Kitchens aren't often thought as of a work of art.There isn't a kitchen hanging up in the Tate Modern,for example.The only kitchen in the Louvre is for staff to make a cup of tea in.Banksy has never spray painted a kitchen on an outside wall.
But as Susan Quirke of Quirke McNamara Consultancy notes,homeowners are paying that little bit more attention to their kitchen design these days.And as a result,the rooms they are creating-be they knocked through and combined with a dining area or just a neat,compact space in which to prepare food-are becoming more wowing as a result.
"[People]definitely want something much more aesthetic in the kitchen now,so there are designs for feature islands with curves and organic shapes and using lighting to create features,"the expert says.
She noted that her design firm are using more sleek,contemporary materials and designs to make kitchens more of a feature room than they were before-and that lighting plays an important role in completing the look.
"We're using Corian and very modern sleek materials to allow the kitchen rooms to be opened up and become part of the room,"says Susan."Where they are all ready to blend with the rest of the space kitchens are becoming as much a piece of art as bespoke furniture pieces or sculptures.
"We are also using lighting like back lit wall units to break up the blocky look overall and items such as instant hot water taps."
As well as modern gadgets and back lighting for finishing the look,your main lighting should be carefully considered before installation,too.
Use flush ceiling lighting for a clean look,but if you've combined your kitchen space with a dining area then modern ceiling lights hung low over your table can make a real impact.
