It’s a strange but compelling time for contemporary kitchen design. The hunger for a new style direction is consuming any new material or format that pokes its head out of the ground. The old carthorse of white minimalist kitchens with high-gloss contemporary cabinetry and handleless doors is still thriving and will continue to do so for many years to come. However, curves and malleable materials are becoming more present from higher end designer kitchen companies. Corian, Hi-Macs and other acrylic solid surfaces are making a strong case as they are the only kitchen materials hard wearing enough to mould into exotic, ergonomics shapes.

At the latest European showcase, showstoppers included curved kitchen islands that combined the majority of required appliances with organic shaped breakfast bars incorporated into curved cabinetry to form ergonomic shapes wrapping around the user. They certainly look the part but would probably not be right for the majority of kitchen spaces. Designs like these are really to be used in very large spaces. As a result, these designs aesthetics can be cued from and incorporated in more normal kitchen designs. The only way to achieve this aesthetic is in a more tailored manner by having bespoke cabinetry designed and made just for your space. However, the island is also returning to a use of a singular dining area with a separate area for food preparation.

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