Interior Design Guide To KBB: Kitchens

Kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms, we all need them but where to go to find the best suppliers, gadgets and pink sinks? KBB is where. 

First let's look at the kitchens (bathrooms to follow). Half expecting the show to consist of endless stands of hinges, extractor systems and shiny suits, although I did see plenty of these, I was happy to be proved wrong as I discovered cutting edge kitchen design and looks and learnt a lot about the forthcoming trends, which I'm going to share with you here. 

Colour blocking in the kitchen

Suspended and wall mounted powder-coated shelving by Pronorm. Industrial yet cosy

Composite stone not only looks natural but can be chiselled to dramatic effect mimicking the natural textures of outside

Schock german sinks come in lots of soft colours fitting into the fluidity category

Fluted and backlit toughened glass for base cupboards from Diesel with earthy colours

Dolce & Gabbana fridge - standard! So posh, Smeg put it behind a velvet rope

Affordable kitchen cupboards which you paint at home or simply oil to keep the natural grain by The Yorkshire Pine Factory

Copper was everywhere. Love the clean lines of this metal sink by Kuhlmann

Small batch-fry your goose fat chips in this Lacanche - industrial with a pop!

Light up your washing up with LEDs and create a softened lighting scheme by Schock

Big fridge little fridge chalkboard box

Industrial taps with a pop by Crosswater

White, orange or khaki range cooker? White would look amazing in an all white room - Smeg again

Furnipart take a new spin on ceramic knobs with their soft fluid shapes

Control your home in the kitchen oh and it's smartphone, remotely controlled fridge/freezer too

Ultimate wine fridge hidden behind a black and copper facade with fully equipped sommelier /bar tender drawer

It's a big part of your budget so why not let it stand out! Smeg

Handmade and British one of a kind sinks by Whitebirk. They also make pink sinks.

Turn your kitchen cupboards into flat screen TVs

Cutlery Massive by Pronorm

Heavy duty clamp-style handles to hold the industrial look together - Crofts and Assinder

Wanting to ensure that I do know what the next big thing in kitchens will be for my lovely clients, I also attended a very informative talk on Future Materials and Colour Trends by Formica which correlated with the items I selected on my visit.

Every two years, Formica Group researches and collaborates with global designers and architects to define the upcoming trends that will have a direct impact on design. Called 'Future Vision', it predicted the future materials and colours that will shape the sector and how they fit with broader consumer and societal themes. The key themes for the coming years 

​Engineered Design
Honest and robust materials such as metal, wood, glass and porcelain in industrially inspired spaces. Think warehouse but with softer edges and steely greys anchoring pops of utilitarian colours. A definite move away from the hi-gloss cupboard.

No Boundaries
Or bringing the outside in. The latest swathe of Instagram interiors featuring lots of greenery in the home and the use of natural wood along with open spaces and inhabited views through vast panes of glass is where your kitchen will be at. Think blurring the boundaries of inside and outside with herbs growing in mini counter-top glasshouses and soft earthy colours such as Khakis, pale browns and off-whites forming the colour schemes.

Fluidity
Summarised best as minimalist, sensory and tactile. Kitchens will become a lot calmer with tech hidden in appliances (see Samsung fridge above) and transparent and reflective surfaces with lighter hues, simple lines and all small appliances put-away. Only the most beautiful form meets function items will survive the countertop cull.

So, I'd go for the solid pine kitchen, with white tops, hanging baskets, polished plaster walls and chunky handles to encompass al the above.
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Please let us know which is your favourite product in the comments below...

Not surprisingly, I didn't spend much time here. Sorry hinge guys.