Design: YSG Studio | Photography: Prue Ruscoe | Styling: Felicity Ng
Trending kitchen designs in 2025 embrace a new kind of luxury, one defined by tactility and expressiveness, where mood is paramount, connection is effortless, and functionality is paired with restraint. Whether calm and grounded or playful and joyous, the luxury kitchen trends of 2025 are balance beauty and purpose, and designers are embracing materiality, sculptural forms and a sense of enclosure that invites calm.
From conversational hubs to cloister-like havens, these five kitchens from the Belle archives showcase how designers are reimagining the most lived-in room of the house
Luxury kitchen trends in 2025
Hidden meaning
Marylou Sobel Interior Design
The success of this penthouse kitchen by Marylou Sobel Interior Design lies in all the details that you can’t see. Smart storage solutions ensure easy access to daily kitchen essentials without interrupting the sleek aesthetic, all appliances and electrical outlets are seamlessly incorporated within the joinery and a concealed butler’s pantry serves as a space for the owner to indulge her passion for baking. The vein-cut ‘Classico’ Travertine island, visible from the living room, serves as a statement piece, with generous storage built into its base and bar-height seating. Alongside it, a dining table features a custom brass frame, with a statement brass pendant above and brass knobs and handles tying it all together. “We transformed what was a very basic, uninviting and predictable kitchen into an atmosphere of calm and serenity,” says Marylou. “Chairs wrap around the island and table to facilitate a more social ambience when dining within this space.”
Get the look:
Turner Hastings Pull Out Sink Mixer
Winnings, $1499
AEG 60cm Built-In Single Steam Oven
National Product Review, $6499
Vincent Chair Walnut
Castlery, $658
Medium Liquid Vase
Dinosaur Designs, $395
Toni Zuccheri. Wall sconce by Lewis Kemmenoe. Furniture Vintage stools from Lunatiques reupholstered by The Dusty Road in Sahco ‘Tropic 0470’ fabric. Accessories Antique French chopping board, ‘Ostrea’ clear vase and sculpture in white glaze, all from Tigmi. Shell from Appetite for Decoration. Fasano ‘Lazio’ dinner plates from CLO Studios. Bowls from Softedge Studio. Peasant Village Italian red shell ceramic bowl from Lumini Collections. Red vase by Michael Strownix. Artwork Escort
by Saskia Folk. (Design: YSG Studio | Photography: Prue Ruscoe | Styling: Felicity Ng)
Casual intimacy
YSG Studio
This retro-inspired kitchen by Sydney’s YSG Studio navigates the needs of two very different cooks – one messy, the other ‘a neat freak’ – with the introduction of an L-shaped counter configuration and scullery behind. A fixed slatted timber screen conceals any mess while ensuring conversational connections between the two zones. In the centre, a circular island topped with pearlescent marble and fitted with a chrome footrest acts as a casual leaning post for drinks, playing to the owners’ love of ’70s design. “Our clients, a sociable couple with two young kids, wanted their home to function intimately, yet morph into eclectic breakout zones that sparked conversations when entertaining,” says YSG co-director Yasmine Ghoniem. “We sourced vintage sconces and pendants to provide soft illumination and retro furnishings to enhance the home with an off-kilter elegance.” Key inclusions are the Murano glass chandelier above the island, a sconce by London designer Lewis Kemmenoe in the scullery, watermelon striped blinds by Petre’s Curtains & Blinds and bespoke ‘squiggle’ timber handles and chrome cupboard pulls entwined in soft brown leather.
Get the look:
Ziggy Marble Cutting Board
Trit House, $90
Temple Cake Stand
Dinosaur Designs, $380
Elliot Small Serving Bowl
Country Road, $59.95
Iittala Alto Vase
David Jones, $829
Afternoon delight
Smac Studio
As an attentive host and keen entertainer, the owner of this high-rise apartment in Sydney had some specific requests when she engaged the Smac Studio team to tackle its renovation: all work needed to be complete by New Year’s Eve so she could host a big party, and the kitchen island was to be “strong enough to dance on”. At seven metres long, the island features a sturdy, sculptural microcement base and a 100-millimetrethick Calacatta Cremo benchtop. “It commands the space without feeling bulky, and acts as a gathering place where lots of people can sit or stand sharing food and drinks,” says lead designer Shona McElroy. Inspired by the home’s views of Sydney Harbour, Lavender Bay and Wendy Whiteley’s public garden – as well as the soft, romantic afternoon light that precedes the stunning sunsets – Shona opted for a neutral colour palette with rose touches. Custom stools are upholstered with burgundy fabric, while the Qasair rangehood is wrapped in a custom bronze cladding. Above the island, a Murano glass chandelier brings “a little dash of colour, a subtle surprise in the overall neutral palette”, says Shona. European oak floors provide a layer of warmth from below. “Shona and I were very much on the same wavelength; we have the same design aesthetic,” says the owner. “The colours are just beautiful, especially in the sunset.”
Get the look:
Mirella 6 Light Capiz Chandelier
Early Settler, $899
Short Night & Day Glasses
Our Place, $95
Poppi Scallop Nut Bowl Pearl
Early Settler, $35
Liebherr Vinidor 80 Bottle Wine Cabinet
National Product Review, $8,729.10
Home comforts
B.E. Architecture
B.E. Architecture Director Andrew Piva drew on his family’s Italian heritage for the design of his Melbourne home. At its heart, the kitchen celebrates the preparation and enjoyment of shared meals, with a large bench where friends and family can gather at mealtimes. Tying in with the rest of the home, oak panelling features in the joinery and wall cladding, giving the space the feel of a furnished room rather than a conventional kitchen. Andrew purposely avoided the use of complicated details and stuck to a restrained materials palette – including grey limestone benchtops and sawn travertine flooring – evoking comfort and solidity within the space and creating a sense of permanence and timelessness. “This simplicity results in a warm, inviting environment reminiscent of an Italian pensione in rural Italy,” says Andrew. “The space is not just functional but emotional, designed to capture the essence of Italian hospitality and the joy of shared meals.”
Get the look:
Cookware Duo Espresso
Our Place, $425
AEG 9000 Series Combi Microwave Oven
National Product Review, $3869
Pebble Grinder
Trit House, $158
Milton Taupe Stoneware Dinnerset
David Jones, $159.95
Peachy keen
Studio Johnston
In the transformation of this Sydney apartment, owner and architect Stefania Reynolds of Studio Johnston devised some clever spatial interventions to create a more open environment for her family of four. The galley kitchen was closed off at one end and the adjoining dining room converted into a separate home office, while a column in the kitchen was removed to open up the living and dining area. “Deleting that column unlocked the project and allowed us to organise the main space into seamless, overlapping zones, like a Venn diagram of how we actually occupy the home,” says Stefania. “The open-plan layout fosters more quality time spent with family, promoting a feeling of togetherness.” The rich palette was inspired by Stefania’s Greek heritage and includes joinery in light apricot and a red Tiberio marble for the benchtops and splashback. “They’re the colours of my Corfu childhood,” Stefania shares. “Peach was the colour of my bedroom and the family house had a lot of terracotta, textured walls and brass details. For me, nostalgia, warmth and a sense of belonging are beautiful things to bring into daily life.” The kitchen island is now a central hub of activity and the dynamic space stimulates creativity and boosts wellbeing for all.
Get the look:
Malone Terracotta Dining Chair
Adairs, $499.99
Maison Balzac Gaspard Vase
David Jones, $249
AEG 60cm Integrated dishwasher
National Product Review, $1709
Two Arm Wall Sconce
Observatory Lighting, $669
