An array of products showing a simple kitchen trend. Includes a green shaker door, black knurled handles, and timber floors.

Kitchen Trends

Simple Living Kitchen Trend

As our lives become busier, our search for calming surroundings has grown, which has led to minimal aesthetics being adopted within our interiors. The Simple Living trend harnesses the ethos that less is more, channelling the simplicity of Scandinavian and Japanese decors through neutral colours, light natural materials, and soft, muted finishes. Creating a minimal backdrop using clean lines throughout the design, this look will restore the mind and ease daily life.

A small group of shaker and slab kitchen doors on white flooring leaning against a white wall. Shown in green, oak and white.

Pared-back palettes

Soft shades are essential in harnessing a Simple Living look, with colours such as light-grey, pebble, and white at the forefront of this style. When combined with matt finishes, this design becomes the ultimate understated scheme, creating a clean canvas that is pared-back and peaceful.

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Various kitchen surfaces all grouped together on a concrete floor. Includes a blue geometric backboard and a marble worktop.

Understated surfaces

This trend explores a back-to-basics approach, which is why pale surfaces, especially white-wash timbers, will tie this look back to its Scandinavian roots. For a more premium aesthetic, switch to solid stone for a work area that will stand up to the wear-and-tear of daily life with ease.

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A monochrome collection of kitchen accessories including white and black knurled handles, profiles, and a swan-neck tap.

Muted finishes

Opting for understated finishes within a room offers a look that is fuss-free and refined. Matt black or white handles maintain a muted and lightweight look while also being low maintenance. For the ultimate choice in minimal design, use handleless doors with white profiles.

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Hockley Super Matt White Handleless - Oven and Microwave

Flush functional features

A room inspired by simple living is tech-friendly, focussing on flush fitting and highly functional devices to make it human-centred. Induction cooking is a great example where both principles are adopted, as well as built-in ovens that can provide a dedicated cooking zone packed full of smart settings.

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Textured timber

The Simple Living trend is centred around going back-to-basics, so opting for timber-effect surfaces will create a sensory experience that grounds the design and the mind. Using oak-effect laminate counter tops and flooring offers a subtle eye-catching look, that is also an inexpensive alternative to real wood.

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White handleless kitchen in an l shape with brick effect walls, wood worktop, chrome kitchen tap and round dining table.

Geometric patterns

Subtle geometrics add interest to a space inspired by Simple Living, punctuating the pared-back look with a focal point that draws the eye. This feature can be applied with floors or borders, with chevron, herringbone, and tile-effects adding bespoke touches to a design.

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Simple Living in Howdens Homes

Grey slab kitchen with thin black handles, featuring matt doors and a white worktop. With white rectangular tiled backboard.

Go for grey

Muted, neutral tones are a great alternative to a white palette while remaining in tune with the Simple Living trend. Shades of light-grey and pebble add a stylish twist to the understated scheme, while still creating a calming ambience in a space. @the_seaburn_house has created a premium design with soft grey slab doors, that harness an effortless look.

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White integrated handle kitchen, with a gloss finish, warm oak worktops and grey flooring.

Lean into linear

A good alternative to handleless cupboards for shaping a Simple Living kitchen are integrated-handle doors, featuring a built-in handgrip that eliminates additional embellishments. As seen in @premier_homeimprovement’s design, our Clerkenwell collection creates a minimal look with leading, horizontal lines that draw the eye through the space.

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White integrated handle kitchen featuring a grey concrete effect worktop, and a white metro tile effect backboard.

Make it metro

Double up on style points by choosing a grid style design for your walls. A simple white metro tile-effect border has a timeless aesthetic that matches the minimalist trend. @home_with_claudia creates this look using an effortless neutral palette for their cupboards and tiles, with a rectangular pattern that completes this Scandi-inspired look.

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White slab kitchen design with gloss cupboards and black knob handles. Showing light oak-effect worktops and flooring.

Back to basics

Minimise visual distractions by choosing slab cupboard doors for your Simple Living space. @gparry_homes has created a blank canvas using our Greenwich gloss kitchen for a look that offers longevity and fuss-free styling. Constructed with one piece, this door is also easy to wipe clean too, lending itself well to a practical and pared-back home.

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