Photography: Martina Gemmola
It’s no exaggeration to say that kitchens are some of the most important rooms in modern interiors. Their design, material palette and style can leave your home feeling like a daily delight or constant chaos. It’s no wonder then that these spaces undergo frequent renovations, from functional overhauls to cosmetic updates, to deal with changing lifestyles and trends. Thankfully, we know the upcoming kitchen trends to help you make your space functional yet fabulous.
As we look towards 2026, here’s the new wave of kitchen trends that are set to sweep through our hearts, and our homes.
1. Use warm colour palettes
It’s official: beige is well and truly the new grey. While recent decades saw a predilection for white kitchens, before moving on to pops of coastal blue, the latest kitchen trends are now focused on warm colour palettes. It makes sense! Many of us are still reeling from the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. We want our homes to feel like a great, big comforting hug.
Warm colour palettes can achieve that goal. Think timber flooring and furniture (especially vintage varieties), plus stone benchtops and splashbacks in pinky, peachy and brown shades (bonus points for bookmatched marble slabs to double the amount of colour used). If you don’t want to stray from white, simply ensure you’re opting for a warm white, such as Porter’s Paints Irish Linen. Even something as simple as switching the undertone of your neutral paints can create a gentle, comforting appeal that is so on trend.
2. Cook with smart appliances
Technology has long been revolutionising our homes and making our lives easier, especially when it comes to kitchen trends. With the rise of artificial intelligence and virtual assistants, these innovations aren’t slowing down any time soon. If you don’t have time to implement a whole new home automation system, why not simply update your kitchen appliances with the latest technology?
New appliances, such as the AEG steam oven, benefit from technology including the AI TasteAssist app, which integrates recipes from the web and optimises them for the oven.
“AEG have taken all the guesswork out of cooking by making sure all the recipes you could possibly ever want to use can be added via AI,” says Sofie Formica, host of the National Product Review. “It will tell you which level to put it in, what time it needs, what temperature. And you can even do it from the comfort of your couch using the app.”
Another benefit? Sumptuous results. “Roasting in a steam oven means the meat will stay succulent on the inside but the outside will still get crunchy. It makes cooking an absolute breeze,” says Sofie.
3. Repurpose and reuse materials
Kitchen trends often respond to the political and economic climates that we live through. And with the current cost of living crisis and our society’s increased focus on sustainability, there’s no wonder that we’re seeing a shift from buying new to repurposing materials. One of the best things about this trend is that there are so many ways to do it. You could decorate your home with secondhand furniture, or, if you’re renovating, you could salvage and reuse materials.
With this trend, it’s important to get creative and also hone in on your individuality. Creating an eclectic space, filled with knick-knacks you truly love, will really make your kitchen stand out from the crowd.
4. Add a second kitchen island
Kitchen trends are also focusing in one kitchen islands – specifically, the use of two island benches instead of one. While it won’t suit every site, having a second kitchen island can be heaven-sent for keen entertainers. They can cook and prepare food on one island benchtop, while guests congregate around the other where casual drinks and nibbles are served.
Likewise, many large families with space to spare have embraced this design trend, and for good reason. Installing a second island bench in the kitchen lets kids do their homework and craft projects in one dedicated area, while freeing up valuable adjacent benchtop space for parents to prep food and cook meals, where they can help with homework or supervise from a safe distance.
To keep a secondary kitchen island blissfully uncluttered, it’s essential to install under-bench joinery within the unit itself, ideally in the form of both drawers and cupboards. And to equip it for entertaining, ensure your interior designer adds a benchtop overhang, cluster some comfy stools beneath it, then serve up a cheese platter and beverages… trust us, the crowds will come!
Shop the kitchen trends of 2026
Stay ahead of the curve and shop these warm, decorative and innovative kitchen trends.
Built-in single steam oven in Matte Black,
AEG
‘Catalina’ table lamp in Rose and Linen
$139.99, Adairs
‘Bentwood Replica’ dining chair in Oak Natural
$199 (was $349), Online Furniture Factory Outlet
‘Moments to Remember’ canvas by Sheree Smith with timber frame
$679 (was $799)/76 cm x 102 cm, Freedom
Vintage Dutch still life oil painting
$466.40, Etsy
‘Elysian’ commercial 3-way filter tap in Brushed Brass
$699.90, ABI Interiors
