Your kitchen should be a functional area. You’ll need enough space to prepare your food and store your utensils, but a small kitchen can often become cluttered.

If you have enough room to incorporate a small dining area in your kitchen, consider incorporating a small kitchen island or tall table that can double up as an additional food preparation area when needed.

Make sure to choose stools or chairs that can easily tuck underneath the table or breakfast bar so that they are out of the way when you’re cooking but can easily be pulled out when it’s time for dining.

When a kitchen is too crowded, this can make the room feel very claustrophobic. If you have a narrow kitchen, try to keep your cabinets in just one or two neat lines. This will help draw the eye forward and emphasise the room’s length.

When it comes to raised storage in the kitchen, leaving a gap between the ceiling and the top of the cupboards will also help to give the illusion of a much bigger space.

When thinking up your small kitchen island ideas, a good suggestion is to think about your priorities.

Do you need more storage space, or would a dining area be more useful?

If you prefer a dining space in your kitchen, a slim counter with a good amount of overhang could make a great breakfast bar. This can also serve as an impressive room divider if you have an open-plan living space.

A freestanding kitchen island may be one of the most cost-effective options. Although this won't have the bespoke elements of a built-in kitchen island from a design studio, you can find many great models available online and on the high street.

You'll find a variety of different models, including those that feature drawers, cupboards, shelves, bottle racks and more, meaning you can easily find one to suit your needs. They also come in various sizes and colours, so there's something to suit almost every kitchen.

When thinking up your small kitchen island ideas, a good suggestion is to think about your priorities.

Do you need more storage space, or would a dining area be more useful?

If you prefer a dining space in your kitchen, a slim counter with a good amount of overhang could make a great breakfast bar. This can also serve as an impressive room divider if you have an open-plan living space.

When working with a small kitchen area, it's important to ensure that all of the elements are as hardworking as possible. If something in your kitchen can serve multiple purposes, that's perfect for smaller kitchens.

If you want to incorporate a dining area in your kitchen, consider adding dining space to your kitchen island. This handy piece of central furniture can work for multiple purposes, including meal preparation, cooking, and dining.

When thinking up your small kitchen island ideas, a good suggestion is to think about your priorities. Open shelving in a galley kitchen is a great way to ensure that all your essential items are within arm's reach.

The key here is to ensure you keep those open shelves as uncluttered as possible. Use the base cabinets for any bulky items, such as pans, pots, and any small appliances. Consider rails where you can hand items such as utensils and mugs.

A galley kitchen can often lack adequate lighting, particularly when you're working in a small space. If you want to ensure your small galley kitchen is bathing in natural sunlight, consider installing skylights in the centre of the ceiling.

No matter how small or narrow your galley kitchen is, natural light can help to make the space feel much larger and more open. Skylights will not only help to make that happen, but they can also add significant value to your home.

If you feel confident in your DIY skills, you may want to consider building your own kitchen island. This will help you save a lot of money as you'll only need to pay for the materials that you need, and these don't necessarily need to cost a lot. You may even be able to reuse or repurpose some items that you already own.

If you envision an expensive-looking kitchen island but don't have the budget for it, consider using faux marble for the countertop. You can also make a DIY kitchen island look much more expensive by adding a decent coat of paint in a colour that matches your kitchen’s décor.

There are many items of furniture that can be used as a kitchen islands. A tall table is a great example. All you’ll need to do is purchase a table with tall legs and add some stools or chairs underneath. This is the perfect alternative to a traditional kitchen island.

Not only will it give you a space for cooking and preparing meals, but it’ll also serve as a place where you can sit and eat your meals. The only disadvantage of this option is that you won’t have any storage within the kitchen island. However, this is a small price to pay when you consider how much money you’ll save with this option.

Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to kitchen lighting ideas. Sometimes simple pendants are a much better choice if you don’t want to completely overwhelm your design. Consider installing some simple, subtle pendant lights that are not too overpowering.

Simple lighting will prevent you from switching the focus from your gorgeous kitchen island and will, instead, allow you to showcase your central furnishing with adequate lighting.

