Kitchen Trends

A quality kitchen with a good design can add thousands in value to your home. And for those looking to renovate, improving your kitchen can do wonders for the functionality of your home. We look at what’s hot in 2012 in kitchen design.
By Katie Adema

Good design adds value
Originally a little room used purely for cooking and hemmed off from the social areas of the house, the kitchen has sure come a long way in terms of design! Today’s modern kitchens predominately work with an open plan to accommodate their new role as the social hub of the home.

Jenny O’Connell, head of kitchen products and design at Taste Living, says: “One should not view kitchen design in isolation; rather they should reflect your lifestyle and personal style while working harmoniously with other spaces – even outdoor areas.”

Jenny suggests that prospective renovators really think about how they use their kitchens and not be too committed to what they think a kitchen should look like. “Explore all possibilities and find a designer that really takes the time to understand your lifestyle requirements,” she says.

So what are the current trends?

At the moment, we are seeing two different overall styles in kitchen design. The predominant trend is a very modern and sleek look, with minimalistic detailing on surfaces and smooth finishes. The other is a more traditional style, with French-provincial style cupboards and benchtops and ornate handles, but still with modern elements of storage solutions and open layout.

Here is a breakdown of the most recent kitchen innovation ideas.
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Why the RBA didn’t move

...and took economists by surprise

By Lisa Llewellyn & Will Keall

How could 24 out of 27 economists have gotten it so wrong? The odds were on for the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates at the February Board meeting, but the decision to keep rates on hold certainly had people scratching their heads.

There are a number of reasons why the Reserve Bank defied expectations.

In the absence of a Reserve Bank Board meeting in January, a rate cut this month would have meant a hat trick of rate cuts. But this would have sent a message about the state of affairs in the Australian economy that the RBA did not want to be sending – despite it seeming to be open to further cuts in the near future.
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