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

[Kayemm]

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?

We recently went for oak bottom cabinets, ceramic white sink and worktops. While Matt high cabinets.

I think it looks modern but classic. Like these examples picture.
We choose no handles on high cabinets and built in ones on bottom in black along top of drawers

Natural stone or solid wood floor will also last longer than porcellain, vinyl or laminate and never goes out of fashion.

Except that I think you need to be careful about the way you lay those stone floors. We had a big slate floor laid about a decade ago and I refused the encouragement of the salesman and later the tiler to have a fancy style, with larger square and smaller rectangular slabs which were in fashion at the time. Instead it's just laid like bricks with narrow lines of dark grey grouting. When he'd finished it the tiler said he thought it looked very plain, but that's the point of classics — they don't sing and dance and draw attention to themselves.

Our kitchen is 18 years old now and I still love it, it makes me smile when I come back from holidays. We have shaker style units in red alder ( which has faded to a lovely golden honey tone, like a pale pine but without the knots!) topped with black granite. Handles are a simple slightly rounded brushed steel, chrome mixer tap with a tall swan's neck, stainless steel appliances giving a somewhat vintage industrial feel. Waited ages to find the right tiles, settled on dimpled ivory metro tiles and they are the icing on the cake. I'm hoping this kitchen might last to the end of my days! I had to be very firm with DH to insist I did not want any fancy carving added into the wooden mix. Only thing I don't like is the green microwave that some kind relative gave us for a wedding present, however, it works fine so I'll likely have to wait another few years to get one that matches the rest of the appliances!

Buy something you like, and stuff fashion. Me, I think real, good quality wood never dates; it has depth and warmth. But I gather that wood is now 'out of fashion'. Doesn't stop me loving my maple kitchen which I have had a long time now, still looks like new, and which I even brought with me when we moved house. I was able to buy extra fronts from the same range for the new house, they still make it. Most painted ones are only made for a few years. I'd had my maple ones well over a decade, and the design wasn't new then.
The more 'fashionable' something is, the faster it will date, IMO. Painted kitchens really date. The paint may not, but the colour will. You can date old kitchens by their colours- think of the pea green and cream 1960s ones. I had some bright shiny orange 1970s ones once (!), a bit bright, but very hardwearing though.

@SageRosemary Any chance you can put up a picture please? Sounds lovely!

@Flossflower @Allthegoodnamesarechosen thank you - I appreciate your thoughts
It's mind numbing at the moment 🤯

I agree with this. Much easier cleaning.

I'd choose something you like rather than whether it's really fashionable to be honest.
If you like it who cares if it's not the latest craze!

Solid wood in-frame doors. You can repaint them if you change colour scheme. Mine is 15 years old and still looks like new.

Just get something you like. Everything dates. I love the bright Moorish patterns and colours - our kitchen is a riot of colour! If we sell at a later date, then people can put whatever they like in. It’s you who will be in it multiple times a day, so just get something that makes you happy.

Shaker style. It's always "in"

I have a painted wood Neptune Chichester kitchen with 'white marble' worktops. If the colour of the wood dates I can paint it but it is neutral anyway so I can change the accessories, cushions, etc any time without great expense.

Unused to love shaker style kitchens, then I had one installed and it’s disgusting to try and clean the doors. Sadly my new house came with shaker kitchen and I’m only just finished cleaning all the previous owners crud out of the grooves 🤢.
Flat doors only for me, I’d like stainless steel but think they’ll look smeary.

What do you love the look of OP? When you look at photos of kitchens what do you come back to again and again?

To me the shaker look with cream/pastel/sage and Belfast sink is dated but it sounds like I’m in the minority! Just goes to show one person’s dated is another’s classic so you might as well choose what you like the best

We have gloss white slab with walnut tops and I love it

We've just ordered a new kitchen.

We went for white shaker with the idea that we can paint them further down the line as required.

Belfast sink.

Walnut slim shaker kitchens are all the rage now, particularly with a lovely dark veined marble worktop. Gorgeous.

Thank you everyone. Sorry to post and run earlier.

I have images on Pinterest and I love white and wood. Caspianberg's photos are gorgeous.

However my dh likes flat gloss as he feels it's easier to keep clean and will wear least. He probably does more cleaning than me. I think it may date.

He's said this morning that we aren't good at picking things and it's true, as a couple it's all about the compromise 😁

My kitchen has been in for about 20 years and it's ready for replacing, however, I imagine when I sell the new owners will paint it to start with because style wise it's still ok. It's natural wood/pine but effectively shaker style so no curves. you can still buy very similar cabinets now.

I would avoid anything glossy/high shine, anything brightly coloured or to "on trend", I would also avoid the current trend for open shelving instead of top cabinets, that don't last and isn't practical. Avoid anything too "out there" with tiles and back splashes, anything you'll eventually get bored with, keep it classic and simple and add colour and interest with accessories or wall colour.

We moved house about 3 years ago and inherited a solid wood Shaker kitchen with black granite. We didn't have the money to redo it completely, and the kitchen was solid with no wear (was probably 25 years old). We changed the oven, retiled, and had the units painted with new handles, and it looks fab - like a new kitchen! I reckon it bought us at least an additional 10 years if not more.

The previous owners did everything very well, with top quality fittings (and I'm VERY grateful!), which has obviously helped. The guy who did the work for us said to replace like for like would have been £30k+ 😳.

How old is your house and what style is it?

Although I prefer my flat gloss for easy to clean if I had a cottage or Edwardian Terrace I would get shaker style and sulk about having to clean it 🤣

Matt white/off white with as few mouldings as possible.
Try to make sure that the holes for handles are drilled for standard handles (or go handle less).
I don't go much for tiles, prefer a splashback in messy areas and a decent upstand at the back of worktop.
Worktops, go with whatever you fancy, these are easily replaced without dismantling the whole place.
I have cabinets from DIY kitchens. I have changed the handles over the years, changed worktops from laminate to quartz to wood, had painted walls between worktop and wall cabinets and changed to brick effect wallpaper and back again. Even changed plinths once.
As long as your basic skeleton is ok you can chop and change as necessary. I always have either a stainless steel or a glass splashback. My cooking tower never changes, and I never have a fridge or freezer integrated but do have an integrated dishwasher.