Kitchens: six products to inspire your self-build
Curating your kitchen can take time and careful consideration. This room is not just a culinary space but often it’s the heart of the home where entertaining and relaxing takes place. Selecting the right colours, tones and design to match the rest of your self-build can be a mind-boggling task with so much out there. We’ve done the hard graft and hand-picked some of our favourite contemporary kitchen trends to give you plenty of food for thought.
The kitchen
The Oslo collection from Jewson is a contemporary style kitchen which offers an ultra-modern finish. High gloss finishes can help to reflect light back into a room creating the illusion of a lighter and brighter space. For those seeking a warmer finish the Oslo is available in an Ivory or Cashmere finish, as well as a number of paint-to-order options.
You have to admire the sleek handleless cupboard doors and drawers, which provide a clean and simple finish which draw the eye to features such as tiles and worktops. Suitable for installation in kitchens both large and small, the Oslo is a practical choice too with a fuss-free design which means it is easy to clean and maintain.
When it comes to worktops there’s a few to choose from. Depending on the material of your kitchen you might opt for the practicality of laminate, the natural look and feel of wood or the glossy appearance of quartz.
Tip: Why not incorporate an island as this creates a central hub for food preparation. Something simple and streamlined can work well. If you’re a real foodie and have the space, you could even create a pair of island units.
Discover Jewson Kitchens here.
Worktops
It’s worth thinking about your kitchen worktop early on in your design. Think about what you like. Is it the natural feel of solid wood, the practicality of laminate, or a glistening quartz worktop?
International Decorative Surfaces has a collection of quartz, solid surface, solid wood and laminate kitchen worktops with matching accessories like upstands and splashbacks. You’ll find a wide variety of materials, sizes and designs to fit most tastes and budgets. Explore their worktops here.
If you want to imagine how your worktops will appear, try using their visualizer for worktops, flooring and wall panels.
Tiles
We found these textured tiles which make a bold statement and add movement into areas of the kitchen and other parts of your self-build home. The overall effect of these Tiffany Split Face Wall Tiles from Gemini is reminiscent of exposed brickwork, with each tile featuring built-up layers that combine to create a rustic stone-effect mosaic. You can opt for a clean white finish or more of muted grey depending on your colour palettes. CTD say they have noticed an increasing demand for 3D tiles. Geometric and angular tiles have become popular, as they add texture in the home that’s hard to replicate with other surfaces. This raised or embossed effect can provide a neutral look without overpowering other design elements in your kitchen.
Flooring
If there’s simply not enough left in your budget for real wood flooring there’s a stylish and practical alternative to be found in this Malmo luxury vinyl rigid flooring. It replicates the look and feel of real wood but with the durability of vinyl. It’s a practical solution in a room which receives high footfall and food spillages.
As a self-builder, you want to make life hassle-free and this type of flooring is easy to install, maintain and it’s compatible with underfloor heating – a real bonus.
Narrower planks can cleverly create a sense of space in smaller areas - and they come in a range of smart shades, from light oak to darker hues.
Shop the Malmo range at International Decorative Surfaces here.
If you want to imagine how your flooring will appear, try using the IDS visualizer.
Kitchen lighting
Let there be light – that’s all you need to utter and your worktops could be illuminated with modern LED lighting. Cutting-edge smart illumination technology in kitchens is popular among self-builders to create an ambient effect. Something like Rotpunkt’s automated lighting solutions could be the answer. They are built-in and controlled by virtual assistants like Alexa or Siri. It’s worth thinking about these systems during the design stages.
Wall inspiration
Maximising space is a must for many self-builders and British Gypsum’s ThistlePro Magnetic Plaster does just that. This innovative magnetised plaster turns any wall into an interactive display. Applied to new or existing walls, once dry it can be painted or covered with wallpaper. It’s perfect for the kitchen as it’s flexible and you can change the design to make a feature wall. You can create a notice board for children’s art work or a blackboard.
