Swedish brand Nordiska Kök has just released its 2025 kitchen trend report, rounding up the looks and design features that its team thinks are going to be big in kitchen design this year.
Now, I’m never one to advocate paying much attention to trends – I always believe that the most appealing spaces are an expression of the people who live in them and not a reflection of what someone else has declared ‘in’ or ‘out’. The world would be very boring if we all decorated in the same way, and few of us have the time or money to keep up with ever-changing fashions – especially when it comes to big-spend rooms such as kitchens. It’s not exactly a sustainable approach, either.
That said, the round-up contains some fantastic inspiration that could prove useful to anyone planning their own kitchen transformation, so below I’ve shared eight minimalist ideas that caught my eye. There are layout tricks, interesting material combinations and more, all illustrated with examples from real-life Nordiska Kök kitchens. I’ve focused on things that are both stylish and practical – and, mostly importantly, they’re all likely to stand the test of time rather than representing fleeting fads.
1. Stainless-steel kitchens
Stainless steel is often associated with restaurant kitchens and the industrial aesthetic that was popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, but it can take on a much warmer and more homely twist. The key is pairing it with natural materials such as wood and stone – perhaps steel cupboards with a stone island unit, a steel island unit against wooden cupboards or, for a more subtle take on the look, restricting steel to the worktops alone. The contrast between the different elements – smooth and tactile, polished and matt, hard and soft – sets up a harmonious balance where the metallic accents create a striking feature while complementing the textures around them. What’s more, stainless steel is a highly practical choice: durable, anti-microbial and easy to clean, with any small marks and scratches that develop over time only adding to its character.
2. Soft white kitchens
Another kitchen choice that’s been given a new lease of life is white. Once seen as stark and clinical, white kitchens are now softer and much more sophisticated, with subtle warm or grey undertones and matt finishes in place of glossy bright-white units. It’s a timeless look that won’t ever date, and it’s ideal if you want to brighten up a gloomy space or make a small kitchen feel larger. Extend the white across the worktops and walls for a calming tone-on-tone look, or break things up by introducing elements of contrast and colour. White kitchens also make a great blank canvas that you can change over time through new artworks and accessories, without much of a spend.
3. Kitchen curves
Adding organic curves to a kitchen can make the space feel much cosier and more inviting. The gentle, rounded forms soften the straight lines and angular edges, creating a sense of harmony and flow. You could keep things subtle and restrict curves to one or two elements only – perhaps a statement island unit, a rounded peninsula end or a curved corner on a long run of cupboards – or embrace them across the entire kitchen. Combining curves with grooved wood or fluted glass also works brilliantly, emphasising the play on form and contrast.
4. Hidden doorways
One very clever trick that I’ve noticed in more and more homes is disguising doorways to different rooms as kitchen cabinets. A ‘secret’ door adds a wonderful element of fun and it’s a great way to conceal entrances to pantries, boot rooms and utilities, keeping visual clutter to a minimum and ensuring the flow of the overall space isn’t interrupted. There are several ways to do it, depending on the set up of your home and kitchen. One is extending the run of units in front of an existing door so that it’s hidden from view; another is using a kitchen front as the door itself. Alternatively, a door can be ‘camouflaged’ by finishing it in the same colour and material as your cupboards, making it effectively disappear into its surroundings.
5. Minimalist Shaker kitchens
I love the latest minimalist twist on the classic Shaker-style kitchen – in fact it’s what I have in mind for my own future dream home! The raised frames around the edges of the fronts have been slimmed right down, and chunky handles have been replaced by discreet knobs or push-pull mechanisms that mean you can do away with external fittings altogether. It’s a great way to add a bit of elegant sophistication to a period property while still keeping things pared-back and contemporary, and it’s a look that transcends passing trends. It also lends itself brilliantly to personalisation, as you can easily mix and match unit colours – or even pair Shaker fronts with sleek frameless doors such as the dark-wood versions below to create a striking contrast.
6. Contrasting strips
The continuing influence of Japanese design means kitchen fronts with raised vertical edges have been growing in popularity for a while now, but this look takes things even further by introducing contrasting strips between the doors themselves. The example shown here, created by Swedish designer Lotta Agaton for the House of Gärsnäs showroom in Stockholm, uses solid oak inserts to add texture and detail without detracting from the minimalist aesthetic. The strips extend all the way down to the floor, giving the illusion of more height, while shadow gaps at the top and bottom of the doors contribute horizontal elements that set up a grid-like effect. Another clever trick is matching the strips to materials found elsewhere in the space (here, the dining table and chairs) to foster a sense of cohesion and balance.
7. Wood & marble kitchens
Marble is commonly found in traditional kitchen designs, but it can look stunning alongside modern wooden cabinets. Used for worktops, splashbacks, open display shelves and perhaps even a statement island unit, it’s another simple way to make your kitchen appear warmer and more inviting by introducing different textures and surfaces. Its swirling patterns are balanced out beautifully by the clean lines and subtle grain of the wood, and any echoey acoustics will be softened too. You can enhance the contrast by pairing dark wood with pale marble or vice-versa, or choose a marble variant with veins that match the tone of the wood. Just be aware that marble is porous and will develop a patina over time – to me that increases its charm, but if you’d prefer a stone that’s more resistant to marks then opt for granite instead.
8. Unexpected splashes of colour
Adding colour to a kitchen might sound counterintuitive if you’re a lover of all things minimalist and timeless, but there are plenty of sophisticated, long-lasting ways to do it. We’re not talking bright in-your-face-hues, but grounding nature-inspired options such as forest green, earthy terracotta and muted blue – perhaps used on one bank of cupboards only and combined with wood to give a sense of depth and elegance. Worktops and splashbacks also provide a means to introduce a touch of colour without going overboard, and there’s an ever-increasing array of stone and marble varieties beyond the classic whites, greys and browns.
See more kitchen ideas from Nordiska Kök here, and browse its full range of designs here.
All images courtesy of Nordiska Kök
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