Last week I was lucky enough to attend the unveiling of two very exciting kitchen designs.

The first, from Smallbone of Devizes, was the new Brasserie kitchen designed by Peter Sheppard, whose work for the company also includes the award-winning Walnut & Silver and Macassar collections. It’s the perfect blend of refined and reclaimed in one urban, industrial-looking package. This kitchen is all about creating a relaxed, informal feel with long, horizontal strips of oak chosen for their abundance of knots and character. I loved the huge island complete with chunky wooden top and hanging rack above – perched on a wooden bar stool eating a delicious lunch I could easily have been in a trendy East London eaterie.

The oversized dresser features sliding glass doors, so you don’t have to move your small appliances to reach the glassware within while a stainless steel plate rack and mobile trolley with built-in warming drawer are both practical and beautiful to look at. The cabinetry is available in any colour, painted on site by skilled decorative artists, so you can really put your own stamp on it, too.

Smallbone of Devizes Brasserie kitchen designed by Peter Sheppard

Next I headed down to Fulham where John Lewis of Hungerford was launching two brand new designs. The Urban Cool kitchen offers a clean, contemporary look perfect for modern interiors. Its simple front-frame style insets into the frame instead of overlaying, which creates a more modern look while the slimline handles and ‘rise and fall’ wall cabinets are great for smaller kitchens or rooms with low ceilings. I also loved the matt finish, which makes a nice change from the high gloss we’ve seen everywhere of late. A mix of matt colours adds a personal touch and can be co-ordinated with wall coverings, flooring and accessories.

John Lewis of Hungerford Urban Cool kitchen

Their second new design is the Pure kitchen, which teams modern style with a mid-century feel. Features include soft-close handless doors and drawers, a sleek matt finish with solid blocks of colour and wall units with gullwing doors for quick and easy access.

John Lewis of Hungerford Pure Kitchen

Another stunner that caught my eye this week is The Fold from Design Haus Liberty. A striking blend of art and function, this folded kitchen island can be custom made to any size and comes with various features to suit your needs such as chopping blocks, plate warmers, wine cabinet, storage, bin and dishwasher. Shown here in copper and created by interior designer Dara Huang, it can also be specified in stone, concrete, wood and other metals.

The Fold from Design Haus Liberty

I was also keen to hear more about Magnet’s new integrated sound bar…

Magnet’s new integrated sound bar

Now I know these are becoming more and more popular in the living room, boosting the sound from your TV for instance, but this is such a clever idea and a great gadget if you love to entertain. Designed exclusively for Magnet by leading sound experts Opalum, it integrates seamlessly between kitchen units (can you notice it in the wall units below?) and comes with a magnetic removable grill for easy cleaning. It has Bluetooth audio streaming technology so you can connect to the music device of your choice quickly and easily, and you can see it in action at below…