Popular kitchen design trends

Trends go in and out of fashion – but when it comes to your kitchen design, you want it to withstand the test of time. If you’re building a new home or planning a reno this year, here’s some popular design trends you can look to for inspiration.  

Whether you’re renovating or building your dream kitchen, there’s lots to think about – from the layout to the design aesthetic that will work with your space. Below is a list of some current and popular design choices to help you decide! 

Layered lighting

Interior designers have long been advocates of a layered approach to lighting in the kitchen, but it’s becoming even more prevalent as design savvy homeowners embrace the trend. If you’ve never heard of layered lighting, it’s the use of multiple sources of light, such as a mix of downlights, pendants and lamps, to create maximum effect in a space.

That could be to break up large rooms such as open plan kitchens or to let different fixtures do different jobs.

There are four main types of lighting that can be used and all work together to create the perfectly lit space:

• general lighting – This provides a uniform level of illumination throughout an area
• perimeter lighting – As the name suggests, perimeter lighting illuminates the perimeter of the room, usually at the ground and commonly around the entrance.
• accent lighting – Accent lighting adds drama to a part of the room of your choosing or a particular piece of furniture
• task lighting – this refers to a direct source of light that aims to improve visibility of a targeted area. Task lighting is commonly used above work surfaces in a kitchen to help with cooking

Metallic textures

While metallic accents have been trending in recent years in the form of lamps and appliances, this year we’ll see metal as a constructive part of furniture elements and kitchen islands. This includes metallic top lacquer on the benchtop, metal insertions in cabinets, metal shelves and coloured metal sinks.

Varying from industrial aesthetics to the warm rustic shine of weathered and worn-looking metal structures, metallic materials give unique charm and a glamorous wink to modern kitchen design. Appliances like the NEFF induction cooktop or fully integrated dishwasher fit seamlessly with these bolder-style trends and won’t detract from your overall aesthetic. 

Handle-less Design

In 2022, kitchens are all about multi-tasking, free-flowing designs with a paired-back look – and push-open and close doors are a strong trend when it comes to cabinetry. If you prefer not to have push-open cupboards, then recessed handles provide the same sleek look and can be lined with contrasting colours and materials to add interest. For more cabinet inspiration, check out this article.

Smart appliances

Smart kitchen appliances are designed to make life easier, so it’s no wonder they remain popular. Like other smart technologies, connected appliances are Wi-Fi enabled so you can interact with them remotely via an app on your phone, making cooking a breeze.

At NEFF, our Fully Automatic Coffee Machine lets you start the brewing process with a simple tap within the Home Connect app, wherever you are within the house. And with our smart Home Connect dishwasher you can turn on the dishwasher from the park, the office or the supermarket, and come home to sparkling clean dishes.

Living room extensions

One of the most popular kitchen trends over the past few years is open plan kitchen/ living room extensions and that’s showing no sign of dying down. Combining kitchen, living room, dining area and sometimes other zones into one large space, open plan homes feel more spacious than traditional closed off rooms and offer more freedom to organise your rooms however you want.

Bringing the outside in

Homeowners continue to embrace cooking and entertaining outside, especially in the warmer months, and as it turns out, it’s part of a larger trend – bringing the outside in.

If you have the budget and are renovating, the best way to bring an outdoor vibe to an indoor kitchen is to maximise the amount of natural light pouring in throughout the day. This might be through where you position the kitchen in the home, installing large windows or skylights, bifold doors or designing an open plan layout.

If you have a smaller budget or you’re just looking to update your kitchen, then colour is an easy way to jump on the outside in trend. Elements of green that echo the outside help connect the kitchen to the garden area and can easily be brought in via herbs and plants.

Another easy solution is to bring materials traditionally associated with the outside in, such as the inclusion of natural wood materials, or flooring that matches your outdoor space to create a cohesive look.

About NEFF

NEFF is a German-engineered kitchen appliance brand, with a product range that includes ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, coffee machines and dishwashers designed to make life in the kitchen a daily pleasure. For people who love to cook, NEFF gives you the tools to creative meaningful connections, express your creativity and make memories. Because real life happens in the kitchen.

Learn more about NEFF here.