Renovating the kitchen is one of those decisions you make once a decade, so it's worth doing right. The 2026 trends aren't about flashy details that quickly grow old, but about function, warmth and materials that last. Here's what designers are recommending this summer - and why.

It all starts with an honest look at your own habits. Every kitchen tells a different story, so before any decision it's worth asking how often you really cook, whether you cook daily or just on weekends, and whether the kitchen is also a place to socialise. The design should adapt to your routine, not the other way around.

The open-plan concept - the kitchen merged with the dining and living room - stays popular for the light and the flow. But there's a condition: if you cook often, you need a strong extraction system. Here the island or peninsula becomes the absolute protagonist, especially when it serves as a divider between zones. A tip worth keeping: contrasting floor materials - wood in the social area, porcelain in the working area - both define the zones visually and hold up better.

Technology helps before a single wall goes up. 3D visualisation tools let you see the layout, materials and colours before you build, while planning power outlets and lighting to avoid later alterations. Meanwhile, the old "work triangle" logic (cook-sink-store) is slowly giving way to a layout of five to seven functional zones - separate modules for small appliances, for sorting waste, for a quick meal.

For small kitchens, optimisation is key. Pull-out worktops, rotating mechanisms for reaching corners, cabinets up to the ceiling with recessed fronts and compact traps under the sink that free up space for recycling - all of it creates usable surface where there seems to be none. And ergonomics isn't a luxury: the worktop should sit 10 to 15 centimetres below the elbow of whoever cooks most, to prevent back pain from standing for long.

When it comes to materials, the trend leans toward durability with style. Recommended are ultra-thin surfaces of sintered stone or porcelain, 12 to 20 millimetres thick, with a marble effect or pronounced veining. They withstand daily contact with food, moisture, heat and frequent cleaning, without losing their looks.

Lighting is no longer a single bulb in the middle of the ceiling. The modern approach uses three layers: general ambient lighting, directed light over the worktops, sink and hob, and atmospheric light that links the kitchen to neighbouring rooms. As for colours, white gives way to warm tones - cream, sand, baked, earthy shades, muted green and clay. The key, designers say, is a coherent palette and no more than three different materials.

Finally, technology hides rather than shows itself off. Invisible induction plates built under the worktop, integrated appliances, connected devices and AI ovens - all with the emphasis on flawless aesthetics rather than visible "smart" features. The point of all these trends is the same: the kitchen in 2026 is less about impressing and more about living. And that's a change worth making.