These pictures will inspire you to own your dream kitchen

It is the room where we do most of our living and is rightly the centrepiece of the modern Irish home, so it is worth spending time on getting every detail of your dream kitchen right, writes Kya deLongchamps

If there is a grandstand moment for an Irish house, today it simply has to be the kitchen. Modern architecture has coaxed us on to bold, better rooms. In terms of design, materials, finish and accessorising, we seem finally to have found our stride in Ireland, expressing everything we love in the open plan. Staying with a classic Italian-inspired glossy, taking a nod to the freestanding Victorian with a bespoke in-frame, or making a modern statement with distressed metals or luscious veneers, there’s enormous opportunity to individualise your space. Do not assume a small, independent craftsman is all corbels and milk-paint. Many master carpenters now have startling modern choices in their repertoire.

In counters, poured concrete, thermoplastics, eco-friendly Formica (layers of paper sealed in resinous sandwich) and quartz-rich composites are providing the ancient appeal of traditional stone with some very sophisticated competition.

Starting out, it’s easy to get positively tipsy on the blinding beauty of doors, appliances, flooring choices and hardware but layout and essential material quality are the bones on which you hang all that fabulous finish. Build on a logical floorplan that suits your available space. Get it right and quality carcasses could be refaced in years to come with new doors or counters.

Is the standard kitchen triangle being bent out of shape? Personal habits, new configurations, (you may have as many as three wet areas in a very big kitchen), can force you to question a rigid, three-sided format. Spend time with a good designer and their client-friendly CAD technology, to navigate your way to that new dream kitchen.

Frugal and practical arrangement is the key to open storage. Put those occasion pieces on higher shelves. Clutter free with the warmth of wood, this highly affordable but pert design teamed to an IKEA Metod offers two styles in one. Anchored on a modest island with most storage on show but neatly micro-managed on the adjoining wall it relies on all white dishes for a refreshing finish. 2 sections/shelves/cabinet in IVAR, ?268.50, IKEA

Sleek Tough, beautiful, branded composite counters beyond wood and stone have a lot to offer. With more flexural strength than many stones, Silestone by Cosentino is beloved or architects and kitchen designers for its free flowing form and vast colour choices. 94% quartz with what is term ?bacteristatic? protection in Polished, Suede and Volcano textures, this year the company are offering even more colours including Aqua Fracorolli. Great products carry great guarantees, and the 25 year guarantee with Silestone is transferable if you buy or sell. Prices from ?320 per linear metre. Cosentino also make Dekton, which resin free and dense is ideal for outdoor kitchens. Silestone.com

Slide-forward units designed into simple slabs means no more thrashing around at the back of a cabinet. For corners and where volumes exceed floor space, look for rotating pull outs that deliver shelves in an effortless arc from distant fathoms of the base of double-height units. (Lyndale pull-out unit from Cash and Carry kitchens, price dependent on kitchen and run, but starting as low as 5,000

Fabulous form and function doesn?t come much better than a built in coffee centre with espresso loving SensoFlow, framed by 1Q700 warming drawers and ovens from Siemens. Match these sleek contenders priced integrated from ?630 for a microwave (BF634LGS1B) to the Siemens Touch Slider induction hobs from ?699 (CT636LES1). Even at this level of spend, don?t forget the essential wisdom of the golden triangle. Layout your kitchen with the shortest walk between your fridge, cooker and sink. Siemens.com

A neutral kitchen does not mean a colourless one - and the floor and walls can do all the talking in pattern and palette. This strong Nero tile from Tile Style is balanced by a lime green feature wall and the generous pull of light from a French door, making a small space rock. POA, Tilestyle.ie

Exquisite cabinetry is the hallmark of House of Coolmore and here a large scale, in-frame suite of units in soft grey is grounded with a dark aubergine. The colour adds an on-trend edge to a traditional frame kitchen which will stand the test of time.

Henley by Neptune Kitchens. It’s not too earthy or rustic and it’s certainly not too urban — instead it brings the honesty of oak into focus within a firmly modern palette of wall colour and counter choice. The cabinet fronts are faded, hand rubbed natural wood, but there’s a choice of painted colour to the interior, an enticing reversal of fortune. Cut-out handles follow the soft industrial trend, with soft close as standard. Priced from €18,000. Neptune.com

Wondered what the difference a bespoke kitchen can make day to day? Not only will the quality shine but every split centimetre will discreetly be put to work. A crisp layout, an eye-catching island, a blend of colours and cat in the window says it all. This duck egg and mahogany unit by master maker, Ronan Power, starts from €16,000.

The pantry awakens, here seen in a Lyndale kitchen unit, with double door shelving we’re more familiar with in our fridges. This level of interior detailing will add cost, but well handled and with good habits, will minister to your storage needs to the last centimetre. Ventilation was as important in an 18th century pantry as it is today — ensure your beautiful posh dry stores can breathe.