If you have a small kitchen or a kitchen with low ceilings, recessed lighting above the kitchen island is a perfect option. Built-in spotlights are unobtrusive and sleek and can provide the perfect lighting solution for your kitchen island – particularly if you include a dimmer switch.

The recessed lighting can be lined up so that they direct light towards the centre of the kitchen island, creating a focal point.

Stools don't typically have a reputation for being the most comfortable seats for your bottom. However, that doesn't mean you need to settle for seats that make your back ache or make your backside go numb. Consider opting for some comfortable velvet bar stools.

Not only will there be much more comfortable for dining, but they'll also give your kitchen an element of luxury.

If you want to create a glam chic look in your kitchen, faux fur stools might be the way to go. Affordable kitchen seating can be quite uncomfortable. However, you can soften your seats with a cushion or pillow for relatively cheap.

Adding a faux fur cushion to your kitchen stools is a great way to make your kitchen seem more glam.

If you want to create something completely unique and homely, consider adding a built-in bench to your kitchen island. This will allow you to have adequate seating in your kitchen while also having a fully functional kitchen cabinet.

This type of design works best in larger kitchens or spaces with an open-plan kitchen-diner area. If you add stools to the other side of the table, you can create a very large dining area for entertaining family and friends.

A kitchen island works best when it's a fully functional area that can assist you when preparing food and cooking. If you want to go the extra mile to make your kitchen island a completely functional cooking area, consider installing appliances built into your kitchen island.

For example, you could install a stovetop, oven, or wine fridge on your kitchen island. This will allow you to free up other areas of your kitchen for storage.

Adding a rounded breakfast bar to your kitchen island is a brilliant way for you to break up a linear kitchen. Choosing a rounded design creates a sociable seating area that is connected to your kitchen. It also helps to provide optimum surface space.

If you choose a contrasting material such as wood, this will allow you to bring in some additional warmth and texture to your kitchen design.

As mentioned earlier, not all kitchen islands need to be the typical rectangular shape. Consider embracing curved edges in your kitchen island design to create a much softer look. Soft, rounded edges are much more homely and comforting than sharp, straight edges.

If you want to create a beautiful farmhouse look, consider opting for some rustic pendant lights in your kitchen. Rustic lighting is great for creating contrast in a modern kitchen design. Try working with various colours for an interesting look.

Different materials will create varying aesthetic appeals, so consider what would work well in your kitchen. For example, wicker rustic pendants would bring a warming feel to the room, whereas rustic metal lampshades appear much cooler.

Once you’ve sorted out the rest of your kitchen lighting, why not consider adding a striking feature light? Something that catches the eye is great for creating a unique aesthetic appeal. You may want to place your feature light in the centre of the room, above your dining table, or above your kitchen island.

Place your feature light somewhere notable so that you can create a focal point in the room. One singular feature light also works great for casting a warm glow in the room when all of the other lights are switched off.

Smaller kitchen lighting ideas were once limited to subtle downlights. However, the newer kitchen trends allow you to be a bit more adventurous with your lighting choices. A vintage-style design is great for adding some personality to your kitchen. If you have a traditional or transitional kitchen space, a vintage light can complement the room perfectly.

If you have a modern kitchen, a vintage light can add a great twist to the room. You may not have enough space for a kitchen island in your small kitchen. However, a beautiful vintage light would look great above a dining table to help define the dining zone in the room.

Although contrary to kitchen interior design ideas, plain spotlights can sometimes be one of the sleekest lighting options for a smaller kitchen. When installing spotlights, it’s best to locate them above key areas so that you can ensure the light isn’t blocked when you stand at the counter, hob, or sink.

When choosing spotlights, consider how much lighting your kitchen requires. This will help to make sure you don’t overdo or underdo the lighting. A qualified electrician will be able to help you determine how many lights you’ll need for your particular kitchen.

If you want to create an eye-catching feature in your kitchen, consider adding some lighting to your kitchen cabinet interiors. This will create a soft glow, showcasing the items inside the cabinets.

Adding this kind of lighting will allow you to easily see what's in your cupboards, as well as ensuring your kitchen design looks as beautiful at night as it does during the day.

