Our Image Interiors & Living designer picks her favourite kitchens of 2018

If I had all the money in the world and given a blank canvas for a kitchen makeover, it would frankly be a huge struggle. Working on an interiors magazine, I am surrounded with gorgeous kitchen images day after day – should I go for a modern design or stick with a more traditional kitchen? Do I want natural materials or something more high-tech?

After perusing all the kitchens we’ve captured this year, I think if I have to pick one, it would be the Neptune kitchen (above). It is contemporary and traditional at the same time, bright without being too clinical. But frankly, the struggle was real when picking my favourite kitchens of 2018. Here’s a round-up of all the others I love (and I reserve the right to change my mind).

I adore the play between light and dark in this kitchen from our January/February issue: light streaming in, contrasted with black-tinted plywood and the black walls.
Photography Greg Cox / Bureaux

A country kitchen that is so relaxed you can almost hear the chickens clucking at the back door. These beautiful old stone walls and a table at the centre of the room that is perfect for solving the problems of the world over a cup of tea or bottle of wine. This Co Tipperary cottage featured in the May/June issue was designed by O’Neill Architecture
Photography Philip Lauterbach

I can only dream of floor-length windows overlooking our tree-filled garden, day and night, like this beauty by Optimise Design from our July/August window feature.
 Photography Donal Murphy

Mucky paws will be easily cleaned off this smooth resin floor, that also draws light into the kitchen from our March/April issue.
Photography Bénédicte Drummond

I love the combination of historical features with a contemporary style of our November/December cover star designed by Roisin Lafferty, minimal black kitchen units and a clean-edged marble island.
Photography Al Higgins

The diversity in choice of dining chairs is so much more interesting than a set of 8 matching chairs and is reflective of the owners love of all things design. This one is from our July/August issue.
Photography Shantanu Starick

I’ll be rounding up the rest of my favourite kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms over the holiday period so keep an eye out!