With the housing market buoyant and times ahead uncertain many people are using the focal point of the home, i.e. the kitchen to market their house for sale, or are remodelling in a bid to stay put and rejuvenate their home and living space.
There really is no better time to choose a contemporary kitchen and make your kitchen the coolest room in the house, and this article from Ultimate Kitchens gives some tips on how to create the ultimate ‘contemporary’ look with uber chic glossy units, first class worktops and key note appliances.
Getting the Contemporary look
If you want to create the perfect contemporary kitchen the only direction to take is luxury gloss and rich wood finishes and super cool appliances.
Curved and wrap-around surfaces aid the flowing lines and understated elegance, whilst floor to ceiling cupboards and storage units leave the chic worktops uncluttered for that minimalist approach. Also key to creating the contemporary look are the vast array of appliances such as freestanding cookers, in-drawer dishwashers and fashionable wine coolers.
Although for many space is a premium, if you have a large kitchen footprint the key note speech for any contemporary kitchen is an island. An island (or perhaps a peninsular) can be a focal hub for entertaining or equally, offer an extended food preparation area surrounding a feature hob, oven or both?
Adding Character
The contemporary kitchen is full of character and whilst the two signature styles are ‘gloss’ giving off a light and airy feel with reflective surfaces beaming light around the room or the contrasting ‘dark wood’, rich in texture and portraying an expensive, luxury overtone, the two styles can also be used in tandem.
There are many styles of kitchen from the Ultimate Kitchen range that ooze contemporary but American Black Walnut typifies the dark wood approach, whilst Avant White characterises the light and reflective ‘gloss’ and for the marriage of the two, nothing quite says it like Mezzo Cream Gloss or Scope Ivory which combine the two contrasting styles perfectly.
Signature Features
As with any kitchen the overall style is only half of the fun and just as much character can be created with signature features and the appliances.
Signature features like wide ‘unframed’ units which seem to float effortlessly in the kitchen can complete the overall feel. Or perhaps having floor to ceiling storage sunken into a recess creating a flush finish? Or a must for anyone with the space, as previously hinted, would be an island with curved units and doors adding functionality but without the edges. Instead the curved effect offers a svelte, smooth and in essence a ‘signature’ feature that complements the style but makes it your own design.
And depending on space obviously, most islands will take a hob, sink, oven and more, and in doing so becoming a stand-alone mini kitchen in its own right. Below the worktop, another tip is to go for wide drawer units, which make it much easier to access your pans and other cooking essentials.
It’s these signature touches that can make a kitchen yours and even though the overall style (e.g. American Walnut) maybe in a thousand other homes across the land, the signature touches are your stamp of originality. They are your bespoke touches that take the raw ingredients and makes your kitchen, your own.
For contemporary kitchens stainless steel is timeless for appliances like the cooker and hob and it’s easy to work with amongst the plethora of styles and colour tones. But if you feel like something different you can perhaps try black instead?
With the rise in cooking shows like Come Dine With Me many people are looking to their kitchens as an extension of the living space now and appliances like the huge American fridges and double ovens are great talking points, if you are planning on entertaining, or have a large family in need of some home cooking, the modern range of appliances is fantastic and not just easy on the eye, but functional to those wanting more from their appliances. Look out for flexible ovens, such as combis which can also steam food.
Another must-have signature appliance is an induction hob. These efficient and speedy hobs are great in an island or as part of the main kitchen area and as they only get hot when a metal-based pan is on them they save on the bills and reduce heat lost into the kitchen.
Finishing Touches
Finishing touches such as the sink, taps, tiles, flooring, lighting and worktops (although some granite and marble worktops are indeed signature items) can be used either to complement or contrast the main design features.
Granite is still the favourite in terms of popularity but by using Glass worktops as an alternative to granite you get a gleaming kitchen vista, and in addition to being able to have the back of the glass coated in any colour to aid overall styling, glass is both heat and water-resistant adding to its versatility. For many, glass is warmer to the senses than granite and away from the obvious and popularist choice.
For taps, the increasingly popular restaurant style with pull-out hose is both flexible and user-friendly and can be combined with a black ceramic sink or steel model by Franke for understated effect.
The X-factor
Disguised LCD panels and Wine Coolers offer the contemporary kitchen owner that all important wow factor and you need not have Simon Cowell budgets these days to incorporate them in you kitchen.
For more details on any of Ultimate Kitchens extensive range either call Ultimate on 01925 533 333 and ararnge a Free Design Meeting or pop into any one of our showrooms to see the kitchens in situ.
