Your kitchen is more than just a cooking space; it’s a vital part of your home where meals are prepared and shared by loved ones. Whether your kitchen is a bit worn out and in need of a little renovation or you’ve just got the keys to your new BTO, there are many ways to turn the heart of your home into a beautiful space that you’ll want to linger in.
From creating more countertop space to the latest design features, read on to discover the top kitchen design trends in Singapore that are both stylish and practical, plus pick up expert tips from local interior designers:
READ MORE:
No Space For A Kitchen Island? Try This Kitchen Trend Instead That’s Perfect For Small HDBs
20 Space-Saving Bar Top Ideas For Tiny Kitchens
15 Kitchen Organising Ideas To Save Space And Make Life Easier For The Busy Woman
Text: Elizabeth Liew & Seah Pei Jun
For a bright and bold look, go for this Mediterranean-inspired look that will remind you of your travels in Morocco’s bustling bazaars and architecture. Pick vibrant colours and rich-glazed, intricate mosaic tiling, or if you’re a fan of Santorini or one of the other beautiful Greek islands, style your kitchen with deep blues, turquoise and plenty of white on the cabinets and countertops.
Try a Zellige mosaic tilework, a form of Islamic art, with bold geometric symmetry. “The different colours used in the kitchen help break the monotony of the usual white-washed wall and bring out the character of the space to reflect the homeowner’s personality,” shares Alvin Ling from The Scientist.
To segregate the area more creatively, “Use different types of tiles to highlight the specific area and the activity intended for the space. As the homeowners liked the industrial home decor, the floor tiles were chosen to match with the cement screed that were on part of the kitchen wall,” explains Alvin.
Want to make your home look more expensive without paying big bucks? Go for classic Spanish influences such as colourful hand-painted tiles and then have hints of gold to keep the look fresh and modern. This can be done by adding gold handles on cabinets or by having a gold-coloured dish rack.
The kitchen is where you can get creative in the dishes that you make. To spur your imagination and creativity, why not inject some fun in the kitchen with cheerful pastel tones and unexpected elements like a sink in an eye-catching finish?
A terrazzo backsplash not only creates an eye-catching feature in the kitchen. “Durable and porous at the same time, terrazzo tiles require proper sealing and finishing during installation so that it would last a very long time,” advises Krystle Teoh from The Scientist.
If the space already looks busy, replace cabinet handles with a push latch cabinet system to create a sleek and neat appearance in the kitchen. It will also prevent you from hanging your dishcloth on it, thus effectively minimising potential signs of clutter.
READ MORE: Stylish Ways To Make Your Kitchen More Efficient And Organised
The kitchen is a place where temperatures can run high, and it’s not only the food that we’re talking about. To create a space that is functional and calming, go for an iconic French look with a soothing neutral palette that will bring you straight to the calming Provencal landscape.
Go for a grey-blue shade on your kitchen drawers and paint the cabinets above white – a key element of this style – to create a clean balance of colour in your kitchen.
“While the minimalist look has been a dominant design trend for the past decade or so, there is definitely a return to an appreciation for details and materiality,” notes design director of akiHAUS Design Studio, Lawrence Puah. “Designers and homeowners alike are very much more open to the use of materials that have strong patterns or prints. There is greater consideration for wood finishings, where the beauty of its grains is appreciated and integrated into the overall design scheme, as opposed to using clean solid colours.”
Amilia Gani, principal designer of Facelift Design says, “Textures and patterns add ambiance and personality to the space. Plus, compared to flat coloured laminates, textured wood are also favoured for practical reasons such as leaving less visible finger marks, stains and being easy to clean and maintain.”
For floors, consider vinyl tiles that are “easier to maintain than timber wood flooring and are scratch resistant and waterproof — good for the kitchen and living room,” shares Renee Lim, co-founder of Lemonfridge Studio.
“Marble is definitely making a comeback,” says Lawrence, “though often in the form of man-made materials such as quartz which is much easier to maintain.” Amilia agrees, saying, “The white marble look is a very popular choice for flooring and wall finishes, be it in natural stone or simulated marble in porcelain tiles and surface tops, and the trend doesn’t seem to be losing steam anytime soon”.
