Yes, you read that right. Kitchens have evolved over the years, with trends coming and going, more cabinetry and storage being a must in every busy household, and space being highest on the list when house shopping. However, a trend we at Thomas James Bespoke see an increasing demand for is minimalism. And with this, comes a drastic reduction in cabinetry. We're talking half of what you had before.
The evolution of kitchen cupboards began when plastic-coated cabinetry wasn't going to cut it anymore; we gladly welcomed the rebirth of solid-wood units which were beautiful and sturdy and harkened back to luxurious family homes in simpler times. Then came the glass-fronted cabinetry, designed to showcase your most opulent crockery and glassware only used for the most prestigious guests, allowing more light and offering the illusion of more space. Design won over storage, as wall-mounted cabinets were then tossed aside completely, in favour of longline kitchen shelves, displaying only a few token pieces.
Enter- the loss of uppers altogether. Reminiscent of sparse Parisian or New York City apartments, the use of only base cabinets is a bold yet chic design choice. It is sleek and effortless, offering more light and the impression of more space. Completely hand-in-hand with the minimalism trend; we're seeing more and more homeowners jumping wholeheartedly into this simplistic lifestyle.
In this new style of kitchen, you'll undoubtedly have less storage space, unless you're fortunate enough to have a hidden away pantry, or room for an island, which this style unrefutably desires. However, we don't see this as a negative; we see it as an opportunity to purge your kitchen of any unnecessary tools, crockery, mugs and other items which a family accumulates over time which often become redundant.
With many period properties housing unique features, some kitchens naturally do not have the space for wall-mounted cabinets. From beams to unusual layouts, these once architecturally tricky homes now become simpler to design, ensuring these characteristics are celebrated, rather than hidden away behind oak.
If you're loving the minimalistic trend, but aren't quite ready to say goodbye to all your storage space, we don't consider kitchen shelves as cheating. Feature kitchen shelves in keeping with base cabinetry offers a blend of simplistic and functionality, still optimising space and light, creating clean lines and a contemporary style.