How to modernise your kitchen

For many people, the kitchen is the heart of the home, and when they begin to look a little dated, it’s only natural to want to transform the room into a modern space. A streamlined, contemporary kitchen design, combined with integrated appliances, thoughtful lighting and a mix of levels that helps to keep your room clutter free whilst leaving you more space to relax and entertain might sound like a dream – but it can be a reality. Here are top tips on how to modernise your kitchen.

How to modernise your kitchen

The beauty of a contemporary kitchen design is that both plain white and vibrant colours look great on kitchen worktops. If you want a slightly less clinical feel to plain bright white then manufacturers such as Silestone and Ceasarstone are now producing man-made composites that look like natural materials. Of course, while they can look just like marble or concrete, the real benefit of these surfaces is that they are much easier to look after than natural stones, particularly very porous ones such as marble. They’re also fabulous for creating feature splashbacks – for instance book matching a faux marble – with less of a financial outlay than, say, Carrara. Kitchens have evolved and as their colour and any pattern are consistent, the choice has grown over the past few years to include everything from pure brilliant white to zingy orange.

Appliances

Clean lines are important in contemporary kitchen design, so if you think of yourself as the next master chef and have your heart set on a range cooker, choose one of the more modern steel models from Mercury, Smeg or Rangemaster. Integrate as many appliances as you can as clean lines must continue across appliances too. If possible, place items such as washing machines and tumble dryers in utility rooms. 

Keep sightlines clear by installing simple below cabinet, in-ceiling or pop-up extractors rather than fancy hanging pendants, keep fridges and freezers behind closed doors and invest in good-looking, hardworking built-in cooking appliances and a sleek glass zoned induction hob. Finish off with a few modern day luxuries such as a boiling water tap offered by Quooker, pop-up power points and cool lighting. With all these fantastic appliances there is always a worry if and when they will break. If this is the case, a company that offers appliance repair should be called to fix any issues!

Stay neat

It’s good to have a focal point in your kitchen, and make a statement but it doesn’t necessarily work for all kitchen paraphernalia. Focus on one appliance, a KitchenAid mixer for example. The key to maintaining the clean lines in your kitchen is keeping it uncluttered. Hiding kitchen clutter, particularly in open-plan kitchens is essential, so plan in plenty of storage with deep pan drawers, tambour units to keep small appliances, crockery and china out of site. Floor to ceiling handleless cupboards can hide a multitude of sins so if you have space, they’re a good investment. Remember, though, for your kitchen to work efficiently, you’ll want easy access to all these things when you do need them, so we recommend siting pan drawers by ovens, larders close to prep areas and china close to the dishwasher. If you would like some inspiration when it comes to decoration, you could click here to read this article about how to go about this, even if your kitchen space is on the smaller side.

Modern kitchen design tips

Go fine
Create an illusion that your units are a piece of furniture with ultra-thin worktops that are ultra-modern. Or try wrapping a composite work surface in a contrasting shade or material around cabinetry on islands and at the end of runs.

Pick simple surfaces
Keep your design sleek by choosing glass or composite used for a splashback and large-format floor tiles with a matching grout.

Play with levels
Think about adding a high breakfast bar to an island for relaxed eating or create several levels on a peninsula with a raised area to hide the washing-up from dinner guests.

Trip the light fantastic
Why not get creative with your lighting? Use plinth lights to make base units look like they are floating or adding LED strips to the interior of wall cabinets or shelves to highlight favourite accessories. They can create the perfect mood in the kitchen whatever the kitchen.

Do  you have ideas on how to modernise your kitchen to share with my readers?

Every woman carries moments that shaped her. If you feel ready to share one of yours, you’re welcome to add it to my What’s Your Story? space — a gentle corner of the internet where real voices matter.