With our homes working harder than ever, kitchens are no longer just a functional place where we prepare food. This focal room, the ‘heart of the home’, has so much more to offer.
With clever planning our kitchens can also be a living room with areas to eat, work, relax, play and entertain. There are a few design tricks to creating a multi-functional space that can fulfil all these disparate demands but it’s important to first think about your style preferences and how you want your space to make you feel.
Do you prefer a minimalist style that is calming and relaxing, quirky patterns that are fun and energising or do you love the embracing comfort of deep bold colours? Forget the rules about how a kitchen ‘should’ look and express your own personality. Bold playful wallpaper, curtains, dark colours or decorative artwork in the kitchen? Why not!
A flexible layout will help your kitchen space adapt to different uses throughout the day. You might like to create a cosy nook where you can watch garden wildlife while you enjoy a morning coffee, a quiet desk where you can work from home or some open floor space where you can play family games or practice yoga.
Wall to wall, floor to ceiling cupboards with integrated display shelving will lend a living room vibe and provide plenty of storage without looking bulky, the modular units opening to uncover cooking facilities, storage, a media centre, occasional seating or a workstation. A similar streamlined effect can be achieved by painting kitchen units the same colour as the walls so they blend into the background.
Using unfitted furniture will give an informal feel but still offer all the storage you need for kitchen equipment. Alternatively, opt for movable islands which can be moved aside when not in use.
Flooring is the largest surface in your home and so is key to creating a multi-purpose space that is comfortable. Taking the same flooring from room to room will enhance a sense of flow and make your home seem bigger, while introducing different laying patterns or borders and design features can highlight different activity zones and give your home a truly personal look.
We all know that spending time in nature is good for our health and wellbeing, so it’s no surprise that many people are choosing wood design flooring throughout their home and pairing this with a soothing organic colour palette. With a waterproof, hygienic surface that is designed to stand up to busy modern living, our flooring brings you this reassuring natural look but also the practicality you need.
What’s more, our latest multi-format ranges mean that there’s no need to worry about taking your favourite design over different sub-floor conditions such as concrete, floorboards or ceramic tiles, even if your heart is set on a herringbone pattern.
