Kitchen Trends for London's Busy Lifestyles

At home in the city, it’s no secret that space is a commodity; we often wish we had more. Designing a kitchen for a studio, flats, or smaller home that is practical but still shows personality becomes trickier with limited storage and space. In our London kitchen showrooms, we've brought visions to life every time in our impressive portfolio of kitchens. Whether you are redesigning, updating, revamping a city kitchen, understanding how to make the most of space and make it look good is a creative challenge. 

Creating a kitchen that is practical but still shows personality becomes trickier with limited storage and furniture space, we've brought visions to life every time in our impressive portfolio of kitchens.

Small Kitchen Layouts: Make the Most of Space

When we design a kitchen, it involves designating different zones. Each kitchen zone has a purpose, the prep zone is home to chopping boards, knives and other tools to prepare ingredients without the need to travel across the kitchen. The cooking zone is the oven and cooker, to stop you going back and forth during your cooking, and the cleaning zone is the sink and dishwasher. A kitchen designed with zone layout in mind stops you having to run around your kitchen and reduces stress whilst cooking. These zones are not set in stone, they’re flexible, just like our kitchen design, but they act as a good starting point.

The kitchen triangle rule exists to encourage productivity and streamline your kitchen processes. It connects the cooker, sink, and fridge. A clear understanding of how your kitchen will be used needs to be at the core of your design decisions. Your kitchen's features elements will be determined on your household’s requirements. For example, worktop height or storage options would be based on what you use most in the kitchen, what activities take place there and your height. 

If you find yourself baking or preparing food in your kitchen, then we’d strategically place the counter tops at a comfortable height to eliminate any strain on your back or shoulders and place your most used tools nearest to your preparation station.

Narrow Kitchen: Small Galley Kitchen Idea

If you are looking for inspiration for a small galley kitchen, your wall cabinets to be tall and slim, and choose compact or built-in appliances. In a compact galley kitchen, the ideal layout is the 'triangle,' ensuring that the oven, fridge, and sink are evenly spaced from each other.

One Wall Kitchen: Compact Kitchen Idea

The One Wall Kitchen, or single wall kitchen, stands out as the smallest option of kitchen layout, but it doesn't need to be limiting when it comes to design.  This cosy small kitchen idea cleverly plays with cabinet colours, layering two-tone cabinetry. The brilliance of the one-wall kitchen lies aligns the fridge, sink, and oven into a single area. To avoid overwhelming the room, you could leave some space between wall cabinets and introducing open shelves for openness. 

Small Kitchen Ideas: L Shaped Kitchen Layouts

L-shaped kitchens are simple, flexible, and adapt easily to practical needs and design preferences. L shaped kitchens are not limited to space, they can be used for large open-plan kitchen layouts as well as more compact spaces. The L shape, is ideal for smaller kitchens, because it concentrates storage and appliances neatly, making the entire kitchen seem more spacious. Light-coloured cabinets and well-placed lighting team up to give the illusion of a more open space,

Compact Kitchen Storage: Add Pull Out Organisers

At home in the city, it’s no secret that space is a commodity; we often wish we had more. Smart storage isn't just a luxury; it's a necessity for compact city kitchens. Each cupboard, cabinet, and drawer is carefully planned to be a useful space, kept out of sight from the busy everyday activities but filled with practical features. 

An organised kitchen is an easy-to-use one, it’s why storage is a large factor in your kitchen’s design. Our expert storage partners—Kessebohmer, Gollinucci, Konfigure, and Blum— understand that it’s about turning the constraints of smaller city kitchens into opportunities for clever design. Corner pull-outs, oil and spice pull-outs, integrated wine fridges, and dedicated wine pull-outs are not just conveniences but smart ways to maximise the utility of every inch in your kitchen. If you don't have room for a big pantry, try a pull-out larder. It's a smart way to get enough storage without needing a whole pantry room. A roll-out pantry cabinet works well for storing dry goods. Check out our article to help you organise your pantry space for more helpful tips!

Choosing Easy-Clean Finishes that Withstand Wear and Tear

Easy clean kitchen finishes have become a staple in modern interior design, the search for solutions that offer functionality whilst being aesthetically pleasing has led to a range of options.