In modern kitchens, the lighting ideas allow you to invoke an element of surprise. Consider adding cabinets with illuminated areas as part of your kitchen design. You can use lighting to create decorative displays in your kitchen. If you have open shelving in your cabinets, use lighting to help illuminate particular areas.

Consider which areas of the kitchen would look good illuminated and incorporate lighting into these areas. Consider adding LED lights in various parts of the room to cast an even glow across everything that is being displayed. Gentle lighting in certain areas of the room looks great when the main lights are switched off.

Strip lighting is perfect for adding some light to the floor area of your kitchen. Floor lighting looks great when all the other lights in the room are turned off, as it creates a soft glow in the room and also provides adequate lighting so that you can safely walk around your kitchen.

Floor-level lighting works very well in modern kitchens.

If you want to create something completely unique, why not think about playing around with colours?

LED strip lights come in a range of different colours, and some have the option to change between different colours. This allows you to add a completely unique twist to your kitchen lighting. Consider if there is a particular lighting colour that would tie in well with your kitchen's décor.

When installing wall lights in your kitchen, try to boost the impact of your statement wall lights by choosing to arrange them in a row along the wall above your work area or table.

Odd numbers always work best when installing wall lights. Consider adding three or five lights depending on the size of your kitchen.

It's a good idea to use accent lighting as a final layer to your kitchen design. Accent lighting can help to guide the eye and creates some great points of interest around the kitchen space.

Accent lighting also helps to add to the overall light levels when combined with other lighting, such as a focal light feature above the kitchen table. In most cases, accent lighting is found above shelving, in cupboards, around niche areas, or around your other kitchen storage solutions.

One major benefit of a mirrored splashback is that it is extremely reflective, and this gives an illusion of depth and also helps to reflect light around the room, effectively brightening the space. In some cases, a mirrored splashback can even make a smaller kitchen look twice as large with the illusion of additional space.

The only issue with mirrored splashbacks is that splashes and smears tend to show up easily, so don't opt for a mirrored splashback if you're not willing to keep on top of cleaning it. Antiqued glass is a great option in the kitchen. Not only does this add charm, but it's also good for disguising smears and splashes.

Natural stone can help to offer a beautiful earthy look to your kitchen. However, real stone can be very expensive and will need to be treated regularly to boost its durability and water resistance. A composite splashback can often outperform a natural stone splashback in the kitchen.

Composite splashbacks are water-resistant, heat-resistant, stain-resistant, chemical-resistant, and scratch-resistant. There are many designs and colours to choose from, with something to suit almost every kitchen design.

One major benefit of a mirrored splashback is that it is extremely reflective, and this gives an illusion of depth and also helps to reflect light around the room, effectively brightening the space.

In some cases, a mirrored splashback can even make a smaller kitchen look twice as large with the illusion of additional space.

The only issue with mirrored splashbacks is that splashes and smears tend to show up easily, so don't opt for a mirrored splashback if you're not willing to keep on top of cleaning it. Antiqued glass is a great option in the kitchen. Not only does this add charm, but it's also good for disguising smears and splashes.

If you pair dark grey with dark wood, you can create a unique, modern appearance that looks very stylish.

When paired with lighter colours, such as white, you can create a beautiful contrasting appearance.

Both varieties work great in modern kitchens.

A glossy dark grey splashback will help to reflect light around the room, taking away some of the darkness that these darker tones can bring.

If you want to create a timeless look, marble is a great option. The beautiful patterns in marble can help to add character to the kitchen and can work well in preventing the space from becoming too uniform.

If you want to fully appreciate the natural beauty of marble, don’t confine your splashback to just the sink or stove area. Consider adding marble to the entire wall behind the stove. In order to ensure the effect isn’t too overwhelming, leave the other walls bare without any splashback at all.

In some cases, bigger is better. This is especially true if you're trying to aim for a sleek, minimalist aesthetic. Large tiles offer a feeling of more space. When they're used for a kitchen splashback, they can also add the illusion of vertical height as well.

Large tiles have several benefits. One of the main benefits is that you'll have fewer grout lines, so this means they're pretty easy to install. For a contemporary finish, choose the same tiles on your floor and splashback. This will create a sleek, seamless appearance across your entire kitchen.

