Kitchen Trends

Posted: 04 September 2009 by Metricon Homes

Tags: benchtops, modern, splashbacks

According to Metricon’s Display Decor Manager, Melissa, the trend in contemporary, Australian homes is an open plan kitchen design, which is integrated with the informal living and dining areas to maximise interaction with friends and family.

“The kitchen is the hub of the home, where most families spend the majority of their time - either with family or entertaining with friends,” said Melissa. “An open plan kitchen allows parents to prepare meals and supervise the children in the family room at the same time.” A kitchen designed for entertaining is also very popular, particularly incorporating the kitchen with indoor/outdoor living.

“For families seeking the ultimate in indoor/outdoor living, a covered outdoor room that can be accessed either from the kitchen, family or dining room is ideal” said Melissa. “This makes entertaining easy - simply prepare the meal and serve it in the outdoor room at any time of the year.”

Melissa also said that families are looking for streamlined kitchens that are practical and easy to keep clean.

“For instance, we feature island benches in all Metricon homes as it serves as a further informal option for the family to eat together and can also be used as an area for the kids to sit down and get involved in helping to prepare meals.”

Stainless steel appliances are still the trend in kitchens as well as a butler’s pantry which includes ample storage and allows for all food and cooking appliances to be neatly tucked away.

“Some families are taking this a step further by building in areas for fridges, dishwashers, microwaves and even espresso machines, to maintain a neat and tidy appearance,” said Melissa.

A hot trend at the moment is the use of man-made stone look bench tops.

“Caesar stone is easy to clean and is scratch and stain resistant so it is being used in a large number of homes,” said Melissa. “Another trick to keep kitchens spotless is the inclusion of glass splashbacks.”