SOLID WOOD KITCHEN CABINETS BLOG

There were many new trends to be discovered at the EuroCucina event earlier this year. Part of the Milan Furniture Fair (‘Salone del Mobile’), the EuroCucina is an influential kitchen trade show, showcasing the latest and greatest from a range of established designers; as such, it’s a valuable point of reference if you want to keep your oak kitchens up to date. But if you missed it, never fear: our rundown of the top trends will help you to transform your culinary space into one of both practical and stylish persuasions!

Concealed storage

Hidden storage solutions were a common theme at this year’s EuroCucina event. Exploiting all the space available, the kitchens on show displayed a storage-savvy, uncluttered look.

To create your own solid wood kitchen that makes the most of every spare inch, why not integrate a wirework storage solution: we have a variety of integrated steel basketry that will optimise cupboard space, removing the need to scrabble around for lost tins or herbs at the back of cabinet units!

Open-plan kitchen and living areas

Fluid kitchen and living areas are at the top of many people’s shopping lists when it comes to designing practical and functional spaces. There were a number of instances of open-plan spaces that incorporated an essential cooking area, a casual dining space, and room to carry out office work.

This trend tends to naturally include a breakfast bar or island unit, with one particular trend emerging: cantilever design. This style of breakfast bar is unsupported along one side, and therefore requires sufficient support along the other side, creating an elegant dining or work area. Cantilever breakfast bars were most commonly constructed from wooden work surfaces, which contrasted with white cabinet frontals.

Natural materials

At Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets, we always sing the praises of natural materials, and we were thrilled to see that they were the main focus of many kitchen displays at EuroCucina 2016.

There are a multitude of ways by which to incorporate natural materials in your kitchen, starting with solid oak cabinet units, wooden cabinet doors and real wood worktops. To really embrace this trend, consider integrating foliage with large potted plants, and accessorising your kitchen with wooden cutlery trays, solid wood chopping boards and oak plate racks.

Natural materials create a warm and inviting kitchen space and frequently feature in interior design schemes, so you can be sure that this is a style with longevity – and therefore a worthwhile investment.

Open-front shelving

Installing open-front shelving not only provides much-needed storage but also creates a visually-interesting alternative to wall cabinets. See for yourself, with our fantastic range of solid oak floating kitchen shelves.

Oak shelving can be mounted to a wall beneath, alongside or in place of wall units, ensuring an efficient use of space.

Oak worktops

An ever-popular element of kitchen design, we couldn’t help but take note of the oak worktops that were a common sight in this year’s show. With rustic natural features such as small knots and splits, these work surfaces are celebrated for their unique charm and traditional grain pattern.

Other wooden worktops also featured, including dramatically dark work surfaces similar to that of our magnificent wenge countertops. Hardwood surfaces were contrasted with metallic kitchen hardware, producing a delightful fusion of natural and manmade elements.

Industrial style

Industrial kitchen components were also prevalent at the biennial kitchen event. A particularly popular choice for the younger market, this trend can be embraced in a number of ways, including high-gloss and metallic elements such as stainless steel and black stainless steel kitchen splashbacks, metal pendant lamps and exposed light bulbs, steel hairpin table legs, and state-of-the-art cooker hoods.

If you have embraced any of the design trends found at this year’s EuroCucina show, please do send us some pictures via one of our popular social media pages: we’d love to hear from you on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.