Kitchens are one of the rooms where we spend the most time while also being one of the most versatile spaces in a house. That is why, over the years, it is usual to reform the kitchen to adapt it to our tastes, our needs or our routines.
In modern kitchen design, the main goal is usually to achieve a balance between aesthetics and functionality. However, the range of possibilities is so wide that, if you are thinking of changing your kitchen, you may want to know what recommendations and advice the experts have to offer.
To help you, the professionals at L’Antic Colonial have compiled the latest kitchen trends for the coming year.
The kitchen, a multifunctional and “chameleon-like” space
The coronavirus has changed our routines and our work and leisure habits. That is why, in the wake of the pandemic, many people have been looking at the value of their homes and have considered making changes.
The kitchen is one of the rooms where we spend the most time at home and, one of the most reformed spaces when given the possibility to do so: according to a report by the specialised portal Habitissimo, kitchens are the second most renovated rooms in a home (11%), only behind bathrooms.
Nowadays, one of the great challenges when renovating kitchens is to turn them into versatile and chameleon-like spaces in which to cook in a relaxed way, enjoy family moments and even work.
This change of “roles”, which breaks with the traditional stereotypes of furniture and decoration, means that one of the priorities in the 2022 kitchen trends is to find specific solutions to fulfil each of these functions.
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For example, open kitchens facing the living room are once again a trend, as they are one of the best alternatives for unifying the surface, making it more practical and accessible. In this way, it goes from being a space relegated to a single use, on specific occasions, to the main area of a house where besides cooking, can be enjoyed as a place to work, a meeting area or a playroom.
Some of the latest trends that will help turn your kitchen into a multifunctional space are:
Less is more
Contrary to what it may seem, making the kitchen more versatile means making the space visually uncluttered.
Therefore, the most modern kitchens have adopted warm minimalism as one of their hallmarks, creating clean, welcoming spaces in which straight, simple lines are allied with natural materials and neutral colours.
Lighting by workspace
One of the keys to making the kitchen a multifunctional space is for the lighting to create different atmospheres. To do this, it is advisable to choose lights of different temperature and intensity for each area: for example, there should be a general light and specific lighting for each activity, always avoiding dark areas or areas with a lot of shadows. The general guideline is to use cool lights in food preparation areas (such as the worktop) and warm lights for leisure areas.
As natural materials are one of the main 2022 kitchen trends, braided cord lamps are emerging as a good decorative option to illuminate kitchens in an elegant way.
Improved storage solutions
Lack of storage space is a problem in many homes. In the case of kitchens, keeping them tidy is essential for them to remain one of our favourite rooms of the house. That’s why one of the latest trends in kitchens is to opt for XL kitchen cabinets that give us more centimetres in both height and depth.
Other kitchen trends for 2022 that you should know about
Dark tones with small “accents” of colour
If in recent times the combination of black worktops and white furniture has been very popular, dark colours are one of the main trends for kitchens in 2022, with matt black, anthracite and grey as the main protagonists.
One of the advantages of opting for this palette is that dark fronts have an elegant finish and offer many possibilities when it comes to combining them with walls, electrical appliances and other decorative accessories in the kitchen.
Among the tones that can be combined with a fundamentally black kitchen to achieve small accents of colour, the softest and warmest ones stand out (brown or earth colour) that transmit a sense of wellbeing.
Also mint and green. This last proposal, although somewhat risky, offers very balanced results, especially if we have plants in the kitchen or if we opt for wooden floors.
Marble, a material that is making a strong comeback
Although it never goes out of fashion, marble goes through periods of greater or lesser popularity. But everything points to the fact that in 2022 it will be back on trend and will become one of the preferred materials in kitchen renovations, both for the back wall and for the workbench.
Marble has many advantages: elegant and clean, it is very resistant to heat and high temperatures, and it comes in a wide range of shades, so it can be combined with walls and furniture in many colours and styles, from the most classic to the most modern and daring.
Dark, anthracite-textured marble is one of the most popular, but you can also use grey, brown or beige natural stone, three of the colours of the moment.
Wood in flooring, fronts and furniture
The return of marble to the trend rankings is the result of the commitment to natural materials in home renovations.
Possibly the most important of them all is wood, which in the kitchen appears both in floors and in front panels and furniture. However, our recommendation at L’Antic Colonial is to use simulations of wood in Laminate or Linkfloor, as these are the most suitable options for this type of space.
Wood combines well with glass and stainless steel. In addition, combined with concrete and iron, it achieves atmospheres inspired by industrial and Nordic style.
Furniture with simple lines and accessories in gold and copper
Another kitchen trend for 2022 is frosted surfaces, i.e. matt and with hardly any shine, both on floors and on worktops and furniture.
In addition, modern kitchen furniture is increasingly opting for simple shapes to the extent that, in many cases, traditional handles and knobs are being replaced by push or pull-out technology.
To counteract this simplicity, trends in kitchen decoration advise focusing on more eye-catching accessories, including taps, where classic stainless steel is replaced by gold and copper tones.
