New trends for the kitchen come with New Year’s resolutions. In recent years, the kitchen has become the hub of the home and everyday life. Now, more than ever, it’s a practical and functional space in which to work, get together and rest. This evolution of the kitchen brings with it major changes and emerging trends.
In 2022, increasingly open-plan kitchens, the use of wood and units with clean and simple lines are on the rise. To create a unique and personalised kitchen project, eba presents a few trends for 2022.
An established trend: the open-plan kitchen
Despite the fact that open-plan kitchens have had their naysayers in the past, their popularity today is undeniable. The furnishing solutions of today enable the kitchen to integrate with the rest of the home while retaining its functionality and its own identity. The final outcome is a bright, comfortable, cosy and versatile kitchen.
This trend is linked to others that will be mentioned later, as open-plan spaces call for a more harmonious type of furniture, with integrated appliances, discreet handles and simple, elegant shapes. In other words, the kitchen should seamlessly blend into the home’s architecture.
Integrated cooker hoods in the kitchen
The integration of appliances, such as the fridge or dishwasher into the kitchen as a whole is widespread, as this creates uniformity. In 2022, this trend will also extend to extractor hoods to create spaces that are even more homogeneous and elegant.
The cooker hoods are integrated underneath wall units, or even into the worktop itself, where they are concealed when not in use. It’s also possible to choose ceiling hoods with a discreet and contemporary design, offering unparalleled performance while staying out of the field of vision.
Slim units without handles
Photographer: Élodie Gutbrod
Today’s spaces are becoming simpler and more discreet. In 2022, the focus is on minimalism with lightweight, harmonious units forming homogeneous blocks. In this quest for pure and simple lines, doing away with handles gives completely plain and pared-down fronts that seamlessly blend into the rest of the home. This detail is crucial to ensuring the attractiveness and functionality of open-plan kitchens.
To make everyday life even easier, Santos has developed a push-to-open system – an option that’s as practical as it’s discreet.
The return of rustic kitchens
2022 marks a return to origins. The rustic kitchen is back, but although the basics of this style remains the same, the units have been updated. Materials, colours and details are combined to create spaces with a vintage look without sacrificing functionality.
The sideboard is back to the fore and has been redesigned with pure, clean lines, featuring integrated lighting systems, for example.
More contemporary colours are combined with classic wood, while the floors are covered with rustic-looking tiles. With this mix of modern and traditional design, there’s an atmosphere of harmony and warmth in the rustic vintage kitchen.
Marble finishes for all types of surfaces
Over the past few years, the use of natural materials has been a huge trend, and in 2022, marble will be the most widely used one. Elegant and refined, its colour range goes from cooler and darker hues to warmer and lighter-coloured hues.
Laminate finished in marble is particularly durable, perfect for worktops or worktop-mounted bars. For a more sophisticated finish, it’s a good idea to go for a reduced-thickness worktop.
Grey enters the scene
In 2022, grey enters the kitchen after a discreet appearance. It’s a great colour for minimalist projects, as its nuances go well with both light and dark colours, ranging from wood to stone finishes.
Likewise, grey brings depth and character to spaces, which is the reason why it’s especially popular this year.
Wood kitchens
Wood is making a comeback in the world of kitchens. In 2022, the popularity of this material is on the rise once again thanks to its warmth and personality. New life has been breathed into it, with contemporary and exclusive designs that are not just limited to rustic atmospheres. As far as colours are concerned, dark colours such as Smoked Oak or Earth Walnut are back in style, bringing strength and character to the room.
With wood kitchens, cold, impersonal spaces are a thing of the past, as the beauty of the grains and the warm notes of wood contribute towards creating a cosy room.
Lamps with character
Leaving kitchen cabinets aside, in 2022, décor is refined down to the last detail. This year, ceiling lamps are more voluminous, with striking designs that are elegant at the same time. Depending on the model chosen, they allow for more or less intense lighting, bringing character and a contemporary touch to the room.
Whether opaque or transparent, XXL lamps come in a wide variety of styles to suit any kitchen space.
To learn more about these trends and which would suit a kitchen project best, the eba team is more than happy to help you in any way they can.
