10 Kitchen Micro Trends

Kitchen design trends 2025 – kitchen in an apartment in Münster, Germany

WORDS VISI PHOTOS Swantje Hendrichsen 2021/Courtesy of Reform; Greg Cox/Bureaux (Paris Apartment); Marjike Williams; Nicolas Mathéus (Paris Guesthouse); Courtesy of Officine Gullo; Emma Jude Jackson (Cape Town House); Elsa Young/Bureaux (Johannesburg House)


These 10 trends have caught our attention, offering some cool ways to update your existing kitchen without a complete replacement.

COLOUR BLOCKING

In this kitchen in an apartment in Münster, Germany (pictured above), the homeowners selected Reform’s Basis collection and handles in a custom blue-grey colour, then combined this with this burgundy linoleum countertop. Add bright white tiles with blue grouting and a blue-yellow checkerboard floor, and the contrasting colours give the room an ultra contemporary vitality. And while South Africans might be a little less adventurous when it comes to bold colour at home, this trend is still coming through locally. “A big trend for kitchens is colour blocking, with base cupboards a different colour to the overhead cupboards,” says interior and industrial design Gareth Henderson. “Clients are also splitting the kitchen vertically, with one side being one colour, and the other being another material.” reformcph.com | antidoteza.co

SOLID SLAB BACKSPLASH

Kitchen design trends 2025 – This minimalist space in a Paris apartment has a solid slab backsplash

As this minimalist space in a Paris apartment shows, a solid slab backsplash – ideally made from the same material as the countertops – is one of the best ways to make a kitchen feel luxurious and contemporary. To a similar marble to the one seen here, check out WOMAG‘s Beola White and Statuario Maximus (5031) by Caesarstone which is a good match in quartz surfacing. womag.co.za | caesarstone.co.za

OPEN SHELVES

Kitchen design trends 2025 – kitchen from Inside Living

Over-filling our kitchen is an all-too-common design mistake, says Charlene Taljaard, designer at Inside Living Cape Town. “An overly full kitchen feels closed in and claustrophobic,” she says “and the available storage space (which we’ll inevitably fill) means we add to our clutter.” Our suggested solution? Remove the upper cupboards and go with open shelving instead; if necessary, add a large pantry cupboard or dresser near by for extra storage. Open shelves are a wonderful way to show off special vases, pots and serveware – and the perfect perch for artworks, too. inside.co.za

SOCIABLE SEATING

Kitchen design trends 2025 – kitchen in a luxurious guesthouse near Paris

Situated in a luxurious guesthouse near Paris, this kitchen demonstrates the way so many kitchen spaces now cater for social interaction as well as food preparation. So, make sure your seating options are optimised for usability – and ensure that stools are the right height for the counter or island to avoid awkwardness and discomfort. The worktop and central island here are in Nero Marquina marble; for similar tractor stools look at Ceilo’s Rufo barstool, or the Sahara counter stool by Incanda Furniture. We also think a stool with a supportive backrest – such as Pedersen + Lennard‘s KPA bar chair or the Riempie barstool by James Mudge – is a good idea. ceilo.co.za | incanda.co.za | pedersenlennard.co.za | jamesmudge.com

THE WINE COOLER

Kitchen design trends 2025 – Officine Gullo wine cabinet

The ultimate in kitchen cool right now? A wine fridge that keeps your collection of bottles at exactly the right temperature for optimal sipping pleasure. They are available in a wide range of built-in and standalone options, try SnoMaster or Gaggenau for the former, and for seriously show-off glam, there’s the entirely glass-sided wine cabinet by Officine Gullo. snomaster.co.za | gaggenau.com | officinegullo.com

EYE-CATCHING LIGHTING

Kitchen design trends 2025 – Easylife Kitchens design

Yet another way that kitchens are becoming more like living spaces is the increased attention given to more decorative features such as lighting. While practical considerations should be kept in mind in terms of task lighting, attention-grabbing pendants – or even a chandelier (or three!) – can provide the perfect focal point above a kitchen island. This kitchen by Easylife Kitchens is brought to life by a pair of geometric contemporary pendants. Vintage chandeliers are also great way to add visual flair; find them at Delos or Private Collections. easylifekitchens.co.za | delos.co.za | privatecollections.co.za

SERIOUSLY FABULOUS TAPS

Kitchen design trends 2025 – Dornbracht mixer

Combining superb functionality with brilliant design, the kitchen mixer is no longer just a tap. Not only can you choose from a huge variety of aesthetic styles, it is also possible to select water-filtering options, boil taps, integrated spray nozzles, and pot fillers – taps with pivoting spouts that make filling pots and pans directly at the cooking area a cinch – such as this Dornbracht design, available locally by Flush Bathrooms. dornbracht.com | flushbathrooms.co.za

CURVACEOUS KITCHEN ISLANDS

Kitchen design trends 2025 – The island seen here, in a family home in Cape Town by Werner Lotz of Hours Clear Architects, was created by interior designer Zarah Riley

The pill-shaped island seems to be the new ‘It’ kitchen island,” says Karen Steyn, owner and lead designer at The Home Studio. “The versatility of the style and the softness of the island edges mean it works with kitchens ranging from country traditional to contemporary, and is a great way to break up a linear design.” The island seen here, in a family home in Cape Town by Werner Lotz of Hours Clear Architects, was created by interior designer Zarah Riley. The linear pendant light is from Arkivio. thehomestudio.co.za | hoursclear.com | zarahriley.com | arkivio.co.za

A GLASS FRONTED DRESSER

Kitchen design trends 2025 – Lisa Storer's modern farmhouse

In interior designer Lisa Storer’s modern farmhouse outside Johannesburg, a contemporary glass-fronted dresser holds beautiful vases, cookware and serving dishes in a combination of storage and display. “I really love smart storage solutions – pull-out spice racks and cabinets, integrated drawer systems, pull-out shelves so you can reach the back of your cupboards,” says interior designer Zarah Riley. “These innovative features really elevate the kitchen to a new level of luxury and functionality.” thestorer.co | zarahriley.com

MODULAR MARVELS

Kitchen design trends 2025 – Very Simple: Kitchen

Modular kitchen units that you can order in sections to suit a particular space – and take with you when you move house if you’d like to – are an emerging and rapidly developing area of kitchen design.

Internationally, companies such as Reform in Denmark, and Italy’s Very Simple: Kitchen are making their mark in this area, with the latter producing customisable units in powder-coated metal that can be ordered online and are available in various colours and configurations.

Locally, keep an eye on what Hoop is up to: according to director Anthony Whitaker, they are taking “a refreshed approach to kitchens, one in which a kitchen is considered more like a piece of furniture, highlighting individual aesthetic values while still maintaining functionality at its core”.

And if you’re looking to outfit a smaller kitchen – in a short-term rental apartment or a holiday
pod, for example – check out Holly Wood Design Studio’s modular The Weekender range, which is handcrafted in wood and includes units that can contain ovens, hobs, sinks and fridges. reformcph.com | verysimplekitchen.com | hoop.co.za | hollywoodfurniture.co.za


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