When was the last time you walked into a kitchen and went “wow”? I did. Recently, when I visited a villa on the Palm, I had just one question for my friend: “Did this kitchen come with the villa?”
“No”, was her immediate response. It turned out that like many other Dubai residents, she was also not happy with the design and quality of her kitchen and decided to renovate it.
From the choice of materials to green options and the latest technology, when there is something for everyone in the market, you, frankly, have no reason to settle down with anything less than a perfect kitchen.
Here’s how you can give a fresh look to your kitchen:
UPSCALE AND REPURPOSE
Take the cold out of your slick, glossy kitchen and invest in a green option for your cooking space. Natural materials such as wood and rough stones are big this season and if you want to go for Mette’s Chop and Change kitchen range, then recycled wood is the way forward. Lots of character, reduced carbon footprint and an eco-conscious decision — what could be better for the heart of the home?
For more information on the latest kitchen trends, visit Mettecreates.com
GOING COUNTRY
The design aesthetic of the 1950s have also made a comeback in the kitchen — larders, free-standing units, etc. Rough, strewn wooden cabinetry is now applied to a modern clean design, updated with steel accessories and the latest technology. Balthup’s Workshop kitchen range showcases this trend the best.
For more information, visit Bulthaup.com
THE NEW GALLEY KITCHEN
Very simply put, it’s not stowed away along a corridor. While it retains it space-efficient format — long and linear — in its 2014 version, it takes the pride of place, set against a stunning backdrop. It can be a long island counter in your living space dividing the lounge and dining sections or as the South African architectural firm SOATA demonstrates, set it against a long picture window — you can almost cook with nature!
INVEST IN COOKING TECHNOLOGY
As always, Gauggenau is at the forefront of cooking technology with its sleek, full surface cook top, the CX480. An induction-style top, the CX480 can take on up to four cookwares; its fully useable cooking surface makes for a zone-free cooking experience.
For more information, visit Gaggenau.com
Dornbrcht’s new multifunction prep counter — the eUnit — integrates the wash, chop and cooking functions in one countertop. It’s what the professionals are using. It also comes with a built-in water dispenser. Hot and cold were never so chic!
For more information, visit Dornbracht.com
THE QUICK FIXER-UPPER
No time or budget for a total kitchen makeover? Follow my easy tips to revamp your kitchen in a jiffy.
Get rid of accent colours on the walls. Be it the skirting board, ceiling trims or coloured tiles — they all break the walls into chunks, making the room look shorter than it is. By sticking to one colour code, you will make the smallest of kitchen look more airy.
It is also a good idea to replace all glass panels in your cabinet’s shutters with a solid MDF panel, painted to match the rest of the cabinetry. Not only does this hide the clutter, it also makes the space look bigger as the cabinets become less of a visual distraction.
Use “white”. Between sturdy Corian tops, melamine cabinetry and oil-based wall paints, white will instantly make the space look bigger and more modern. The light-reflecting quality of white ensures that any lighting — natural and artificial — bounces off the surface, keeping the space bright.
Forget the ghastly ceramic tile splash back between your lower and overhead cabinets. The grout between the tiles ages fast; oil splashes on it are not easy to clean either. Instead, invest in back painted, tempered glass that gives you a seamless, easy-to-wipe surface.
— Pratyush Sarup edits design blog designcarrot.co
