If you have been dreaming of having a wonderful, beautiful kitchen for a long time and have made up your mind that this is the year that you will transform your kitchen into a totally new space, then you have a lot of designs and styles nowadays from which you can choose. But unless you would like to go traditional and have a kitchen that’s more on the classic side, it pays to know what trends are out there so you can make use of them as well. But it also pays to choose the right trends for your kitchen – and your needs and lifestyle. After all, you want a kitchen that’s not only aesthetically appealing but functional and practical as well. Let’s have a look at the best kitchen style and design trends you should know about.

·Bespoke and fully customised larders and pantries

If you are planning to redesign and refurbish your kitchen, you can start with the storage areas, such as larders and pantries. Let’s face it – the more storage space you have, the better. And today, bespoke larders and pantries are all the rage – with the proper temperature for various items, easily accessible ingredients, and more, you’ll have a wonderfully functional kitchen in no time.

·Beautiful kitchen islands

You may think that kitchen islands are passé but think again. Kitchen islands have never been as popular as now, with more homeowners looking for more functional kitchens with ample workspace. The beauty of kitchen islands is that they are multi-purpose, which means you can use them as an extra breakfast bar or dining nook, you can use them as extra or additional storage, and you can use them as a worktop where you can prep ingredients and prepare your meals. When it comes to kitchen islands, you have a lot of choices in materials as well – from classic and elegant granite and marble to contemporary quartz in various bright and bold colours, such as the worktops from www.jrstone.co.

 If you don’t have enough space in your kitchen for a full kitchen island, you can go for a peninsula instead, and this is attached to the wall. A peninsula also works well with an L-shaped kitchen or a kitchen with one single wall.

·Banquette seats and benches

 Who says you only have dining tables and stools as a seating option for your kitchen? More and more homeowners today are also opting for banquette seats and benches, and this looks like a trend that’s here to stay. You can go for built-in bench seating or banquette seating, which also saves space. This kind of seating is excellent for smaller kitchen spaces, and it’s actually a more comfortable alternative to regular dining chairs and stools. Furthermore, banquette seats and benches against the wall encourage people to lounge and talk to each other and spend more time in the kitchen.

· Green is in 

Green is definitely back and in a big way. Rich green colours have become an all-too-familiar sight in many modern kitchens, especially in terms of cabinetry. Forest green cabinets are a particularly popular choice, making your kitchen look more dramatic as well as homey and luxurious at the same time. You can balance out the vibrant green colour with a mixture of matte hues and shades, smoky or opaque dark glass, and soft metallic colours. You can also add more contrast with the use of white marble worktops and brass fixtures and accessories.

 Image attributed to Pixabay.com