In recent years, textured features have become a staple element of home décor. The desire for homes to have a connection with nature has led to the increased popularity of organic, textured surfaces.

A textured splashback is a great way to bring a splash of biophilic design to your kitchen. The uneven surface ties in perfectly with other natural elements in your kitchen. This results in a kitchen design that is very calming and stylish.

If you want to achieve something unique and striking with your kitchen splashback, why not opt for a marble-effect printed splashback? These come in a huge range of different colours and patterns to suit every kitchen design.

With an element of nature with a variety of colours, you have the opportunity to give your kitchen something completely unique. A marble-effect splashback can act as a great statement piece for a modern kitchen.

With printed splashbacks coming in a range of different patterns and styles, it's easy to find something to suit your personality and the design of your kitchen.

Why not choose something completely unique and striking for your kitchen splashback?

Tile-effect printed splashbacks work great as they provide a striking, aesthetically appealing effect to your kitchen. Choose something that ties in well with the colour of your cabinets. If you choose a striking, unique splashback design, it's best to opt for plain designs on the rest of the walls to prevent them from becoming too over-stimulating.

Bronze is a very warm colour, so it can create a comfortable and cosy feeling in your kitchen. If you choose a mirrored bronze splashback, you'll have the benefit of the reflectiveness of the mirrored effect along with the warmth of the bronze tone.

A mirrored splashback works great in smaller kitchens as the reflected light can help to brighten up the space. Plus, the reflectiveness of the mirror also makes the room seem much larger.

If you want to create a unique feature in your kitchen, why not opt for a liquid gold glass splashback? This type of splashback acts as a real statement piece, and it's something that you can really show off to your guests.

Perfect for modern kitchens, this striking splashback design is enough to grab anyone's attention and will act as a real talking point between family members and guests. Plus, since glass is so easy to wipe clean, maintaining this type of splashback is a breeze.

If you are looking to achieve the natural wood effect but want something a bit more slick and a bit safer in a moist environment, wood-effect tiles may be the solution.

You can get wood-effect tiles in a range of different styles and varieties, helping you to achieve almost any desired look.

These tiles can help to bring warmth and colour to your kitchen space while being very durable and easy to maintain. Opt for light wood tiles if you want to brighten up the space, or go for darker wood tiles if you're looking to create a warm, rustic look.

Flooring is a great way for you to visually zone different areas of the kitchen. With many people now living in open-plan spaces, it's useful to create markers on the floor to separate the different functions.

If you want to achieve some good zoning, choose a simple surface such as a wood floor for your overall flooring and then use a different, more unique flooring to delineate a zone, such as a pattered or coloured tile.

Some areas that could benefit from being zoned off are the cooking area, the flooring around your kitchen island, or the space underneath your dining table.

If you want to brighten up your kitchen space, there is no better way to do so than by choosing light-coloured flooring. There are many different styles and varieties of vinyl flooring.

From faux white tiles effect to faux light wood effect, you can easily achieve something that suits your kitchen design. Light flooring works very well in smaller kitchens as it helps to brighten up the space and makes the room feel more open and airy.

If you want to create a rustic farmhouse feel to your kitchen but don't fancy forking out on real stone or ceramic tiles, why not opt for ceramic or stone-effect vinyl flooring? With so many options available, it's easy to find vinyl flooring that will suit your kitchen.

Whether you want a light or dark effect, you'll never be short of options if you choose to go for vinyl flooring.

Ceramic and stone-effect vinyl flooring works well in a range of kitchens, from traditional to contemporary, and it has the added benefit of being very easy to maintain.

Rustic wood flooring is currently soaring in popularity, and there's nothing better than a rustic grain laminate floor. It's easy to install and easy to maintain.

Plus, it provides a warming and homely feel to your kitchen. This type of flooring finish has a lot of natural features like grain and knots in the pattern, so it adds texture and interest.

Some varieties are even textured instead of smooth, providing the perfect rustic vibe. This type of flooring works perfectly in a traditional country kitchen or looks great if you're going for a more eccentric type of kitchen design.

