Planning a kitchen reno this year? We sat down with designer Kristy McGregor to discuss her current favourite things to bring into kitchens.
These are the four trends you'll want to add to your Pinterest board, stat.
1. Unexpected colour
"There are many ways to bring colour into a kitchen space. You can either bring it in through the tapware, benchtop or cabinetry," Kristy says, adding that using colour in joinery is a great way to add a point of difference to a kitchen.
"Depending on your level of bravery you can decide how far you want to go with the colour. I think it's important to have a kitchen that really makes you feel happy and makes want to enjoy using the space!"
When it comes to on-trend colours this year, some of Kristy's most recent work has featured different shades of green from soft minty shades to a teal-meets-bottle-green hue.
"Think about how a colour works with the rest of the space surrounding the kitchen as well, so in a holistic way," Kristy advises.
To ensure any colour choices tie back to the rest of your kitchen plans, it's a good idea to get your joiner to provide samples.
2. A feel for texture
If you're a neutrals lover, a great way to create more interest and individuality in your kitchen is through different textures and tones.
"Instead of having plain panels of joinery you can design different profiles into your cupboards and drawers or find a beautiful textured or handmade tiles to use on a splashback," says Kristy.
"There are so many options for stone benchtops. Head to a stone mason and do a walkthrough to check out all the different types of stones that you can use."
Right now, it's all about curves. "Replacing hard edges with curved ones can add a softness to the overall look of the kitchen," Kristy explains.
"You need to be careful when specifying curved stone for your benchtops, however, as you will need to confirm that the thickness of your chosen stone can be cut to a curve."
3. Clever product placement
Planning out your space and considering the placement of items is key to working with the space and ensuring you don't hit any roadblocks.
This could be ensuring you plan around any gas and water connections so you don't end up with the costly exercise of having to move these to match your designs.
Or, it might be opting for a beautiful showpiece-like appliance, such as a high-end natural gas cooktop, that deserves to take centre stage.
"Planning the kitchen is probably the most important aspect," says Kristy. "Make sure that you engage a designer with experience to help guide you on where to place all your appliances to make it the most functional and usable space. It can be more involved that you think!"
It's also worth engaging a trade specialist, such as a plumber or electrician, to ensure your design can work seamlessly with ventilation and power/gas connections for your hero appliances.
4. High functioning spaces
There can be a lot going on in kitchens, so it's a great idea to marry form and function and think about smart design approaches that help you easily transform the space throughout the day.
"If you have the space, I love the idea of creating a breakfast bar area that can be open or closed off as you need with pocket doors or bi-folds," says Kristy.
"It can be an area where the toaster, kettle, tea, coffee and cereals can all be kept, and you can hide all the mess."
Extractor fans for cooking could also be hidden or fitted flush into cabinetry for luxe styling.
The secret to choosing the right style comes down to the function you are wanting it to serve, says Kristy.
"When you are speaking to a joiner or designer ensure you brief them on how you would like the breakfast bar to function, especially if you want to house large appliances like coffee machines and juicers," she recommends.
"All of these should be designed into the space and ensure the correct heights and depths of cabinetry are considered. It's lovely to include a recessed LED light into the joiner to provide a soft glow of light."