With the avid consumerism of the noughties behind us, the trend for kitchens for 2011 is to create a highly individual and bespoke look by mixing and matching styles and straying from the norm, says award winning designers and retailers Kitchens International.

With over 20 years experience in designing and retailing kitchens, Kitchens International is seeing a shift towards a more traditional approach to kitchens. Consumers are tending to look for natural materials and organic shapes to create a kitchen that is more classic and conservative than a few years ago.

Paul O’Brien, Director, Kitchens International says: “The‘natural look’ is the key kitchen trend at the moment with customers favouring natural materials, such as wood or textured lacquered materials which give depth and character to the kitchen. Even in smaller, urban kitchens the natural appearance can be achieved by contrasting textured browns with white and cream and using interesting shapes to create an individual kitchen, such as an island with shelves or differing heights.

“When times are tough customers tend to look for a more traditional timeless look, either by opting for classic furniture or choosing ageless colours such as beige, cream and white, enhanced by an accent colour perhaps in the splashback.”

For those with large open plan kitchens the trend is veering towards a more bespoke look, often created by mixing and matching styles from different ranges.  The living kitchen continues to grow and grow in popularity with handless furniture ever more popular and appliances and storage hidden behind sleek doors, wherever possible. Worksurfaces are constantly developing, providing clients with numerous options to choose from, such as engineered stones, recycled glass, and maintenance free granite

Scottish celebrity chef Nick Nairn opened a new, state-of-the-art kitchen showroom for Kitchens International on Great Western Road in Glasgow last week.

For more information Tel: 0141 404 7744 or www.kitchensinternational.co.uk