Kitchen Design Trends 2019 – Part 1

Look anywhere on the web and you can find ideas for kitchen design trends in 2019 – only here do we give you the tips you need to incorporate the style into your new kitchen. Learn how to incorporate current trends in your new kitchen and tweak them to suit your lifestyle needs.

We asked our designers what has been popular and where they see kitchen design trends heading in 2019. They had so much to say that we have split this post in two, with the second instalment to come in January. Our trends not only cover the style but the function of your kitchen because we believe a great kitchen looks beautiful and functions seamlessly.

Engineered stone benchtops are popular with a 40mm thickness.

1. Benchtops

Ultra-thin is in thanks to porcelain and beautiful pictures in glossy mags and on social media. Porcelain comes in a wonderful array of colours and effects to suit any home. As it is a high-end product, it is not suited to everyone’s budget. Modern kitchens are set off with a porcelain benchtop that appears to float above the cabinets. A similar effect can be gained with a shadow-line installation of slightly thicker products such as natural or engineered stone.

While thin benchtops are popular to look at, many of our clients request thicker benchtops. There is a certain sense of prestige, weight and quality that is conveyed by a thicker benchtop.

Get the look:

Thin: Porcelain provides the best ‘impossibly thin’ look, however, porcelain comes at a price. Stone, engineered stone and timber can mimic this floating effect with a shark nose profile that shows only a thin rim at the very edge and gradually increases to provide the necessary strength.

Thick: Benchtops with a thickness of around 40mm is popular in natural or engineered stone. For timber benchtops, 35mm is a popular thickness

2. Timber Accents

Timber benchtops, feature shelving and veneer usage are seeing a rise in popularity. Clients select a timber grain and colour that suits their kitchen and the colour palette they have chosen. Reclaimed or new timber, veneer or solid – our craftsmen have created timber components for all kitchen styles.

Get the look:

Benchtops: timber benchtops work well in classic and modern kitchen styles. For a crisp, modern look, shark nose the edge of the benchtop (as described above) for an impossibly thin visual effect. In classic style kitchens the range of profiles is endless – from the very highly decorative double bullnose with bowed ends to a more mid-century-industrial squared off profile. Chat with your designer about how best to present your timber benchtop.

Timber delivers texture and interest with contrast to surrounding cabinetry.

Feature components: Shelving, corbels, doors etc. Smith & Smith can create bespoke timber features for your kitchen. From doors to open shelving, even a small timber feature in your kitchen can deliver texture and interest with contrast to surrounding cabinetry.

This kitchen is camouflaged due to the truly built-in look with a handle-less door profile that could easily be mistaken for panelling. Timber accents provide contrast and interest.

3. Camo Kitchen

A camouflaged kitchen will be seen (or not – because it’s camouflaged!) more and more. It is one of the kitchen design trends that many feel drawn to because of its practicality. Built-in cabinetry is coming in because smaller homes need harder working storage. When the kitchen ties in with the cabinetry of other rooms in the home, a softer more cohesive appearance is created without the overwhelming effect of a variety of cabinet styles.

Get the look:

Tie your kitchen in with other built-in cabinetry for a unified effect. Hide the bench space where the toaster and coffee machine sit to give the impression of furniture or wall panelling rather than a workspace.

4. Satisfying Storage

Australia has the largest homes in the world but it seems we are starting to tire of a cavernous home and more is being made of smaller homes. Rather than extending too far out over the precious garden area, many are opting for a smarter use of space. We have even seen clients opt for a washing machine in the kitchen so they can reclaim laundry space for an additional living area or bedroom. Kitchens are forced to squeeze more into the same footprint.

Get the additional storage:

Drawers: So much can be hidden behind closed…drawers. One easy way of squeezing more storage space out of your kitchen is by incorporating drawers. Even if a cupboard is replaced with two drawers, storage space is increased because items can be stacked higher while still being accessible.

Pantries: An increasing number of pantries are being installed with pull out shelves for exactly the same reason – storage is multiplied and access is increased. It may mean a little more of an investment, but it is cheaper than getting the same storage space in shelves alone. One option is the Blum Space Tower.

An appliance cabinet with pivot-sliding doors gives easy access to appliances and an easy way to hide them!

Get the look:

Timber accents: (see item one, above)

Benchtop: Concrete, metal and terrazzo effects are just some of the textures offered by engineered stone and porcelain manufacturers. Chat with your designer about what would work best in your kitchen.

Splashback: Abundance of variety and choice for splashbacks. Kitchen design trends are leaning towards tiles and engineered stone as well as anything reclaimed for that wabi-sabi effect (subject to safety regulations).

Drawers provide far more storage than cupboards.

Hidden appliance cabinets: While many of us would love to incorporate a butler’s pantry into our kitchen renovation, it is just not a feasible solution with the space we have. Consider a purpose-built appliance cabinet with pivot-sliding doors or bi-fold doors to expose or conceal items such as coffee machine, toaster and kettle that are used frequently and are awkward to take off the bench and put away. With an appliance cabinet, these items get to stay put behind closed doors.

Corner access: corner cupboards often cannot be avoided. Make use of that hard to reach space with a corner access system. There are so many on offer – chat with your designer to find out which unit suits your particular needs.

5. Mixed Media

Mixing media was a new innovation some years ago, these days it is a given. Play with colours, textures and styles – it is what provides Australian kitchens with their particular flavour. High gloss, matte, textured and timber grain are being used in different combinations to add flair and interest to kitchens.

Mixed media kitchens provide textural and visual interest.