Cutting Edge
Now the bustling centrepiece of contemporary living, it’s hard to image that the
kitchen was once considered an unsightly feature, and was often dark and closed
off within the home. It wasn’t until technology was revolutionised in the 1920s
that our kitchens broke free and modern style was born. Here, Sydney Kitchen +
Bathroom Design’s Katie Livingston speaks with kitchen expert Khurram Nawaz,
director of Dzine Kitchens & Bathrooms, about contemporary style within the
kitchen, and how you can create an on-trend space that will stand the test of time.
While the term ‘modern’ has been attached to kitchens since the 20th century, the image of a modern space has changed drastically over the decades. Contemporary style is by nature transient, and colour palettes, styles and materials are constantly cycling in and out of fashion. This fluctuation can make it difficult to pin down a luxurious, modern design for your kitchen, but thankfully experts like Dzine Kitchens & Bathrooms are here to help. With a plethora of contemporary glow-ups under his belt, Nawaz has been in the industry for more than 20 years, founding Dzine Kitchens & Bathrooms in 2016 after sensing a gap in the market for a joinery company that offers a complete service: from painting to interior design, for all areas of your home.
SETTING THE BENCHMARK
With a ‘modern’ design in part dependant on the ebb and flow of current trends, Nawaz suggests garnering inspiration from print and social media to both keep track of what is in vogue and to provide a visual guide for your joinery maker. “[Many] people come in with some pictures or a magazine layout for examples and then we work with our clients to come up with a really nice and modern look,” Nawaz says. “We have the facility for 3D design as well, so that we can show the clients how their future kitchen will look,” he adds.
“These days curved counters are very big,” Nawaz notes, and while the previous decade celebrated straight lines, the 2020s are seeing soft edges remerge in kitchen counters, island benches, TV units and even cabinets.
In terms of colours, Nawaz also notes that “neutral colours are still the favourites”, but woodgrain finishes are becoming a popular complement to this colour palette. He also adds that a two-toned kitchen is another modern trend that’s making the rounds. “The main colour will just be white and then we can have a feature island bench, or wall cabinets for example,” Nawaz explains.
GET A HANDLE ON THE SITUATION
For that sleek contemporary feel, the obvious cabinetry profile choice is flat matte doors, as their minimalist aesthetic lends itself to perfectly to a modern look. However, in recent years Nawaz notes that V-groove profiles have soared in popularity. This profile choice is the perfect way to add a touch of textural interest to your space, without disrupting the streamlined feel of the kitchen. Finger-pull handles are the ideal complement to this style of cabinetry, as there is no unwanted attention drawn from bulky handles or knobs. On the other hand, Nawaz adds that there is a plethora of contemporary handles on the market, and a simple handle can add some much-needed interest to the space. “You [also] have what’s called a lip-pull handle,” Nawaz notes, which “just sits on top of the edges and looks quite sleek,” he says.
FRESH FROM THE OVEN
Nothing screams ‘modern’ quite like shiny new technology, but with “so much competition in appliances”, Nawaz offers some helpful suggestions to assist with your quest for the ideal device. “Mostly we use Bosch appliances as they have quite nice designs, plus they have some integrated models, so they fit nicely,” he says. Integrating, or semi-integrating appliances is a great way to give your cabinetry an uninterrupted feel, and this can often solve the problem of appliances stealing attention away from the intended hero pieces of your kitchen. As technology advances at a rapid pace, appliances are one of the first elements to show the age of a kitchen; so, if you’re looking to make your contemporary hub stand the test of time, consider integrating your appliances into your joinery. This works particularly well for fridges, and Nawaz says that he often goes for Miele or Liebherr, as these are high-quality and reliable products.
WHAT’S IN STORE?
Minimalism is the order of the day, and with spacious layouts and open-plan homes being the centrepiece of modern design, there is no room for clutter in a contemporary design. Thankfully, companies like Dzine Kitchens & Bathrooms will work closely with you to ensure that your joinery’s storage encompasses your needs. Nawaz stresses the space-saving benefits of drawers over cabinets, as they make the most out of the available space and ensure easy access to your utensils. “We use drawers wherever possible,” Nawaz explains. “For example we use large pot drawers, or inner drawers for the pantry to utilise every corner of the cabinets.”
While a simple drawer can do wonders for your space, for more complicated cabinets, Nawaz explains that there are lot of cabinetry mechanisms that not only make the most of hard to reach cavities, but can also improve the general organisation of your kitchen. There are “mechanisms for a pull-out pantry or other internal units that make blind corner cabinets and narrow areas more accessible,” Nawaz says.
At the end of the day, the ideal ‘modern’ kitchen is one that takes your favourite trends and turns them into a space that harmonises with your taste and your lifestyle. To achieve this Nawaz explains that “we ask questions like, what’s their plan for the house, if they want to live there for a very long time, and we look at the location of the house and what kind of finishes they have,” he says. Whatever your preference, with the help of clever design professionals, and by sticking to simple, tried and tested elements, you can ensure that you kitchen can have a contemporary air for decades to come.