/white quartz worktop. I like to think it will be fairly timeless. Wooden look LVT in a natural wood colour.

My mum redid her kitchen 20 years ago and it still looks good. Flat, matte, off-white cabinets with brushed metal hardware. She is planning to update the hardware and the floor soon to update it, but otherwise it looks good.

To last as long as possible I think you really need to go white or a light to medium wood, with no trendy features.

Shaker kitchens for me. I have an off white/cream colour (its DIY kitchens Alabaster colour). I think this is pretty timeless. I think the white gloss type, and anything grey or navy will date quickly.

Also in the process of fitting a new kitchen. After investigating all the options Wrens/Howdens/Ikea?B&Q we have decided to use John Lewis.Fair prices and hassle free (we used them about 20 years ago too). They do the complete job and flooring/lighting etc if you so wish.

Thanks all. This bodes well as I do like off white and not anything dark for cupboard doors.

Would never have thought of JL @Mumek thank you. I’ll take a look.

Ours was solid wood. We printed it cream. New work tops floor and appliances. Added a breakfast bar. All looks amazing

Take a look at used kitchen exchange as well

Also think about the construction. If you have worktops put on in a way designed to be removed then you can update sections later without a full change.

Classic colours are wood, cream, white. Anything of currently fashionable colour may date - unless you love it and intend to stay in which case who cares?

Original choices don't date in the same way as they are less connected to fashion.

So either go classic or off-beam, but avoid 'fashionable'.

Ours is 25 years old! It's a bespoke solid pine one that a joiner built into our kitchen (very old and wonky farm house). The only thing we've changed is to paint it cream eggshell and add another length of cupboards and worktop down an empty side - we got another joiner to copy the style).

It's not what we went for (I wish it was), but cream shaker units with a wooden worktop will still look good in 30 years time, and looked good 30 years ago too.

Painted or wood cupboards mean you can repaint if the colours date.

Stainless steel fittings (sink, tap, ovens/fridge) less likely to date than other finishes.

Handles - Silver handles to match the silver tap, fridge etc, is probably the most timeless IMO. Or wooden handles if you have a traditional wooden kitchen. Brass or bronze or black handles are more in fashion now but not sure if that will last as it’s difficult to get other things to match (and mismatched goes in and out of style).

Shaker or flat fronted seem the most timeless of the cabinet styles. Flat fronted is possibly more “on trend” currently (and so perhaps more likely to date) but has the large benefit of not collecting dust!

Basically this - this is the most classic kitchen combo IMO.

Painted kitchens can be easily updated and won’t date.

What already looks really dated is those gloss finish handleless kitchens.

Honestly OP, go with what you like. It seems odd (to me) to approach quite a large investment on what a future buyer / you in 10/15 years might think is still relatively acceptable.

Go with something you love, but ideally with something that can be changed up in future - if you go with wooden cupboards, they can be painted later. If you have a handle / knob which attaches with one screw hole (rather than say a long thin handle with 2 screw holes) you can change the handles relatively easily. As a pp says, think about how you fit a worktop so it doesn't mean you have to rip out the whole backsplash etc if you want to change it (so maybe look at having an upstand which means you can remove the worktop once you remove the upstand rather than having to chip away at tiles for instance).

We have a kitchen that was "on trend" 5 years ago and everyone was already saying it was dated / would date etc. I still love it. Its my house and I spend lots of time in there. So much better than having a "meh" kitchen which is OK, works etc but was chosen just on the basis that it would be "timeless".

Wren, howdens made badly.
So called designers are not designers, they just know how to include the sizes and types of fittings they have.
But there’s usually a brochure for this.

Kitchens that last, I believe, should have a classic feel.
To last they need to be of solid construction.
Real wood or metal or concrete if you like. normal hinges. Shelves actually constructed in the cupboard not just resting on a plastic stick on bit.

This however is how the majority of kitchens come. It’s an affordable way for a manufacturer to supply to a wide variety of choices.
If you want something to look and be timeless maybe it’s about looking beyond.

For example.
Auctions often sell off pharmacy and haberdashery fittings.
Or , as above , cupboards constructed solidly.
Im always looking at films, tv etc at what the kitchens are like. Love the ones in Downton, for example.

Wren have a terrible reputation. Cream shaker,you can change worktops/flooring/taps/sink (we went for a butler) even splashbacks.

We are currently in the same position and I am having the same dilemma! We've recently bought (so I've been on Rightmove a lot over the last year) and it was really obvious how dated some kitchens were, even when they were clearly well made and have lasted!)

I think we are going to go shaker style but I am not sure about colour - I really like navy kitchens but I am aware they are everywhere right now, so I was really thinking about avoiding, but I think I am going to go for it as (a) I've liked navy, shaker style kitchens from before they became super popular over the last few years and (b) if we get fed up, we can repaint or just change the doors.

So ultimately, going with something we love - it helps that we are not planning to move anytime soon!

We have had a white gloss kitchen, about 5 years old from DIY kitchen with chrome handles and wooden top . Not only does it look stylish still it looks brand new despite being heavily used

I know this is off subject. But. Thoughts? Love..hate…Classic ? Timeless?

Will it appeal to younger people as need to sell house.

As other posters have said, an off white shaker style, classic shape and non offensive colour, with simple hardware that can be changed if necessary in the future. You can add character with wall colour/tiles etc.

That said, my brother's ILs have bright red kitchen units which I absolutely love. It was originally put in on the 80s and it's incredibly high quality with wooden hardware, it's a really warm and characterful kitchen and I think anyone would love it (they live in Scandinavia). I suspect if it's a classic shape and high quality it will pass the ravages of time.

This is Symphony kitchens Rochfort in Ivory.

It's a classic and will still look good in 20 years time. They are extremely well made and strong. You get a pot of touch up paint provided when you buy them too.

Symphony also does a kitchen called Cranbrook in the colours at the bottom of the page. The pale sage is just gorgeous.

I had a navy kitchen in my last house. We sold whilst it was still current.
This house we have a handmade kitchen of Christchurch so classic shaker that will last forever.
We've gone for white worktops and a light Green unit (we can repaint when necessary)
I'd avoid grey (already outdated) and marble quartz (again I think it will age)

I'd go for a shaker style personally with wood or white worktops

The black and the chunky handles are not my style and there’s not very much counter space which would put me off. If I liked the rest of the house I’d still buy it but change the doors or put a new kitchen in. I’m guessing from the shape of the room the picture was taken from a rear extension and the kitchen is now a windowless internal room? Those types of extension put me off more than the kitchen style tbh.