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.