The secret to creating a timeless kitchen design

Investing in a new kitchen is the most important way to enhance the look of your home and elevate your space to its highest potential. Ensuring your design stays within the parameters of your budget, reflects your unique vision, and stands the test of time, are all priorities for a successful kitchen remodel.

To discover the key elements of creating a timeless kitchen design, we spoke to kitchen design manager Jan van Deventer at Matisse, a company that specialises in New Zealand-designed and Italian-made custom kitchens. These customisations sit within a broad collection of the world’s best artisan materials and finishes at the forefront of design and technological innovation.

Jan says there are two pillars that underlie all good design.

“The best and most timeless kitchens have a fusion between beautiful design and practicality. Anyone who sets out to create a truly great kitchen needs to consider both of those things.”

It is also important to consider how a material’s price reflects its value, says Jan. With longevity being a crucial element to material selection, options at a slightly higher price range can be financially beneficial in the long run. Spanning across 10 different price levels, leading manufacturers like Arrital offer the best materials that will meet your budget while lasting the test of time.

“It’s crucial to use brands that really embody quality,” says Jan. “Our supplier in Italy, Arrital, uses the absolute best materials from the hinges to the cabinetry. It means that it not only looks and feels incredible, but it will last far longer than a lesser quality product.”

Another crucial element of good design is selecting a style that flawlessly accentuates its setting. When retrofitting a kitchen into a mid-century home, for example, recognise the characteristics that are distinctive to the space. Scouring for inspiration is helpful in shaping a vision, however it is easy to get distracted from a design that is cohesive with the location and style of the building.

“If you're doing a character style but you want to keep that contemporary look, Arrital has a really good range that would fit that space. It really comes down to the style of the doors and the handles and seamlessly integrating them through a colour palette with the benchtop and splashbacks. It’s about a holistic approach to a space and trying to create a seamless blend between old and new” says Jan.

Matisse offers a wide range of customisations in line with excellent quality and everlasting aesthetics. The range includes many affordable substitutes, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice a style you love for quality.

Accessibility and movement within the kitchen space is a great indicator of a fantastic design. Incorporating space-saving features into a detailed floor plan, such as hidden storage and appliances, creates a practical and functional space.

“Making sure that the floor plan is right from the start will mean that you're going to get maximum life span out of the design,” says Jan.

If you’re dictated by a tricky space, speaking to a professional about how to maximise storage or usability is very helpful.

“At Matisse, we have in-house experts that are skilled at making the most out of a space. We then have all our floorplans cross-checked by the team in Italy to ensure we’re creating the most logical and usable design. We’re working with the best in the industry and if a floorplan is not representative of its highest possibilities, our team works hard to shape it into what is best for the client.”

The classically effortless appearance of high-end kitchens are a result of small, clever considerations and a consistent combination of materials and textures.

“I recommend working with three main materials, with varying and complementary textures, so having a matte texture, something with a timber grain and then a marble, for example, suggests jan. ”

A successful colour palette is determined by a colour’s base tones. Combining multiple colours in a single setting can work well, says Jan, but you must pay attention to how the base tones of the materials interact. Keeping a minimal palette with colourful accents allows your design to evolve with you. It is useful to note that micro-trending styles are to be admired and avoided.

“If you're working with warm tones in your cabinetry, you need to stick with a warmer-toned stone for your benchtop. It pays to continuously think about how everything works together. People often lose sight of that, and it's something we’re good at guiding clients through.”

A technique regularly used by world-class designers for a seamless finish is integration of the appliances into the cabinetry.

“Your fridge, your dishwashers, anything that you can put behind panels, just to keep those clean lines, is definitely a plus, and you don’t have to worry about your appliances dating the kitchen.”

If you have existing appliances such as ovens that can’t be integrated, Jan says it can be a nice idea to integrate them through colour.

“We did a kitchen recently that had black Gaggenau ovens and it was just stunning against the matte black cabinetry and the porcelain benchtop – it really pays to consider your appliances with the rest of the kitchen.”

The easiest way to guarantee your kitchen stays timeless is to discover projects that are similar to your existing space, define a clear idea of your character and taste, and seek out the advice of an experienced designer to help you achieve your dream vision.

Get in touch with Matisse about creating a timeless kitchen design.