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Original poster

New kitchen units. Everything dates, what will date least?

73 replies

Kayemm · 21/01/2023 09:35

I'm having an extension which includes a 15 x 14 kitchen.

I'll be living with this kitchen probably for the rest of my life😁

What is an absolute classic where kitchens are concerned?

OP posts:
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Isseywith3witchycats · 21/01/2023 09:39

i wouldnt worry about what dates its you that will be living day to day with your kitchen pick the one you like for the budget you have got, when we did ours we had it in mind we were definitely going for pale grey matt and walked out of DIY kitchens having ordered a pale blue gloss finish

mug2018 · 21/01/2023 09:39

I'm in a similar situation as a big investment so I don't any to get it wrong.
I'm thinking about this but also worried that it will date

New kitchen units. Everything dates, what will date least?
Twoshoesnewshoes · 21/01/2023 09:41

Probably a light beige shaker with black granite or wood worktops. Fairly classic I think.

3WildOnes · 21/01/2023 09:42

I wooden go for solid wooden painted doors. That way if you fancy a change of colour you can re paint fairly easily.

Twoshoesnewshoes · 21/01/2023 09:43

Though we had the doors replaced on our quite large kitchen when we moved in (previously purple gloss slab, I detested it) and it cost under £500, so it can be changed at a later date.

ElizabethinherGermanGarden · 21/01/2023 10:01

We have natural wood and black granite and I can confirm that it is horribly dated 😩

I would say that the closer you can get to the posh style (Neptunes of Chichester is my favourite), the longer it will last. They tend to go for 'timeless' looks, which of course are nothing of the kind but seem to be closer to that idea than anything else.

ThingsChristmasJumper · 21/01/2023 10:04

Relative put a Matt white solid wood slab door kitchen into their house in the 80s and it’s still going strong despite new owners. Anything grey is already dated.

TiredandLate · 21/01/2023 10:09

It's very subjective, but I'd go classic shaker style in a neutral colour and a wood grain worktop. It's the jeans and a white T-shirt of kitchens.

Flossflower · 21/01/2023 10:12

mug2018 · 21/01/2023 09:39

I'm in a similar situation as a big investment so I don't any to get it wrong.
I'm thinking about this but also worried that it will date

I think grey is not so fashionable now. 30 years ago it would have been considered awful, so everything does go out of fashion. I am not being unkind, I choose a grey kitchen a couple of years ago!😀
I have tried this with crockery. About 10 years ago I got plain white thinking it would stay current for a while. I don’t think it has.

JacksPottedPepper · 21/01/2023 10:26

We had a kitchen extension built 10 years ago and I went with two tone kitchen as I wasn't sure how the light was going to work as it is north facing. I am replacing my cabinet doors/cover panels/pelmet etc this year for around £2k so you can always factor that in. Our carcasses are white and there are plenty of companies that will provide standard sized doors or made to measure which we are having to do as ours is Ikea.

Our worktop is very light as is the tiling so easy to replace the doors and it all still compliment it. However, we didn't spend a fortune on the kitchen in the first place. The carcass and doors are Ikea but everything else, worktops, sink, appliances etc are from elsewhere.

I don't care about "trends" because my Dad worked in marketing so told us we should always just choose what we like not what other people say is fashionable which is after all what manufacturers say is fashionable so that they can sell you stuff. Choose what you love now. That is exactly what we did, but I am just bored of it now but can easily change out the door colour. If I had gone for a painted kitchen I could have had it repainted.

ouch321 · 21/01/2023 10:28

Matt white

Can't go wrong

ouch321 · 21/01/2023 10:29

Isseywith3witchycats · 21/01/2023 09:39

i wouldnt worry about what dates its you that will be living day to day with your kitchen pick the one you like for the budget you have got, when we did ours we had it in mind we were definitely going for pale grey matt and walked out of DIY kitchens having ordered a pale blue gloss finish

Pale blue gloss sounds v pretty.

Did you post a pic of on another similar thread recently?

SheWoreYellow · 21/01/2023 10:31

We had this dilemma and decided that anything that won’t date just looks dated. Eg cream shaker we had done in our last our house in 2010. It would just look very 2010.

If I had to, I’d probably go white shaker with knobs rather than cup handles.

LadyAstor · 21/01/2023 10:38

I think a pale painted wood shaker kitchen with solid wood work surfaces is pretty classic and wont date. I like a belfast sink too.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 21/01/2023 10:40

mug2018 · 21/01/2023 09:39

I'm in a similar situation as a big investment so I don't any to get it wrong.
I'm thinking about this but also worried that it will date

Don’t be offended, but grey and it’s allies are on the way out. Just look at any colour prediction site, things are really warming up.

DillDanding · 21/01/2023 10:43

I can’t see wood (ie not painted) coming back in style any time soon. Ditto handleless gloss which was really trendy 15 years ago and is now horribly dated.

I see a lot of new kitchens in my job and can tell you every single one at the moment is painted, either a pale grey or cream tone or very dark, with a contrasting island colour. Rose gold or brass handles are huge right now. Every other house has the Cox and Cox bar stools at the island (as do I!) and wishbone chairs and bench seating at the table, with the ubiquitous sheepskins draped.

I’d get something you can paint as you will get sick of whatever you choose.

Gronkle · 21/01/2023 10:48

I have shaker dark grey, I've had it a few years now and still love it. When the grey goes completely out I'll paint it, easy peasy. I'm really not worried about it dating though, it only needs to make dh and I happy.

DilemmaDelilah · 21/01/2023 11:01

I have plain slab doors with no handles. Sort of blue/green matt on the bottom and cream matt on the top. I didn't choose it to be fashionable I chose it to be practical. I don't like handles, so I didn't have handles. I have lighter units on the top because it is a long thinnish kitchen and having a light colour means it doesn't feel as closed in at head level. go with something you like that is practical... If necessary you could change doors and handles in the future.

Plingston · 21/01/2023 11:07

I would guess at wooden shaker doors which can be repainted. We have light, creamy grey cupboards in this and i guess the colour will be dated quite soon. It still looks nice in the context of my kitchen though. Handles can be changed so i wouldn't worry too much about those.

PuppaDontPreach · 21/01/2023 11:11

Shaker in a light colour with granite worktop should last fairly well. Remember it is easy to change handles.

That said, in your shoes I would go for what you love and not worry about it dating.

snowsilver · 21/01/2023 11:14

Anything wood that you can paint. That way you can start with a colour you like and paint over in years to come.

KangarooKenny · 21/01/2023 11:15

White or cream in plain doors will age well. You man always change the colour of the walls, or the tiles, to suit the fashion. I wouldn’t go for wooden work tops.

AlsoRejected · 21/01/2023 11:15

Shaker in neutral colour with white granite or wood tops. Belfast sink. Avoid black or rose gold taps.

Mercurial123 · 21/01/2023 11:20

Agree matte white is considered a timeless kitchen option

SwedishEdith · 21/01/2023 11:21

Ditto handleless gloss which was really trendy 15 years ago and is now horribly dated.

I'd consider handleless gloss as pretty practical and not really dated.