Soul kitchens

Soul kitchens: How to put 
the life back in your kitchen 

Kitchens are the beating heart, the very soul, of any home, so why must so many of them be bland and uninteresting?

 

Here are some of the most inspirational kitchens we saw in 2018, as well as a host of smart design tips that will get you contemplating how you might put some new life in your kitchen in 2019. 

A kitchen to loft your spirits 

Located in the loft of an elderly building in Copenhagen, this kitchen design deftly combines modern Danish style with the old-world charm of the huge timber beams supporting the building’s roof.

Design tip: If you’re lucky enough to live in a heritage or classic home, but have a kitchen that’s giving up the ghost, consider putting in a new kitchen designed to complement and enhance – rather than emulate – your home’s traditional style. 


That was zen, this is now

American kitchens tend to look, well, American, but this one in the United States with its multi-paned window screen, minimalist simplicity and contrasting dark table and lampshade has a contemporary zen feel about it. We love the funky dining chairs.

Design tip: Borrowing styles from different cultures is a current kitchen trend, but there’s no reason to be constrained by traditional versions of those style. Feel free to add your own flair

A devil of a good kitchen

In the Bible, Magog is an evil place, but we’re pretty sure this place called Magog in Canada is not evil – just very cold. Like both the kitchens above, this one in a house called Maison sur le Lac derives much of its appeal from the contrast between black and white and pale colours. 
  
Design tip: Don’t feel you have to tuck your kitchen away in a corner of your home – modern kitchens reflect their importance in the home and the amount of time we spend in them. Open your kitchen up to the interior and exterior of your home.

Art Deco in Manhattan

This kitchen couldn’t be more different than those above. But as they say in France, vive la difference! These apartments in  Manhattan, New York,  capture the essence of the Art Deco 1930s with their gorgeous lamps and curved benchtops, but wait – is that the 2019 Colour of the Year, Living Coral, on the wall? (Find out more about the latest "power colours" here.)


Design tip: Don't feel you have have to be a slave to fashion and don't be afraid to borrow from the past.

Feel at home in your cafe-style kitchen

This kitchen looks as if it belongs in a cafe or restaurant but the central island with its cantilevered wooden board on an iron base and wooden benches and stools give it away. It is in fact an oversized semi-professional kitchen in the home of an owner who loves to entertain.

Design tip: If you love cooking or do a lot of it, normal domestic kitchen appliances and features simply won't do. 

Not stunning but eminently practical

While this kitchen doesn't blow us away visually, it does have a bunch of features we really love and think should be in all kitchens. Plenty of bench and storage space. Clean, modern lines. A proper dining table – not just a bench to perch against – as a natural kitchen extension so the cook doesn't feel isolated. And the pièce de résistance , two sinks so family members and guests can easily rinse off their plates and cutlery before placing them in the dishwasher. 


Design tip: Why not have two sinks? Practicality trumps convention every time.

Related articles and galleries

The birth of the modern kitchen

History of the Modern Kitchen


Kitchens didn't always look like they do now. Less than 100 years ago, a female designer transformed the way kitchens were designed and used, creating a cultural and social revolution.

READ MORE
Latest and best kitchen design ideas

Great Kitchen Design in 5 Images


The ideal kitchen is like a cross between Meghan Markle and Mr Spock – beautiful, but rigorously functional. With kitchens, it’s essential to think about how everything works together.

READ MORE
Kitchen design and construction by Pzazz Building

Why Choose Pzazz for your New Kitchen?


Your new kitchen is more than just a collection of cabinets and appliances – which is why you should get the complete kitchen renovators, Pzazz Building, to take care of everything. 

READ MORE
Latest European interior design inspirations
Share by: