5 Kitchen Trends For 2016

“The table is life,” says Caesarstone Marketing Director Trevor King. “I cannot remember a time when I last saw a kitchen that was not part of the greater open-plan living space.”

Indeed, the last decade has seen the undeniable rise of the kitchen, which continues to be the new family room of the home in 2016. Add to this the advent of functional-chic design, ’70s glamour and muted colour schemes and you have all the looks leading the pack this year.

1. Industrial Chic

Find the beauty in the utilitarian by mixing natural timber and worn textures with forged or welded tin, aluminium, iron and steel. Think brushed-steel cabinet fronts with a matte finish and a hint of characterful patina, and combine with high-gloss accents by way of furnishings and appliances. Go for open shelving and opt for unfussy lighting options such as down-lights and simple pendants that place the emphasis squarely on function as opposed to decoration. The result? A clean, streamlined look.

2. Open-Plan

The big appeal of the open-plan kitchen is for the cook to be part of the action when entertaining and, on a day-to-day basis, for the whole family to be together. Successful open-plan spaces are not only those that are cohesive, but where different areas of activity are “zoned” or defined. Zoning will help you move from one activity to another (e.g. sitting down to watch TV without feeling like you’re in the kitchen and need to wash up!) and can be achieved in any number of ways, including considered furniture placement, well-designed lighting and variation of ceiling and floor heights.

3. Retro Diner

Fun and funky colour in suave ’70s shades of mellow mustard or offbeat avocado is making a resurgence in modern-day kitchens. Think blocky laminate units and Formica countertops in high-contrast hues. Continue the theme with mix and match modular dinette-style furnishings. Spotlights add drama and built-in storage lends efficiency in kitchens that resemble Jetsons-like space capsules. And, when it comes to add-ons, it’s plastic fantastic all the way, as organic-shaped acrylic accessories and linoleum floorcoverings replace natural or industrial style materials. Throw in a lava lamp or llama rug and you’ve got the retro look waxed.

4. Single Units

A single kitchen wall unit with integrated storage and appliances is the way to go when space is at a premium. Indeed, kitchens are disappearing before our eyes with designers doing their best to make fridges and other appliances appear invisible. Sleek and clean with all clutter concealed, galley kitchens off a main living area benefit from the installation of sliding or louvered panels that essentially tuck the bulk of the heavy-duty work behind closed doors, making it easily accessible when needed and easily concealed when preferred. Multifunctional never looked so good.

5. Pale Palettes

Subdued colour enters the modern country kitchen by way of a muted palette that combines pale pistachio with bleached wood. A large central island is a must in such a space, its crate-style drawer units a rustic complement to chunky railway-sleeper ceiling beams. Picking out the green of the wall colour, a verdigris chandelier provides illumination, while copper fixtures and fittings and matching utensils add a healthy dose of old-world glamour. However, preventing it from veering towards the old-fashioned or overdone, granite countertops lend a high-gloss contemporary edge while subway tiles used as splashbacks bring this kitchen bang up to date.

Caesarstone, which is co-headline sponsor of Decorex Cape Town for the second year running, will this year, treat visitors to its recent collaboration with UK designer-extraordinaire Tom Dixon.

Decorex Cape Town will be open from 10am to 7pm daily (6pm Monday). Tickets cost R85 for adults; R75 for trade, pensioners and students and R20 for kids under 12. For more information, e-mail decorexsa@ThebeReed.co.za or visit decorex.co.za.