Trend Alert: Sideboard as Kitchen – Home of Materials | Building Materials & Renovation Inspiration

As Remodelista editors, we see many, many kitchens and what we’ve been noticing over the last decade is a slow de-kitchening of kitchens—a trend toward fewer bulky upper cabinets, a preference for components that look more like high-end furniture, a desire to decorate the space as you would any other room (with art, books, table lamps, etc.).

Lately, we’ve spotted quite a few kitchens that break the traditional kitchen mold—almost completely—and, thanks to lower cabinets that mimic the appearance of sideboards, look more like living or dining rooms.

Above: This kitchen masquerading as a beautifully crafted console is, no surprise, made by a furniture company. You can custom-order The Broad from London-based studio Edward Collinson. The piece features oak drawers, a gray Marquina marble counter, a brass faucet, and a Nicola Tesla induction hob. Photograph by Felix Speller, styling by Hannah Franklin, courtesy of Collinson.

Above: Rather than a thick stone countertop, a sliver of stainless steel tops this length of kitchen counters for a more sideboard-like appearance. The eat-in kitchen (by Reform) was designed for a family of four in Denmark. Included in this section are an induction cooktop, an integrated extractor fan, and a sink (just out of view, to the right). A dishwasher is concealed behind a panel made to look like two drawers. Photograph courtesy of Reform.

Above: Here’s another example of a kitchen crafted by a furniture maker, this time by Barcelona-based Marc Morro. “The idea was to design and create a kitchen that could look as a piece of furniture for the living room,” he tells us about this green varnished MDF and solid iroko piece. Photograph by Yosigo, courtesy of Marc Morro.

Above: The airy, ethereal eat-in kitchen of London couturier Anna Valentine keeps appliances hidden (aside from a cooktop) and forgoes traditional cabinet pulls for minimalist pulls—all of which gives the impression of storage furniture as opposed to kitchen cabinetry. Photograph courtesy of DRDH, from Kitchen of the Week: A Culinary Space Inspired by a Painting.

Above: Native timber (spotted gum) and elegant lines elevate the cabinets in this kitchen designed by Nuud Studio in Australia. Photograph by Tom Ross, courtesy of Nuud Studio.,

Above: At the Vipp Farmhouse vacation rental, the brand’s powder-coated steel V1 wall module makes up the kitchen. Four pairs of legs give the unit the look of storage furniture.

Above: In this open-concept kitchen/dining/living space, this strip of walnut kitchen cabinets segues into an actual built-in console for the living area. The only difference is that the living room portion doesn’t have the stainless steel countertop. Photograph by David Straight courtesy of Katie Lockhart Studio, from Collective Composition: A Historic Villa Renovation in Auckland by Katie Lockhart and Jack McKinney Architects.

Above: A table lamp placed on top of the extra-thin limestone worktop helps to create the illusion of a sideboard in the kitchen of designer Allan Torp. See more of this kitchen at Nordiska Kök. Photograph courtesy of Nordiska Kök.