New Homes: Mix it up in the kitchen
Beguiling blends: Give your new home a kitchen that blends traditional character with a more modern feel, like this Woodie’s Shrewsbury kitchen.
A captivating kitchen, just like a signature recipe, isn’t rushed. Each element is carefully layered until the flavour is just right.
No matter how much wow-factor your living room offers, guests, both invited and otherwise, will invariably gravitate towards the heart of the home. So will any four-legged family member — or random neighbourhood groupie (four-legged or otherwise). So, when planning your dream design, let the ideas simmer, sample a few textures, and trust the process.
You'll want to balance personal style with the practicalities of everyday life, from choosing the ideal layout to making the most of available storage. One of the defining kitchen trends of 2026 is concealed functionality — cabinetry and appliances designed to disappear from view, creating calmer, less cluttered spaces. As Irish homes lean further into open-plan, handleless kitchen design, it's not just cabinets and worktops that have to fit the look. Appliances do too.
Integrated, handleless kitchens are becoming the norm, a shift shaped in part by how Ireland is building: apartment completions rose by almost 40% last year, now making up a third of all new homes — the highest share on record. With more households living in compact, integrated kitchens, low plinths and uninterrupted cabinetry lines leave little room for appliances that interrupt the design.
In fact, Siemens has built its latest range around appliances that disappear into the cabinetry rather than interrupt it (see below).
If you’re cooking up your kitchen from scratch, or renovating an old one, chat in-store to design consultants — who can also provide lists of fitters and other suppliers.
Heeding word-of-mouth recommendations and cultivating salvage yard savvy is also a good course of action.
And when it comes to extras, as with dessert, it never hurts to take a leisurely look at the menu.
After all, every good dish takes time, and so should you when finding a look that suits your lifestyle and your living space. So go on, get a taste for what’s out there. Savour the journey of discovery. Let your inspiration marinate, mix old comforts with new accents, and you’ll be thrilled as your personal style infuses into something uniquely your own.
A good starting point that can be personalised with details like handles and countertops. Woodie’s Shrewsbury kitchen blends traditional character with a more modern feel. It can be paired with complementary worktops and finishes to create an individual look. Book a free in-store kitchen design consultation at Woodies.ie.
We adore the Emerson chaise for an open or broken-plan kitchen-living space. Designed with comfort in mind, the deluxe seating, complete with plush bolster and scatter cushions, blends in with any existing décor. The chaise is available in a choice of colours, from eye-catching aqua to tranquil beige, so it can either make a bold style statement or transform your kitchen-living room into a soothing sanctuary. Best of all, you can coordinate and configure the sofa with other pieces in this Irish-made collection. The Emerson is RRP€4,199/ELP€3,699 is available at Harvey Norman; see Harveynorman.ie.
A throw that brings the cosy vibes for teatime chats yet adds zest to the palette for breakfast-time rush-hour? The Golden Hour from Foxford is part of a collection inspired by West of Ireland sunsets. While we’re yelling for yellow here, the limited-edition mohair throws, €129 each, are available in five other vibrant shades too, all woven at the Co Mayo mill. See Foxford.com.
For fine dining — we’re talking everything from fabulous finger food to formal five-course-plus feasts — pull up your chair to the Sevier extendable dining table, €1,598, from Meadows & Byrne.
How about this for a super-fresh set-up? We love the Botanical tiles, from €65.95 per square yard, from City Tiles & Bathrooms. See Citytilesandbathrooms.ie.
For tiny-house chic, check out the Monastery extending rectangular dining table. Made of oak with a grey undertone, it’s an essential for busy homes where space is at a premium. The central extension leaf makes it easy for you to deal with large gatherings, creating more elbow room in an instant. It’s just as easy to conceal as it is to put in place. The Monastery, RRP€2,799/ ELP€2,299, is available at Harvey Norman; see Harveynorman.ie.
The Harvest collection from Meadows & Byrne brings the outdoors in to any kitchen. To mark its arrival, Meadows & Byrne travelled to Dunbrody House, home of chef Kevin Dundon, where the gardens provided the inspiration and the backdrop. A set of candle holders is €29.95, a set of four pumpkin plates is €39.80, and a set of two acorn nibble bowls is €17.90. Harvest is available now in stores nationwide and online; see Meadowsandbyrne.com.
Glass adds a sense of light and lightness to every space; see Sostrene Grene’s fluted vase, €2.66; Sostrenegrene.com.
As Irish kitchens embrace 2026's ‘concealed functionality’ trend, Siemens has reimagined the built-in dishwasher to disappear into the design. At its core is varioHinge, a flexible hinge system that allows a cabinetry front to move as the dishwasher door opens, letting the appliance sit flush with modern, low-profile units rather than breaking up the line of the kitchen. The range also solves one of the most common dishwasher frustrations: poor drying. See Homeofinnovation.ie.
