6 kitchen design trends you need in your home right now

Open-plan is de rigeur. These days, few New Zealand kitchens are built without an island – but the social kitchen takes it one step further, embedding the kitchen at the heart of the home.

Chef Ben Bayly’s kitchen is designed in such a way that the central island can be moved – or removed entirely – as the need arises. Not everyone needs to go that far, but the point is that flexible spaces can do double function and easily change – your island bench might turn from prep area to dining table, say. Flexibility is important, particularly in small spaces.

There has been a marked, and welcome, return to real materials in recent years: timber, stone and metal that age beautifully. They’re classic, good looking and hard-wearing.

Along with timber, stone and metal, there’s a distinct trend to black, across appliances, bench tops and cabinetry. A bonus? New developments in finishes reduce the impact of fingerprints and marks.

Bayly designed his kitchen so that it would have no drawers or cupboards. This style is common in a commercial kitchen, where reaching in and getting what you need is imperative. The kitchen in this Wellington home features a wall of perforated steel on which to hang frequently used utensils.