Non-porous surfaces remove the fears of stains in your kitchen. Quartz and marble have the ability to repel liquids and make certain that spills and accidents aren’t a worry and can be wiped away easily. These finishes are scratch and dent resistant, they will stay vibrant long after your kitchen has been installed. Investing in superior materials gives homeowners the potential to own a kitchen that mesmerises with its beauty whilst providing the most important aspect of all, durable function. To discover more about these easy-clean finishes and other finer details of our kitchen designs, just call and ask or visit a showroom if you'd rather a face to face consultation.

Sleek and Innovative Appliances for Modern Living

We live in a world of technology, and that doesn’t stop at kitchen design! Smart appliances, such as smart fridges, offer features like inventory tracking or expiry updates, reducing your food waste. Similarly, some dishwashers can be set to run in off-peak energy hours, encouraging energy efficiency in your home. The ability for your kitchen to connect with your phone to offer new capabilities in modern kitchen design. Integration with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant gives more opportunity of control in your home, making multitasking a doddle. The ability to preheat your oven whilst in the bath, or getting a notification when your roast is cooked to perfection, undeniably gives the essence of a high-tech future of kitchens.

Pull-Out Larders trump cupboards for accessibility, ensuring every inch of your kitchen is put to good use. Pull Out Bins are practical for recycling, can be conveniently stashed in a base cabinet near the backdoor for regular and easy disposal. Deep, wide drawers are the no-nonsense answer for cookware, letting you tuck away bulky pots and pans. The double drawer design keeps lids separate in a shallow drawer, and the deeper one accommodates pots flat to prevent damage. 

Use either horizontal or vertical cabinet dividers to store baking sheets and narrow pans. You can simply slide each one out of its individual slot instead of having to sort through a haphazard stack.

Compact Kitchens: Install Integrated Appliances

Living in the hustle and bustle of the city calls for a kitchen design that match the fast-paced lifestyle. Integrated appliances are making waves for their multitasking features, vented hobs, Quooker taps, air fryers, and steam cookers - they're changing how we cook at home. Upgrade your kitchen experience with integrated appliances, including ovens, hobs or ranges, fridges, washing machines or dishwashers, and more. Our trusted partners, are Bosch, Miele, Neff, Siemens, Sub-Zero, and Wolf.

Let's bring these ideas to life in your kitchen

Imagine having a hidden dishwasher in the base cabinet, keeping your kitchen counter tidy and making it look neat. A modern extractor fan hidden in the worktop, to keep the air clean without messing up your kitchen's look. Match your ovens to the same height as your cabinets for a smooth and put-together look. Hide your fridge and freezer behind cabinet doors at the end of your kitchen, adding open shelves for dishes – it looks nice and catches your eye. Create a tall wall of cabinets that hides your fridge-freezer and boiler, a smart way to keep things in order and make your kitchen look tidy.

Small Kitchens: Connected Kitchen with Smart Appliances

We live in a world of technology, and that doesn’t stop at kitchen design! Step into the future with a connected kitchen that harnesses the power of AI. GE's smart appliances and Samsung's AI-powered oven redefine kitchen technology. Preheat your oven from anywhere and even livestream your cooking. The AI technology is capable of recognising 80 dishes, shares smart alerts like if your food is going to burn.

Smart appliances, such as smart fridges, offer features like inventory tracking or expiry updates, reducing your food waste. Similarly, some dishwashers can be set to run in off-peak energy hours, encouraging energy efficiency in your home. The ability for your kitchen to connect with your phone and integrate with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant gives more opportunity of control in your home, making multitasking a doddle. The ability to preheat your oven whilst in the bath, or getting a notification when your roast is cooked to perfection, undeniably gives the essence of a high-tech future of kitchens.

Still Unsure about Kitchen Design Options? 

Contact us to speak to one of our friendly and hard-working kitchen design team or visit your nearest showroom to get advice and insights on how to tailor your kitchen's design to your needs.

Lighting can create the illusion of space. Place pendant lights close to the ceiling for a touch of glamour without overcrowding the visual space. Long pendant lights draw the eye upward, and the room feel more spacious. Or use pendant lights or LED strip lights for specific areas like the kitchen island. Use under-cabinet lighting to illuminate specific areas, especially in kitchens with limited natural light. But bear in mind, these surfaces need to be clutter-free spaces to allow uninterrupted lighting.