JJ kitchen ideas
Choose soft neutrals Green-toned greys are great for echoing the great outdoors, especially if your kitchen overlooks the garden. But that’s not the whole story here in terms of what’s giving this kitchen a gentle feel. The matt colour is chalky, almost tactile. It’s the opposite of a ‘glaring’ shade or cold finish, which can appear harsh and, in turn, create a chilly effect. Tip: Varying the width of the kitchen cabinetry, which has been done here with great success in the upper and lower units, adds an organic feel and softens the scheme.
Stone One of my favourite looks for contemporary kitchens is to use the same stone on both splashback and benchtop. It’s a simple and sophisticated look, and creates a sense of cohesion in the space. Reconstituted stone is a smart alternative to natural stone – it’s durable and easier to maintain than its natural equivalent. Just be careful not to install reconstituted stone too close to a gas stovetop, as it can’t handle high heat. We recommend a minimum distance of 250 millimetres from a heat source.
Oversized tiles Large tiles (such as 600 x 600 millimetres or 300 x 1200 millimetres) have become increasingly popular for splashbacks, and we’re often seeing floor tiles used here too. Contrasting grout lines (such as white tiles with black grout) can add interest to a plain white or neutral kitchen. Other popular splashback looks for white kitchens include textured bluestone or glossy brown granite tiles. Tip: Choose epoxy grout for tiles behind a stovetop – it’s stain-resistant, which means less cleaning.
Kjær agrees. “The island will be our social gathering point for years to come. We will, however, see more creative solutions – among other things, the integration of places to eat where you don’t necessarily sit in a row, but across from one other, so you can face one another. This can be done, for example, with a large L-shaped island, which also leaves room for a sink and stove,” says Kjær.
After photo The 1960s transformation London-based architect Almudena Navarro of Studio Wolter Navarro was originally called in at the end of a renovation to advise on fixtures and fittings. However, it soon became clear that a more radical transformation was needed, which involved opening up the narrow, enclosed kitchen.
range hood and wall behind it.
3. Flat Simple but stylish, the flat-panel cupboard door is void of any expensive details. Its hard lines and minimalist form make it a great fit for contemporary and modern interiors. Many flat doors come in decorative laminate or wood. Laminate tends to be more budget friendly and offers a greater variety of colours and sheens.
American Oak with gloss black cabinetry
Contrast the colour Rather than blending your kickboards in with the units, consider using them as a striking frame instead. Here, the stone grey cabinets contrast with the wooden plinths at ground level and are enhanced by another layer of wood along the sides and top of the wall storage. The wooden kickboards help to lift the cabinets and island to give more depth to the whole room.
Clever use for kick board drawer. Tuck in some storage Why let that space below your base units go to waste when you can use it for storage? The designers of this kitchen have replaced the usual kickboards with shallow drawers, which are ideal for storing wide platters or baking trays, or for tucking away placemats and table linen. The design of the drawers is simple, with a flat front and a small pull handle positioned at the top, which helps the drawers look unobtrusive when they’re closed.
Nice way to do kkckboards. Light them up If you want to be creative with lighting, LED strips are a great place to start. By fitting them along the edges of walls and furniture, you can add a whole new dimension to a room. Here, the designers have highlighted the kitchen island by lining the kickboard with a strip of LED lights. The effect is quite stunning, and creates the illusion that the island is floating.
Lighter floor colour and soft grey bench top
Subtle coloured cupboards
Indoor-Outdoor effect
Interesting contrast
“The kitchen is Ikea, but we added a Corian benchtop to make it more exclusive-looking,” says Gruenanger. It also has a splashback made from marble geometric tiles, which add an interesting pattern, and open shelves made by the builder to match the wall units. The pillar on the left-hand end of the kitchen is where the old house ended. It’s been kept visible to provide delineation between the cooking and living spaces. “It also made the structure simpler and cheaper to construct,” says Gruenanger. The pillar also contains power points for the kitchen. “So rather than puncturing your beautiful new marble, you can tuck all the appliances down into this corner,” says Gruenanger. The architect also custom-designed the table on wheels. It has a recycled-glass top and can be used flexibly as a benchtop for food-prep overspill or as a table where people can have meetings when the owners are working from home. Ovens and cooktop: Smeg; lighting: Holloways of Ludlow, Made to Last and Astro; wall tiles: Mandarin Stone
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