Kitchen Design - Bristol Life November 2022
REFRESHING YOUR HOME
In the latest issue of Bristol Life, local kitchen and interior design specialists give their tips and advice about quick and easy tweaks to accessorise your kitchen.
Charlotte Wright, Hobson’s Choice Designer, offers her ideas and recommendations for readers wishing to bring contemporary style to their kitchen space.
How important is the kitchen in the home?
The kitchen is widely regarded as one, if not the, most important room in the house. It has evolved into a more social, multi-functional area, not a dedicated cooking space, where people gather to talk, dine and, in more recent times, work.
Contemporary kitchen design and functionality offer options that allow the homeowner to create a space that goes well beyond the traditional view of ‘the kitchen’. High-quality materials and surface finishes, more sociable layouts, incredibly efficient and quiet appliances, and a focus on eye-catching design, are all factors that have increased the accessibility, comfort and, subsequently, homeowners' time within the room.
We’ve turned into a nation of foodies. How has this impacted what we want from our kitchens?
How a client desires to improve or enhance their recipe repertoire can influence a kitchen design in several ways, often beginning with the worktop surface. Different materials can be more suitable for specific types of cooking, for example, cool-to-the-touch stone is good for pastry rolling whilst an easy-to-clean laminate might be more appropriate for mixing curry spices that could stain.
To keep the preparation surfaces clear and useful cooking utensils within easy reach, the kitchen will need carefully considered storage. Internal cupboard pull-out drawers make storing and sorting ingredients easier, pocket doors can hide away small appliances that often clutter worktops, and functional rails put your favourite cooking tools at arm’s length.
Modern kitchen appliances can provide homeowners with professional-level cooking capabilities and helpful systems that guide the user and closely monitor the dish for perfect results. For those looking for options beyond the conventional oven and microwave, there are steam-combination ovens, induction and teppanyaki cooktops and sous vide vacuum drawers.
Bringing all of these elements together is a well-considered kitchen plan, which ties all of the different workflows together with the interior of the property, and the style of the homeowner. A task we always recommend is undertaken with the guidance and expertise of an experienced kitchen designer.
What are the latest colour trends/patterns in kitchen design?
The combination of two contrasting material finishes is still very popular with Hobson’s Choice clients. For example, tall units finished in aluminium, solid wood or book-matched veneer can create a beautiful backdrop to a kitchen space, with lower cabinetry finished in a complementing colour laminate or lacquer.
An island breakfast bar or wall units, finished in the same material as the tall units, then tie the kitchen colour scheme together. For extra visual interest, stone worktops with intricate veining and pattern can enhance the ‘wow’ factor.
Tell us a little about the hottest new materials and finishes
The reflective anodised aluminium surfaces of bulthaup b3 wall-panels have been a popular choice with clients in 2022. The panels are mounted on a ‘Function Wall’ system, which also provides space for additional accessories that can enhance the user cooking experience. Sand beige gold is particularly desirable because of the deep golden gradients that natural light create across the surface.
What are the best options for worksurfaces?
The best work surface option for a Hobson’s Choice client often depends upon how they intend to use and look after their new kitchen. If they desire a hard-wearing surface that can be easily cleaned and is resistant to knocks, then a bulthaup laminate worktop may be recommended.
Alternatively, if they are willing to take care of the worktop to avoid staining, chips and scratches, stone or quartz can offer a more visually interesting surface. For clients looking for an even tougher surface, there is stainless steel, bearing in mind that over time it will form a patina of light scratches.
What one luxury kitchen item or appliance would you never live without/would love in your own kitchen?
An induction cooktop with integrated downdraft re-circulating extraction has become an essential appliance choice for many Hobson’s Choice clients. The integrated downdraft filtration system opens up design planning possibilities that were once more challenging to create, due to the need for underfloor ducting. It means users can stand at the kitchen island to cook whilst looking into the room and talking to guests, keep an eye on little ones, or watch TV. It also removes the need for a cooker hood that would have previously taken up wall space or obstructed ceiling space over an island.