Parquet flooring has been increasing in popularity over the past few years, and it shows no signs of going out of style any time soon. Wood parquet flooring comes at a rather hefty price tag and requires a lot of ongoing maintenance.

However, you can now achieve the same parquet effect with laminate flooring, and it comes at a fraction of the cost. The parquet style of flooring suits both traditional and modern-themed kitchens, so it really does work for all.

Plus, you don't have to be restricted to a wood parquet design. You could also choose other options, such as slate grey, if you want to achieve a chic industrial vibe.

If you want to create a kitchen that is light and bright all the way through, consider choosing a bright natural stone tile. This is a great way to introduce a modern, minimalistic look to your kitchen. Modern kitchens are all about natural, neutral, and light tones.

However, it can also work well in brightening up a more traditional style of kitchen. To make the most of the light-bouncing qualities of your kitchen flooring, go for a polished kitchen floor tile with a moderate shine to it.

With their sleek lines and exacting corners, modern kitchens tend to run the risk of looking a little bit too square. If you want to inject a bit more personality into your modern kitchen design, consider steering away from the perpendicular approach when laying your floor tiles.

Instead, take the diagonal route. This will offer a pleasant visual surprise and will help to open up the space and prevent your kitchen from looking too square.

When you display items on open shelves, you want to ensure that everything remains organised. Placing items in groups or in lines of threes, fours, or fives will help to ensure your shelves remain looking tidy and prevent them from looking too chaotic.

When choosing the overall appearance of your shelves, you'll want to decide if you want the shelves to be made from a type of material that is a statement in itself or whether you want your shelves to have a less prominent role. If you choose the latter, ensure your display does all the talking.

Adding open shelving in your kitchen is a great way to make a real statement. Plus, open shelves are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. If your kitchen is quite small or if you’re limited on wall space, it’s a very good idea to take advantage of any small recesses or alcoves that you have in the kitchen.

This is a great way to visually correct any uneven proportions in the room and also works as a practical way to fill up a space that would ordinarily go to waste.

Corner cupboards are one of the most awkward places for storage as they tend to be very difficult to access and have a very awkward layout.

However, you can make use of all of the abundant space in your corner cupboards by investing in carousel devices that can be fitted to the inside of the cupboard, allowing you to bring items from the back outwards with a quick pull or swing. This makes your corner cupboards much more practical and offers the perfect storage solution for bulkier items like pots and pans.

Nobody wants to have to reach right into the back of a cupboard to retrieve a tiny pot of ground garlic. Consider reconfiguring the size of your shelves so that they can accommodate a rack on the inside of the cupboard door.

This will mean that your shelves won’t extend right out to the front of the cupboard, but you'll have a shallow rack on the door for storing all of your smaller items, such as spices or even drinking glasses.

Keep an organised and uniform look on your kitchen worktops with clear glass storage containers. You can purchase these in bulk for relatively cheap, and they provide a great storage solution for your kitchen.

They're perfect for storing pasta, cereals, rice, snacks, pet food – basically anything you can think of. Keeping things in glass jars is a great way to free up space in your cupboards and prevents you from having to keep ugly packaged items out on your kitchen countertops.

If you have some spare wall space in your kitchen, a pegboard can come in very handy as a great storage solution. It’s a great customisable option for storing things like pans, pots, utensils, and anything else that can hang in place.

Combine various sections to create a unique wall of stored kitchen items. Plus, this is very beneficial as it means that everything you need can be accessed super easily.

Are you tired of rummaging through your cupboards or drawers to get to your bin bags?

Well, we've got the perfect solution for you. As part of your under-the-sink storage, consider creating some DIY bin bag rolls with curtain rods or something similar.

Install these under the sink so that you can easily get to your bin bags as and when you need them.

Plastic containers work well under the sink if you have a lot of space under there. The cupboard under the sink will need to be tall and wide enough to house the plastic containers. To make even better use of the available space, opt for stackable plastic containers.

It’s also a good idea to consider adding labels to your containers so that you know exactly what’s inside each of them, making it much easier to quickly access the items you need.

