The Fundamentals of Kitchen Design
If your kitchen bench doesn’t insist that you run your hand along it’s cool, smooth surface - even to throw your whole self on top if it - then let’s make that urge happen for you!
Kitchens. More than a place to flip your pancakes, roast your lamb or sizzle your wok. Kitchens are places to gather with friends, for everyday breakfasts and let’s face it, for some kitchens are a bit of a status symbol!
The top 8 elements you need to know about kitchen design if you're about to renovate, or just stay for some serious eye-candy.
The heart of the home as they say. So it makes sense that we are making informed decisions when it comes to designing our kitchens.
HEY there! - I want to let you know that I’m running a LIVE Interior Design Report for 2025. You'll be across the themes and ideas, colours and materials for interior design in this interactive live session.
It includes a deep-dive into kitchen and bathroom design so you'll be well-equipped to move forward for your project, or come just for the eye-candy. It’s for home-bodies, design enthusiasts, design brands and designers.
Come join me, it will be loads of information, gorgeous imagery and a lot of fun.
Timeless Kitchens
Now before we get started, I do NOT think that a kitchen can be ‘timeless’. There is not one kitchen to suit absolutely everyone, and defy every time. This is because how individuals use our kitchen spaces can be vastly different. Also, kitchens are heavily influenced by technology and even regulations.
When it comes to kitchens, we don’t expect a kitchen to last us our entire lifetime. We accept that after 20 years or more, a kitchen might show wear-and-tear because it’s used a lot.
I noticed that those that were seeking a ‘timeless’ kitchen or something that wouldn’t date, chose white. White cupboards, white benchtop, white overhead cupboards and the most simple kitchen design. So we ended up with an awful lot of white kitchens. Then that flipped to black kitchens. So what we see is a lot of black and white kitchens that define the 2010s. Since they all looked the same they are a look associated with a time. Therefore they are not time-less.
So this is why we shouldn’t aim for ‘timeless’ kitchens and instead design for our individual lifestyle and taste.
To illustrate my point, my kitchen is from 1961. It is charming. It has the most indestructible kitchen sink imaginable. The layout works perfectly. Except the fridge does not fit - minor detail!
So the fridge lives in the laundry because modern fridges do not fit in the space allocated. Whilst the appliances have been updated and the benchtop replaced, a kitchen can not be ‘timeless’.
So every space is of it’s time and we should not strive for a kitchen that is time-less.
There is no such thing, so instead let’s look at how YOU like to live and dive into YOUR individual taste. When you do that, you will love that kitchen for a long time.
This is a deep dive into kitchens in 2025 as well as a few themes, materials and styles that are just emerging. So you can feel confident to implement them now, and the others won’t catch on for about five years time.
1. Vibe shift to warmth
what’s OUT
coloured timber stains
2. A decorated space
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3. Unfitted kitchen
4. Benchtops
tiled
edge profiles
5. Lighting
6. Layouts
7. Tiles
8. Unexpected elements
1. Vibe Shift to WARMTH plus what’s ‘out’
I don’t want to be a negative Nancy here and point my finger about what is ‘out’. Chances are that if your kitchen has any of these elements, it is still a perfectly functional kitchen, which is more I can say about my own kitchen (see note above about fridge not even fitting).
However if you’re planning to renovate then I want to be straight with you. You need to know what is dated now, as will be terribly dated by the time you renovate. You will have seen it everywhere and this is why we can feel ‘over’ a look.
What is OUT:
what I call ‘shopping centre’ aesthetic
waterfall edges
concealing everything behind cupboards
white kitchens with black accents
cool grey marble like Cararra
black tapware
60 - 80mm thick square benchtop profiles
We’re seeing a lot of warmth through the use of timber kitchens with open shelving to allow for kitchen things and select ceramics pieces to be on display. This ‘lived-in’ look is relaxed, there’s space for the kitchen to be a kitchen.
Let me explain: in minimal kitchens with everything hidden, something like the humble coffee cup on the bench stands out and looks out of place. Which is crazy because the kitchen is literally designed for food and drink preparation.
When a kitchen has pieces intentionally on display it is an easier space to live in.
We’re seeing a shift away from this ‘shopping centre’ look that we’ve seen for the past few decades (black, white with carrara marble) and there’s a real shift towards warmth, comfort and lived-in spaces.
Coloured Timber Stains
Within this vibe shift to WARMTH we see this micro-trend of coloured stains applied to timber. We still see the texture from the grain of the wood yet we can enjoy colour too.
2. A Decorated Space
The kitchen is not just a space to prepare and cook, it’s a space that we spend a lot of time too. Sitting at the island bench, having a drink with friends or simply just taking a minute to have a coffee. So why not surround ourselves with art and objects that bring us joy in the kitchen too?!
Decorating your kitchen isn’t all about lots of clutter on the bench and stuff everywhere collecting dust. It’s about only displaying aesthetic pieces so keep your tupperware in the drawer!
Consider displaying artwork, cheese boards, ceramics, feature lighting, lamps and even a cute Japanese kettle.
We’re seeing open shelves rather than enclosed cupboards. Less overhead cupboards makes the kitchen look slightly less ‘kitchen-y’ and it feels more integrated into the living and dining area. Let’s face it, those overhead cupboards are so hard to access, so why not use a shelf for your favorite coffee mugs?
Glass inserts to cupboards have been a huge look too.
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