Kitchen ideas that add character (and feel like a living room)
Quick answer
The easiest ways to give a kitchen character are colour on the cabinets, a range or chimney-style alcove as a focal point, wall lights and pendants instead of only downlights, open shelving with everyday pieces on show, natural materials such as wood, stone and brass, and somewhere soft to sit [1][2][3]. Kitchens in 2027 are being designed to feel more like living rooms [1][2].
Kitchens have spent twenty years becoming more clinical: white gloss doors, grids of downlights, and nothing on show. The 2027 forecasts say the pendulum is swinging back, towards kitchens with upholstered seats, curtains, rugs and lighting that you would happily sit in all evening [1][2]. These ideas work whether you are refitting or simply refreshing what you have.
1. Put colour on the cabinets
Painted cabinetry is the biggest single change you can make without replacing a kitchen. Deep greens, warm browns and dusty pinks all follow the 2027 colour stories; see colours of the year 2027. Painting existing doors is a weekend job with the right primer.
2. Make a focal point
Traditional kitchens were built around a range set into a chimney breast. Even in a modern kitchen, an extractor hood boxed into a mantel-like surround, a dresser or a big window seat gives the room a centre. Without one, a kitchen reads as a run of units.
3. Light it like a living room
Lighting designers recommend layering kitchen light: task light on the worktops, general light, and accent light for shelves and the table [3]. Downlights alone flatten a room. Add pendants over the table or island and a pair of wall lights by a window, dresser or seating area for the evening. See kitchen lighting. Any new lighting circuit should be installed by a registered electrician to the IET Wiring Regulations [6].
4. Show what you use
Open shelves with plates, bowls, jugs and cookbooks add instant life. Keep them to one run so the room does not feel cluttered.
5. Soften it
- A rug under the table or in front of the sink.
- Curtains or a fabric blind instead of a bare window.
- Upholstered dining chairs or a bench with cushions [1].
- Pantries and larders on show, with glass doors and their own light [1][2].
6. Use natural materials
Wood, stone, marble, brass and unlacquered metal age well and look better with use. Even a new worktop in a natural material lifts a budget kitchen.
7. Add architectural detail
Many kitchens in period houses lost their cornices and ceiling roses when they were knocked through or extended. Putting back a simple cornice, a ceiling rose over the table pendant and a dado or picture rail ties a modern extension to the older house [5].
Kitchen ideas by style
| Style | Key ingredients |
|---|---|
| Country | Painted Shaker doors, a range, open shelves, a dresser, terracotta or flagstone floor. |
| Victorian | Deep colours, a cornice and rose, tiled splashbacks, a scullery feel. |
| Art Deco | Stepped shapes, geometric tiles, brass and globe lights. |
| Modern organic | Plaster or limewash walls, oak, stone and curved forms. |
| Japandi | Flat oak fronts, soft greys and minimal handles. |
Vortex rose over a kitchen table
Linear wall light
Seaside Cottage rose
Double socket surround for a splashback
For inspiration, House & Garden tours eight English country kitchens [7].
Video: House & Garden, “Inside 8 of The Best English Country Kitchens | Design Notes”, via YouTube.
Good to know
Common questions
How do I make my kitchen look less clinical?
Paint the cabinets, add wall lights and pendants, open shelves, a rug and soft seating.
What kitchen trends are coming for 2027?
Kitchens that feel like living rooms, pantries on show, deep colours and natural materials.
Can you put plaster details in a kitchen?
Yes, away from direct steam, sealed and painted with a wipeable finish, in a well-ventilated room.
Do kitchens need wall lights?
They are not essential, but wall lights add warm evening light that downlights cannot.
Sources
References and further reading
Harvard style. Web pages were checked on the access date shown.
- Richardson, E. (2026) The 10 biggest interior design trends of 2027 for a more considered, authentic home. Homes & Gardens, 2 October. Available at: www.homesandgardens.com/decor/interior-design-trends-2027 (Accessed: 14 November 2026).
- Davinic, Z. (2026) Interior design trends 2027: warmth, character and the return of the analogue home. Archiscene, 11 November. Available at: www.archiscene.net/interior-design/interior-design-trends... (Accessed: 14 November 2026).
- Society of Light and Lighting (2018) SLL Lighting Handbook. London: CIBSE.
- Homebuilding & Renovating (n.d.) Building Regulations Part F: how the new ventilation changes could affect you. Available at: www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/building-regulations-part-f (Accessed: 14 November 2026).
- Calloway, S. and Cromley, E. (eds) (1996) The elements of style: a practical encyclopedia of interior architectural details from 1485 to the present. Rev. edn. London: Mitchell Beazley.
- Institution of Engineering and Technology (2022) BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 Requirements for electrical installations (IET Wiring Regulations). 18th edn. London: IET.
- House & Garden (n.d.) Inside 8 of the best English country kitchens | Design Notes [Video]. YouTube. Available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V7lXEunI28 (Accessed: 14 November 2026).
How to cite this article
van Locke, J. (2026) ‘Kitchen ideas that add character (and feel like a living room)’, The Flare Journal. Flare Studio UK. Available at: https://flarestudio.uk/blogs/journal/kitchen-ideas-that-add-character (Accessed: 15 November 2026).
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