If you want to make the most of the corner cupboards in your kitchen, consider installing some sliding shelves within the cupboard.

This will allow you to pull out the kitchen shelves, revealing everything that is stored within the cupboard and putting it within arm’s reach.

No longer will you need to get on your hands and knees to try to retrieve that pot from the back of the cupboard. Sliding shelves will allow you to make full use of the available space within the kitchen.

If you want to make full use of the corner part of your kitchen cabinets, consider installing some corner drawers. Corner drawers are a great solution for your corner kitchen storage because they allow you to store a lot of items in one place.

These drawers tend to be very long and can be deep or shallow, depending on your needs. Plus, they match up with the design of the rest of your kitchen, so they blend in perfectly.

If you want to add some drama to your kitchen, opt for a dark grey hue. Dark grey is bold and dramatic, and it works perfectly in modern kitchens. You can double up a dark grey kitchen with black granite worktops for even more intensity and to give that added element of luxury.

Avoid choosing a very dark grey colour scheme for a smaller kitchen, as this can be quite overpowering and may make the room seem much smaller and duller than it actually is. Dark grey works well in large kitchens or open-plan kitchen areas.

Partner your dark grey kitchen with some metallics or rich jewel tones that will really pop with it.

Grey kitchens can look quite clinical. However, when paired with some exposed brickwork, the kitchen can have a lot of texture, character, and warmth. This type of design works well in both traditional and contemporary settings. Finish off this type of kitchen with a mix of metallics to add some contrast.

For example, you can opt for brushed steel appliances, antique brass handles and taps, or shiny, beaten copper pendants. Consider the overall look that you're going for when considering the finishes for your kitchen.

If you want to add some drama to a white kitchen, consider installing a contrasting floor. A gorgeous dark wooden flooring would work great at achieving this. Darker floors are very eye-catching, particularly when paired with a white kitchen.

If you want to make your kitchen design stand out even further, consider adding some other elements in the kitchen that match up with the colour of the floor.

This will help to create a lot of interest and really help to tie the whole scheme together. Dark wood looks beautiful with a white kitchen and works great in both contemporary and traditional kitchen designs.

When you choose white for your kitchen design scheme, make it modern by choosing similar tones for the cabinetry and worktops for a seamless contemporary design. White is perfect for helping your kitchen look bright and light.

Plus, whites tend to make your kitchen look much bigger. No matter how large or small your kitchen is, white is a timeless choice that works very well.

Opt for straight cabinets all lined up in a sleek design if you want to make your kitchen appear contemporary. Modern kitchens tend to have very slick lines with straight edges.

This is a design element to keep in mind if you’re creating a plan for a modern kitchen design.

Painted kitchens work very well in traditional homes. There are many different shades of cream for you to choose from for your kitchen space. The right colour for you will depend on what you’re trying to achieve.

Are you looking to create a warm and welcoming ambience or a cool and elegant appeal?

It’s also important to think about how much natural light your kitchen receives when choosing the right shade for you. If you don’t have a lot of light in the kitchen, choose a cream with hints of pink or yellow in them. If your kitchen gets decent sunlight, choose a cream shade with hints of grey.

When natural light is low in the kitchen, choose a light shade of cream to help brighten up the space. Light cream hues work very well when teamed with a deep navy blue.

Pick out just one element in your kitchen design for this colour, whether it's the kitchen island, a fire surround, or a backsplash. Putting these two colours together produces a beautiful overall kitchen aesthetic.

In order to keep your navy kitchen looking balanced, the general rule is to add some lighter shades in the room wherever you can. The floor is a great place to start if you want to get your kitchen looking grounded.

Choosing a light colour for the flooring will help to make your navy kitchen look brighter and feel much more lively. Choosing a dark colour for the flooring could result in your kitchen looking overwhelming and may make the space look a little bit gloomy.

If you want to make your navy kitchen appear much warmer, consider adding some wood elements to your kitchen design. From shelving to flooring to worktops, there are many ways in which you can incorporate wood into your kitchen design.

Add a few smaller wood elements, such as chairs and accessories, to help bring even more warmth into the space. Choose warm wood finishes such as oak, maple, or reclaimed teak for the best results.

