One smart switch can give your kitchen the character it lacks, says Tara Corristine, who has clever solutions for a super-stylish space. There's never been a better time for a kitchen refresh...
MINTY KITCHEN REFRESH
We’re calling it: mint is major and the new cool colour for cabinets, so move over navy. Need convincing? Check this fresh scheme designed by Kingston Lafferty Design (Kingstonlaffertydesign.com) for proof of concept
CUSTOM CONVENIENCE
The beauty of a bespoke kitchen is often in the unseen details, tailor-made tweaks for your family's convenience, and one option that Aloco Kitchens (Alocokitchens.ie) offers is a coffee pod drawer. “Coffee is a big trend these days and the majority of our customers look for the Nespresso coffee pod drawers in their kitchen,” explains Alan O'Connor. “We offer them in a range of solid woods and they can be customised to other coffee pods, too.”
PINK'S A PUNCH
It’s the shade that keeps on giving and this season's iteration in delicious raspberry has serious moxie. The spare lines of the Unit cabinets paired with the contemporary shaker style tall units in metallic lacquer with black nickel-coated brass handles ensure there's nothing soft about this pink. The breakfast table and shelf units in dark oak add another textural element. The Unit range from Cesar Kitchens starts from €16,000 and is available exclusively in Ireland from Lomi.ie.
GO GO GADGET
Updating your appliances could be the win your kitchen – and your cooking – needs. Miele's (Miele.ie) new Generation 7000 line has four designs to suit most styles and we're plumping for the VitroLine's seamless integration. Dispensing with stainless steel, the metal handle has a glass insert the colour of the machine with obsidian black, brilliant white or graphite grey on offer. The line starts at €1,099 for the warming drawer and €2,199 for a single oven.
IN DISGUISE
If upgrading appliances is out of the question, why not hide them? In this contemporary extension to a period property, McNally Living (Mcnallyliving.ie) tucked double ovens and a warming drawer behind a pair of disappearing pocket doors, and a larder refrigerator and freezer are integrated into the tall presses, maintaining the minimalist effect of the Ceres-C kitchen from Leicht, €POA.
ON THE TILES
Switching out your splashback is an underrated way to up your kitchen kudos. The tonal stone tile splashback in this Kube Kitchen (Kubekitchens.ie) offers textural interest, yet it blends with the handless oak cabinets, as required by the client who wanted a statement look that wouldn't overpower an open space. Try a glass splashback over a maximalist print wallpaper in a white space, bring in brushed brass against dark coloured units or add mottled mirror in a traditional style.
PLATING UP
Chawton tall double dresser with ladder and wine shelf, €10,152; double top cabinet, open, €1,060 and two-door base cabinet, €1,210, all Neptune.comLike a gallery wall for your eatery, Neptune's Chawton combination storage unit, (Neptune.com) allows you to display all that gorgeous tableware you've amassed. Available in a combination of sizes and styles from single height to triple, glazed or unglazed with an optional oak ladder and wine accessories, it is an investment piece you can add to as your collection grows.
HOMEMADE
Eco is in, so take your design in an 'undone' direction, as per this hand-sawn timber-clad kitchen in custom black from Noctor Furniture (Noctorfurniture.ie). The dark hue saves it from looking makeshift, as do the oversized brass lamps it is paired with. Prices start from €15,000. If you'd prefer an element of DIY rather than the commitment of cabinets, the Súgán light (€450) from Copperfish Lighting (Copperfish.ie) will certainly draw the eye. It's made from natural hemp rope wire and storm-fallen spalted beech.