“In fact, more marble textures are in strong demand for kitchen countertops and backsplashes. Last year, I designed a Japanese-inspired kitchen with dark umber-toned cabinets and bold marble-like textured porcelain tiles for its backsplash that look like Japanese calligraphy strokes on the wall.”
Top tip: “A glass backsplash is classy, easy to clean and can cover a stretch of wall without jointing,” says Lawrence.
Another way to add texture to the look is with the kitchen backsplash. By adding these modern hexagon marble tiles, it helps to give the space more character.
In place of expensive marble, try these marble printed tiles. “As marble is porous in nature, using real white marble in the kitchen is not recommended,” advises Jeffrey Lee, co-founder of Lemonfridge Studio.
“More homes are seeing kitchens integrated into the dining space,” says Amilia. “I am getting more requests to design a table area with stools or a bench for quick morning and evening meals, and even family gatherings in the kitchen.”
Lawrence says that practicality should always be the key consideration in kitchen design, particularly in small kitchens. “This means giving priority to creating as much counter space as possible. In doing so, it may mean that a homeowner’s dream of a kitchen island may not be practical. Avoid going for an island but having it look like a stump in the middle of the kitchen and lose counter space for food preparation,” he says.
Lawrence continues, “An alternative to the island design is to create a ‘peninsula’ counter which forms a G, C or L-shape profile, with the freestanding portion designed deeper such that you get storage on one side and leg room at the other, thereby creating sitting space for a bar counter. It is practical in creating more counter space while part fulfilling the kitchen island dream.”
Top tip: “Keep the island or peninsula counter the same height as the rest of the kitchen counters, to make the kitchen look more spacious,” Amilia advises.
“While Shaker-style kitchens (recessed panel doors) have been all the rage, thanks to the popularity of TV shows like Fixer Upper and Property Brothers, modern flat front cabinetry are always relevant and timeless for practical homeowners who want easy-to-maintain, cost-efficient designs,” says Amilia.
Top tip: “To give your kitchen a unique personality, opt for classy solid brass handles or marble knobs to give your space a refined or elevated look.”
“Another vital consideration of kitchen design is the appliances. The one main equipment that affects both a kitchen’s space and design is the refrigerator, due to its usually large size,” Lawrence says. “This is often overlooked and the fridge is simply left to stick out in a corner. Where possible, try to integrate the fridge into the cabinetry so that it appears to be built-in within the cabinets, or flushed within a wall.” This streamlined look leaves your kitchen look much more polished, neat and is an excellent way to save space.
Another way to streamline is to have tall appliances like ovens and fridges on one side of the kitchen, and your sink, hob and food prep countertop on the other. “A long counter top will always make the kitchen looks visually spacious,” Amilia says.
And then, ensure that your kitchen accessories, tools and smaller appliances are neatly stowed away and organised. Andy Tan, Director of The 80s Studio, suggests installing drawers systems, basket organizers and compartmentalising the space inside the cabinets to help neaten and declutter a small home.
“A well designed open concept kitchen tends to double as an entertainment space as well. As such, the lighting typically should be designed with a warm white tone,” says Lawrence. “However, warm lights are not conducive for cooking, which requires white light (or daylight). As such, we tend to design two different types of light within the kitchen to cater to both settings. For example, use white light for the ceiling to be used as task lighting, whereas the pendant lamps over the bar counter can be of warm white colour to create a cosy setting.”
If you don’t have space for pendant lights, use track lights with warm white bulbs as the main light fixture and LED strip lights for under cabinet task lighting, which helps to brighten up countertops for food prep, Amilia advises.
WATCH THIS VIDEO next
The KitchenAid Queen Of Hearts Stand Mixer (100 Year Edition)
READ MORE:
Semi-Open Kitchens And 6 Other Interior Design Trends That Singaporean Homeowners Love
You Should Be Cleaning These 7 Things In Your Kitchen Every Day
7 High-Tech Kitchen Trends For The Modern Home