If you like the idea of the colour green but don’t want to commit to a fully green kitchen, consider pairing green with blush pink. The green will still take pride of place in the space, but it will appear in a much more subtle way.

All shades of green work well with pink hues. If you want to create a soft look, opt for blush pink rather than a dramatic pink tone. You can easily break up your kitchen design by incorporating these two colours together.

The colour green can be very gentle and soothing. However, it can also bring in some elements of the rich and regal. If you’re looking to add a splash of bold green colour to your white or pale grey kitchen, consider opting for a deep green kitchen island.

This would work very well in a gothic-style kitchen. A deep emerald green shade is rich and powerful and works very well as a statement centrepiece colour on a kitchen island. To finish the gothic look, opt for some ornate lantern-style lighting and interesting antique-looking stools.

If you use two colours to complement each other for your upper and lower cabinets, this is a great way to bring contrast and drama to your kitchen space. Two colours can create a striking visual appeal and draw attention.

This has been a trend for a long time, and it shows no sign of going out of style any time soon. A black and white colour combination for kitchen cabinets is perfect and works well in any kitchen design, whether traditional in style or contemporary.

If you want to achieve something a bit different than the typical all-white kitchen design, why not go the complete polar opposite and go for matt black cabinets? Painting your cabinets in a matt black shade will make your kitchen really stand out.

If you are adding a white backsplash to your kitchen, black cabinets will provide the perfect contrast, immediately drawing attention to them and creating interest. Adding perfect contrasts in your kitchen is a great way to make any kitchen look amazing. Matt black provides something unique and can really give your kitchen that added ‘wow’ factor.

Muted surfaces are a great smart solution for an open-plan kitchen diner. The sheen-free finish on this type of kitchen helps to reduce any possible visual distractions, such as the glare from a television.

Choosing non-reflective doors in your open-plan kitchen diner will also help to disguise fingerprints, so your kitchen space will be left looking cleaner for longer. This is a great option for busy families who are looking to reduce their kitchen maintenance.

Opting for a grey palette in your open-plan kitchen diner is a perfect choice. Grey provides a great companion to this kind of layout as it sits very comfortable in the background of your interior. Grey is great for complementing both contemporary and traditional kitchen decorations.

If you have a small open-plan kitchen diner, consider positioning your cabinetry against one single wall so that you can create a discreet cooking and preparation area that doesn't interrupt the rest of the room.

If you're limited on space, but want to create a kitchen that can be used for preparing meals, cooking meals, and dining, then why not consider adding a breakfast bar to your kitchen?

This will allow you to have optimum countertop space while also giving you the space to sit and enjoy your meals. Install a row of lights above the breakfast bar area to highlight the dining area, making it a very inviting space for sitting and enjoying a meal.

When creating your kitchen diner design, consider how you can use colours to help bring the whole design together. For example, if you have a unique colour for your kitchen cabinets, consider choosing chairs for your dining table in the same colour as the cabinets.

If you can incorporate matching colours in any other areas of your kitchen and dining area, this will also help to bring the whole design together. For example, if you have a sofa in your kitchen diner space, consider choosing cushion covers that match your kitchen cabinets.

If you have a long, narrow galley kitchen, consider saving some space at the end of the room to create a built-in dining area. This will allow you to make the most of the narrow space available.

Consider creating a traditional diner-style seating area with two built-in seats on either side of a large table. Add comfort to the area by adding some comfortable cushions on your dining seats in a colour that complements the rest of your kitchen design.

If you are limited on space in your kitchen, why not consider opting for a retractable dining table?

This will allow you to have full use of the kitchen whenever needed, and you can simply put out your table when you're ready to dine. The table can then be pushed away when it's not in use, making your kitchen look very tidy and preventing you from using valuable space to house a permanent table.

If you want to create something striking and unique in your kitchen, Georgian-inspired border patterns provide a very elegant aesthetic.

Choose muted colours, such as dark grey with pre-scored lines, as this will make the tiles much easier to install while giving off the impression of much smaller tiles. This type of tile design works great in traditional-themed kitchen designs.

