Kitchen designs fascinate us. The huge quantity of worktop finishes, cupboard fronts, splashbacks, lighting and décor combinations almost overwhelm…but used successfully, they can give such a voice and character to a kitchen area. When browsing for inspiration, trends, and groundbreaking kitchen décor ideas we occasionally come up against a kitchen that makes us stop in our tracks. A sort of jaw-dropping, breath-taking moment, when the personality of the space is so powerful it can’t fail to impress.
This blog post is a round up of the most unusual, unique and outrageous kitchen designs we’ve come across. Although a far cry from your dream scheme, we hope their fearlessness will inspire you, and smaller aspects from them can be applied to your design.
Creme de la creme
Ornate pillars, dripping chandeliers, and soaring ceilings create an incredible setting for this luxury kitchen design. Most of the scheme is subtle; handless cupboards in grey and white allow the central island/bar to really shine. We love the unique idea of an in-built champagne ice-bucket in the middle of the circular bar area...an impressive statement and right in tune with the expensive design choices running through the whole open-plan living space.
Tuscany vibes
A lesson in heritage design, this rustic kitchen embraces the crumbling, uncovered stone wall by tastefully completing the picture. From the antique dish rack over the sink to the taxidermy boar head on the wall, deliberate choices have been made to create the feel of a relaxed holiday home in Tuscany. An aged wooden worktop and dried herbs hanging from the beams are the perfect finishing touches.
Colour conscious
All at once daring and well-considered, this characterful kitchen draws heavily on colours to make it's impact. Brass cabinets match the pendant and table base, tying the scheme together. Swatches of teal blue and deep plum create an inky palette, which is relieved by the white splashback tiles and those eye-catching monochrome cabinet fronts!
Sushi bar
Boasting a bold terrazzo splashback, gloss white cabinets and marble worktops - this kitchen seems to hit every trend! Terrazzo is really becoming a buzzword where worktops, flooring and splashbacks are concerned. Here it adds warmth and an artistic flair to an otherwise cold and slightly clinical kitchen design. Time to serve the sushi...
Mural master
How any kitchen could hope to compete with a ceiling like this, we really don't know! Ceiling are becoming increasingly used as the 'fifth wall' of a room, with more daring choices of lighting or wallpaper finishes being used to draw the eye upwards. A beautiful black-stained herringbone floor lies underfoot, while sleek bronze cabinets cut confidently across the space. The wall-mounted rack for glasses and spices is unusual but very effective in this dramatic kitchen design.
The Hunt
Capturing the essence of traditional English country house, we can imagine this cosy and characterful kitchen jostling with 'The Field', after a long day at a local hunt. Wooden panelling helps to make a space feel grand and established, even if it has no real architectural features. A gallery wall, unusual antique light fittings, and vintage wooden bar stools keep the space from becoming too ordinary, whilst the central island pairs dark grey cupboard fronts with a striking rose marble worktop. Tally ho!
Turn up the drama
The show-stopper. Inspired by the look of Thirties Parisian pharmacies, this powerful kitchen design is an imaginative mix of luxury finishes, bold outlines, and hints of eccentricity. Unlacquered brass adds a glowing warmth to the kitchen cabinetry, and is mirrored by the quirky circular light from The Forties. From the moody sky mural in the raised ceiling to the glass and metal cupboard fronts, the entire design is unexpected and shocking, but completely masterful in it's style..
Bold hued
Bright mustard rallies with royal blue and succeeds in waking up the features of this warehouse-style room. A mirrored island adds visual intrigue to the kitchen design, while the trio of bare bulbs pay homage to the industrial nature of the building. Mid-blue, textural cupboards complement the scheme without distracting, and house a built in oven and a mirrored alcove for the hob area.
Wonderland
There's something distinctly 'Wonderland' about this eclectic open-plan kitchen area. The dining space and kitchen are unified by their dark colour choices, and share the same wooden floor. Attention is drawn to the dining zone by the two oversized chandeliers that hang low over the rough-hewn table - serious conversation starters! Is that a zebra head we see lurking in the background?
Van Gogh
Casual and 'normal', yet with a wealth of character to it's name, this design is probably our favourite of them all. Although the room is vast, with vaulted ceilings and an open-plan design, the design is compact and exudes a homely aesthetic. Navy blue cabinets are used alongside polished wooden worktops throughout, apart form the complementary island in cream and the iconic Smeg fridge. Brass hardware, open shelving and the revived Belfast sink all proclaim this kitchen right on trend, and yet it stays effortlessly relaxed. Creativity shows itself through the impromptu use of canvases, chopping boards and fresh produce in the styling of the space.