
Australia's Top Kitchen Designs Trends of 2017
The kitchen, a central and highly utilized space in the home, often becomes a focal point for design updates. Travis Dean, co-founder of Cantilever Interiors, a company specializing in handcrafted kitchen design, offers insights into the prevailing trends shaping kitchen aesthetics and functionality. Dean highlights key areas such as flooring, joinery, benchtops, splashbacks, and integrated features, emphasizing a shift towards practicality, durability, and a seamless integration with living spaces.
Regarding flooring, a major trend involves extending living area flooring directly into the kitchen, fostering a cohesive and multi-purpose environment. Popular choices include American oak-lined finishes, concrete (especially with under-floor heating), and the resurgence of natural cork for its softer finish. Marmoleum is also gaining traction due to its durability and ease of cleaning, particularly advantageous in high-traffic kitchen settings.
In terms of joinery, while a broader range of colors is emerging in kitchen design, cabinetry often maintains a neutral palette. This allows bolder colors to be introduced through painted feature walls or decorative ceramics, offering flexibility for homeowners to update their color schemes without costly joinery replacements. For those opting for colored joinery, natural tones like blues, greens, and bony greys are favored, complementing other natural finishes. The two-pack finish offers extensive color and finish customization (matte or gloss), while laminate provides a more budget-friendly, albeit less customizable, alternative.
Benchtops are increasingly influenced by practicality and durability. While marble, particularly Calcutta and the newer Calcutta Gold with distinctive veins, remains popular, products like Dekton are gaining significant attention. Manufactured by Cosentino, Dekton is celebrated for its extreme hardness, resistance to high temperatures (up to 800°C), and resistance to chips and scratches, making it a highly robust option. Timber benchtops, despite their aesthetic appeal, are generally not recommended due to their susceptibility to expansion and contraction and moisture content inconsistencies. For more affordable yet stylish options, laminate benchtops with a ply edge are suggested, offering a softer surface that can prevent breakage if items are dropped. Waterfall benchtops, once popular, have largely fallen out of favor, replaced by open shelving or shadow-line detailing to reduce stone costs and enhance modern aesthetics.
Splashback trends indicate a move away from glass towards tiles. Glass splashbacks are considered dated and overly glossy, while tiles offer greater opportunities for personalization and design expression. Many tile brands are collaborating with high-profile designers, leading to a diverse and artistic range of options. Beyond these core elements, open shelving continues to be a popular feature, allowing homeowners to display personal items, adding color and character to the kitchen. Integrated appliances are also becoming more widespread, moving beyond high-end brands to mid-range options, to create seamless, clutter-free designs that are also easier to keep clean. Finally, there is a growing trend towards a "furniture approach" in kitchen design, where kitchen joinery increasingly incorporates elements traditionally found in furniture, further blurring the lines between kitchen and living spaces and emphasizing the kitchen's role as an integrated part of the home's overall design.
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