Adding a unique, deep colour, such as teal, in the kitchen is a great way to add some interest.

When combined with some added texture, you can achieve a striking appearance that works well in a range of settings. A striking colour like this in the kitchen can help to add some character to the room. When paired with white cabinets, a striking tile colour like this can really stand out.

Whether you are looking for kitchen floor tiles for your period home or you’re just a big fan of the vintage aesthetic, traditional black and white diamond tiles are a great striking feature in a kitchen. Depending on your preferences, you can opt for matt tiles or gloss tiles.

Gloss tiles work very well in smaller kitchens as they can help to bounce light around the room. If you have a large kitchen, matt tiles work well in creating a statement floor.

If you want to create a fashionable kitchen space, consider thinking outside the box and opting for hexagonal-shaped floor tiles. These tiles work well on kitchen floors of all sizes.

You can choose from all different kinds of hexagonal tiles, from large stone slabs to mosaic-style ceramics. You can also play around with various colours to get a funky, contrasting look if you want to create something with a bit more personality.

Modern kitchens are all about making a statement with colour. If you want to truly make a statement with your kitchen, consider incorporating a brightly-coloured kitchen splashback. Bright colours are very eye-catching and the perfect way to add your personality to your kitchen space.

There is no limit on the colours that you can choose from. However, it's recommended that you choose something striking, such as vibrant red, blue, or green, as this can add some contrast to your interiors. Choose a contrasting shade for your kitchen cupboards if you want to create some striking colour blocking.

Sometimes more really can be more. Instead of opting for colour, shape, or pattern, why not play around with all three? Choosing an interesting-shaped tile in a bright colour with a unique pattern can sometimes do wonders for your kitchen space.

To make the overall look appear more cohesive, choose a pattern that links the tiles together instead of creating a patchwork effect.

Marble metro tiles make a great addition to a stylish, contemporary kitchen. This is particularly true when they are laid in a herringbone pattern. This look is great for creating texture and interest in the room.

With varying tones, you can create something really unique with a lot of personality. Play around with light marble tones and dark marble tones to find an effect that really works for you.

You can create a great focal point in your kitchen if you choose metro tiles for your splashback. Metro tiles can create a beautiful design, and they're perfect for when you want to inject a little bit of colour into your kitchen without it feeling too overwhelming.

Consider opting for a unique colour if you really want to make your splashback stand out. The limit is endless when it comes to choosing a colour for your kitchen metro tiles.

If you can’t decide on one colour to go for in your kitchen design, why not choose two colours combined? Using two colours in the kitchen is a growing trend that gives you the opportunity to mix things up a bit.

This is a great way for you to work in a bolder colour without allowing that bold colour to dominate the space. Black and white kitchens are great for achieving this look. Consider opting for a single run of units in dramatic black colour with a contrasting white island, or vice versa. Monochrome is a timeless look that makes a real statement and adds drama.

From countertops to tiles to appliances, your kitchen is full of hard surfaces that can sometimes feel a bit harsh and unforgiving. If you introduce a contrasting element to your kitchen design, such as a luxe metallic, this is a great way of adding a visual and tactile element to your kitchen to help soften the overall look.

Add warmth to your kitchen with a metallic splashback or involve some metallic elements on fixtures such as door handles or taps. Introducing metallics to your modern kitchen design is a great way to add warmth and interest.

When you're designing a country kitchen, it's not just about the kitchen style you decide to choose. It's just as important to ensure that the space feels lived in. If you want to make a new-build kitchen look and feel more country, consider adding some antique elements to the room or incorporate some pre-loved ornaments to help give the room some personality.

One of the best ways to invoke that country charm is to bring something into the room that has a backstory. Add some unique, vintage items that will be the talking point of your kitchen design.

If there are any attractive structural materials in your kitchen that you can show off, don’t miss this opportunity. Whether it’s brickwork, exposed beams, or original floor tiles, consider all the ways you can show off the authenticity of your kitchen. Natural elements such as these can make your kitchen space feel much warmer and cosier. Plus, making use of these naturally decorative elements will save you from having to spend more money covering them up.