Kitchen 2020: 5 Key Trends

Together with the brand Gorenje, we reflect on what trends and innovations the evolution of kitchen spaces has brought us and what is impossible to imagine in a modern kitchen. Modern kitchen: what matters now? With the increase in kitchen area and the tendency to combine the kitchen and living room into a common studio space, the kitchen island has become more relevant than ever. It is both an additional working surface and a storage system. Designers recommend not stopping at just one island if the space allows, but placing two at once. In addition to working lighting necessary for cooking, designers pay special attention to cabinet and door illumination. Decorativeness is what people expect from lighting today. Everything on a modern kitchen must be convenient in use. Therefore, all cabinets with shelves and hinged doors are replaced by sliding drawers. Convenience of use and ease of cleaning is what people pay attention to today. Among the ideas: countertops that transition into kitchen aprons, smooth facades, built-in sinks, and suspended bar stools without legs. Modern appliances and household appliances simplify food preparation processes, so it's strange not to use them. However, to avoid cluttering the space, designers suggest carefully planning storage systems. In small kitchens, the trend of space-saving is relevant. Instead of a full working surface, you can use a sliding countertop. In case of need, it can replace both the kitchen island and the dining table. The history of the development of the kitchen is full of trends and various solutions, some successful and others not so much. Some solutions have stood the test of time, while others became popular recently but are already called promising and long-term. Here's what modern kitchen couldn't be without today. Minimalism. Minimalist design and minimal details are currently at the peak of fashion. Designers recommend completely abandoning handles on kitchen cabinet facades in favor of a push-to-open system. Smooth, flat facades without protruding elements visually expand the space, look attractive, and are also convenient in use. The same applies to household appliances: choose models where handles are as unobtrusive as possible or completely absent. Design: Gorenje Simplicity. A cabinet fully integrated into the interior. The trend of combining the kitchen with the living room has changed the approach to kitchen cabinet design. Today, it is not a visual focal point of the room but rather the most unobtrusive part of it. Designers do everything to hide the work zone: move items into niches, paint walls in the color of facades, abandon upper drawers and even the kitchen apron. Design: Gorenje Simplicity. Light design. The trend toward minimalism in everything is becoming more and more apparent: use only what is necessary, remove unnecessary details and decoration. The number of cabinets decreases, shelves appear instead of the upper part of the cabinet, and the apron becomes as simple and uncluttered as possible with kitchen appliances. Attention to ventilation hoods. Designers no longer hide ventilation hoods behind cabinet facades but make this utility technical device part of the interior decor. However, this does not cancel out its main purpose — absorbing air during cooking. Therefore, it is essential above the kitchen island. Eclecticism. Designers promote complete freedom from stylistic restrictions. Now one can mix tables and chairs in a loft style, minimalist Scandinavian cabinets, and elegant lamps and mirrors. Why not? Kitchen 2020: what solutions to try (if you haven't yet). From American interiors, we have come to the idea of spacious cabinets-buffets where you can hide a lot of things: from household appliances to shelves for spices and oils. Essentially, this is a more compact version of a storage room. You don't need to spend millions to be in trend. It's enough to install a protruding sink — it is not only convenient but also stylish. Design: Quadrum. It's impossible to imagine a trendy kitchen without minimalist appliances like Gorenje Simplicity induction hobs. Innovative features such as automatic pot recognition and combining adjacent burners into a larger zone make usage simple and maximally convenient. Use marble in finishes: the brighter the pattern on it, the better. Natural or high-quality imitation — your choice. Gorenje Simplicity microwave ovens automatically adjust power and cooking duration. Faucets and sinks in a golden finish — another trend that is hard to resist. Support them in the kitchen design with lamps featuring brass details. Say goodbye to bulky ventilation hoods. In the Gorenje Simplicity collection, they are slanted and smart. The AdaptLight sensor automatically detects when you're standing in front of the stove and turns on lighting for you. Accentuate the floor. Not facades, not the kitchen apron, but the floor itself. This is a more refined and delicate way to introduce color and print into the interior. Hide sliding drawers behind a single facade — this makes the cabinet look more harmonious and whole. A special touch is to finish facades from the same material as the countertop. On the cover: design project by Olga Chernenko