Read our interview with Kelly Hoppen
Hotpoint, the UK appliance brand, has recently conducted research into how people feel about their homes. They found that one in five people are so embarrassed by the condition of their home that they don’t invite people in and over half of us don't feel as confident as we'd like with our interior design skills. That's why they've joined forces with interior designer Kelly Hoppen to help Brits inject a bit of style into their homes.
The kitchen has now overtaken the dining room as the hub of family life. In fact, we now spend more than three times as many hours in there than any other room in the house other than the lounge – highlighting just how important the space is becoming to modern family life. One in twenty of us have even moved house to get our hands on a bigger kitchen.
Kelly discusses her hot kitchen style ideas
Interior design needn’t cost a fortune; Kelly shares some simple and inexpensive interior ideas to help make the kitchen the stylish hub of your home:
Wonderful walls
Use your walls to create surprises - build excitement with over-scaled images or unexpected accent colours. Something lots of people forget is to hang art at the right height – people often hang their pictures too high. You should be able to look at a painting without titling your head upwards.
Remember that whatever colour or texture is chosen for the walls, the ceiling must blend with it. If you use paint on walls, use the same colour on the woodwork and ceiling – it’s like wearing black tights and black shoes with a black dress.
Set the mood
Understanding how to create and set the mood is key to adding the finishing touches to your kitchen. For example, invest in some fake flowers, rather than having to refresh them every week, which can be expensive, and put in a vase with added stones or compost at the bottom to create depth and a sense of fertility in your kitchen.
Creating a modern look
Black gloss units
If you want to go for a really modern look without having to change your whole kitchen, then Hotpoint’s Black Gloss range of appliances is the perfect choice. This collection of sexy, stylish, products, includes fridge freezers, washing machines, dishwashers and many more to instantly update any kitchen.
De-clutter
Nowadays, the kitchen is often the main family living space, so you need to make the space accessible and ensure all the elements in it are practical. Be disciplined about not cluttering the kitchen with items you are unlikely to use; remember that you need a space that not only looks great but that is easy to maintain.
Don’t forget internal storage solutions as these will allow you to maximise your kitchen and reduce clutter and the amount of ‘dead space’. Magnet has some clever units that not only enable you to fit more in, but help to create a sense of space which can often make your kitchen look considerably larger.
Quick and easy upgrades
You don’t have to change your whole kitchen to update it. A money saving tip is save on kitchen units by only changing the doors and upgrade the whole look with a freestanding Fridge Freezer. Hotpoint’s Quadrio is great for making a statement in your kitchen and I love the unique double doors.
Be different
Hotpoint fridge drawers
Something I’m always telling my clients is to not be afraid to be “different”. Hotpoint has some really cool fridge drawers which are a great alternative to a ‘normal’ freestanding fridge freezer and give your kitchen a contemporary, stylish feel.
Secret space saver
If space is limited but you’d love all the benefits of a double oven, the Hotpoint Openspace is the one for you. I believe that kitchen products should really work for you and this oven is great - it has 20% more space than a traditional single oven, but still fits in the same space. Plus, it has four different cooking modes, one even uses an insulating divider to create two separate cooking spaces so it’s really flexible and it also looks really stylish too.
Personal inspiration
My key tip in interior design is to not be afraid about thinking “outside the box”. Look around you for inspiration; for example, I often visit our local fruit and vegetable market for great table centre pieces and arrangements. Everything from polished red applies, oranges, aubergines and artichokes make great props – and you can eat them when you’re finished with them. Or try white rope in oversized brandy glasses to create impact and fill empty kitchen shelves.
Fill your kitchen with furniture that is special and unique to you and don’t be afraid of reflecting your family’s personality throughout your kitchen. This will help to build a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in your kitchen and show it off as the heart of your home.
Sleek and stylish products
Sleek and stylish products in the kitchen always impress and Hotpoint has a gorgeous range of built-in products that I love. The Hotpoint coffee maker, for example, is gorgeous and adds a great finishing touch to your kitchen – a must for coffee lovers!
Lighting
Kitchen lighting
As a general rule, plan for far more lighting than you think you will need. The more lighting you have, the more choices you have about creating mood within a room, whether it’s a romantic dinner for two, or an informal dinner party with friends. This can be done simply and inexpensively using freestanding lights, table lamps and, of course, candles.
