Kitchens head for the dark side

Top kitchens in 2006 will be glossy, shapely and rich in lustrous dark colours. Gabrielle Fagan brings you the designer view on today's styles.

Think glamorous, rich, dark and with lots of curves! No, that's not the latest Hollywood star but just one of the top predictions for the look for kitchens this year. In general there's a return to more luxury and decoration, which is the fashionable choice for all areas of the home, and even that most practical space, the kitchen, must be included.

Design expert and television presenter of 'Honey I Ruined the House' and 'Other People's Houses', Naomi Cleaver highlights the range of choice from the traditional through to the sleek contemporary. She, in common with other designers acknowledges that the kitchen has become the hub of the home, but says: "There's no one look dominating kitchen design. The trend is for individualisation and I think people feel more confident about choosing a look to suit them and their home."

Naomi believes, though, that the popularity of the rather severe stainless steel, industrial-style kitchens is waning. This is probably due to kitchens going beyond their function as places merely to cook. Now they double as dining rooms and family rooms where people want to sit and linger in comfortable stylish spaces. Naomi says with a smile: "I actually embraced that stainless steel look in my own home, but now I think things have moved on and there's a return to units in natural wood, in dark, sumptuous colours.

"There's no one look dominating kitchen design. The trend is for individualisation and I think people feel more confident about choosing a look to suit them and their home."

"When we think of dark wood though it conjures visions of 'brown furniture' - that heavy, over-varnished stuff of yore and junk shops. This new trend in dark timber such as rich walnut couldn't be further away - what's important is the beauty of the grain, and crisp design."

Softer lines will also feature with curves making a comeback, she forecasts. Naomi, who is a design consultant for Magnet kitchens, says: "We've seen a lot of right angles in kitchens in recent years - with so many cabinets it's difficult to avoid. But curves make a lot of practical sense, especially if there are kids running around, as well as being a refreshingly feminine trend of which we will be seeing much more."

While the warmer traditional looks such as Shaker and Rustic Oak will still find favour, they will be enlivened by contemporary-style materials such as glass splashbacks and granite worktops. Those wanting to make a statement in a large, roomy kitchen might opt for glossy, lacquer-style cabinets in red. "Tone with chrome and black for a contemporary, elegant look," she advises. "It's all about combined the classic with the quirky and the traditional mixed with the modern. Versatile lighting which can be altered to suit different moods is key as the fashion for having multi-functional kitchen dining rooms grows."

DESIGNER TIPS NAOMI:
"Composite stone for floors and worktops, glass for splashbacks, shelves, and wood or lacquered finishes for doors. Grey is an excellent choice for walls especially teamed with dark wood units."

Check out:

• Magnet's Urban Gloss Noir/Rouge. Kitchens from £5,490.20, Units and appliances - £7,923.70.
• Magnet's new Walnut kitchen. Units, for a standard size kitchen, from £4,329.20.

Her top appliance choices:
Japanese style Teppan Yaki grill, £2,275, and a built-in wine cooler cabinet.

Brian Dews, head of kitchen buying at B&Q echoes Naomi's view that dark woods will find favour in 2006. He says: "There is a drive towards natural colours such as timber with a wood grain in dark timbers. Worktops and doors beach and darker oak will be popular."

BRIAN'S TIP:
"Colour matching cabinets gives a more luxurious look especially in a wood finish, and these can be teamed with stone or granite style worksurfaces. Our new Speedstone granite is a more affordable version. Lighting is key for creating atmosphere. Lights behind splash backs and under cupboard lighting will be fashionable."

Check out:

• Solid Oak Classic kitchen, £92 for a 500mm base unit.
• Woburn Shaker-style kitchen, £49 for a 500mm base unit, both from B&Q.

Laurence Pidgeon of Alternative Plans, London which specialises in designer European kitchens, says the trend is away from a variety of small units, all in one colour. "We are seeing a demand for larger, floor to ceiling lacquered units, which run along one wall and have real impact as well as being supremely practical. They can conceal all the workaday machinery of the kitchen, from the oven to the fridge. An island - set in front of these cupboards - is key. It contains a preparation sink, hob and appliances, with its units often in a contrasting material such as a beautifully grained wood."

He believes that the keynote for kitchens will be glamour, in keeping with the general trend in interiors. "That means it needs to be a stylish space - not just with beautifully designed units - but also with a 'wow' factor like a chandelier, or illuminated glass worktops." His hot prediction is a growing fashion for aluminium doors, all glass cabinets, more open shelving and for those who want to make a statement - retro orange lacquered units. He adds: "Glass splash back panels, and glass worktops especially if they are lit from behind and underneath are strikingly effective as well as practical."

LAURENCE'S TIP:
"Neutral colours still predominate for units with white, cream, or grey contrasted with others, maybe on a central island in a grained Zebrano wood or dark oak. Worktops in granite, or a Corian resembling a concrete texture and finish in a variety of colours including chocolate brown or cement grey, are top choices."

His pick for flooring:
hardwearing limestone or dark wood parquet.

Check out:

• Zone or Xila modular kitchen systems from Italian company, Boffi. A 600mm base unit from £371.

Matt Thomas, central kitchens buyer for John Lewis, says light reflecting lacquer style finishes for units are still a flourishing trend. He says: "High gloss is still a top choice and while white, cream, grey and black lead the field but people are beginning to experiment with colour particularly red."

MATT'S TIP:
"If you want to add colour to a kitchen but aren't brave enough for vibrant red or orange, add striking features such as coloured glass worktops and splashbacks."

Check out:

• ALNO Grand kitchen system, in a range of over 1000 colours including high gloss red. A 600mm base unit starts from £826.45.
• John Lewis Mezzo kitchen system in a choice of colours including high gloss white. A 600mm base unit starts from £309.00.

KITCHEN SOURCES
Alternative Plans 020 7228 6460 www.alternative-plans.co.uk
B&Q 0845 850 0175 www.diy.com
John Lewis 08456 049 049 www.johnlewis.com
Magnet 0845 123 6789 www.magnet.co.uk