Eurocucina is a yearly international event for new kitchen trends. From laminates to wood, to metal, masonry and laquer – besides the finest furnishing accessories – the trade show allows kitchen furnishing companies from around the world to showcase their latest products and designs to all.

The four day exhibition held in Milan this April saw over 300,000 visitors view hundreds of cutting edge kitchen designs from some of the leading kitchen manufacturers around the globe.

And Eurocucina 2010 saw six key kitchen trends come into play which are likely to take shape in kitchen design over the next few years.

Kitchen/Living Room combination

The open plan kitchen/living trend is set to continue in the home. With technology and hi tech gadgets transforming the kitchen space into a clean and inviting environment, this trend is set to grow stronger. Kitchen appliances are almost silent nowadays and designed to sit in a social environment, for example cabinets that close softly making it ideal for an open plan living environment.

Spotlessly clean surfaces

Materials in the kitchen appeared to be a lot more textured than in previous years. The wood, in oak or walnut was rich and textured in a refined way.

Glass was popular at the trade show with high gloss surfaces replaced by a rich matte, non-shiny texture.

All-steel kitchens were a common trend; however stainless steel was often seen used for finishing details.

Smart lighting

Moving into a more open kitchen plan and cleaner surfaces era there is a growing need to improve storage space for all kitchen appliances, food, cutlery and crockery.

Due to this, lighting has improved with a clear trend for LED lighting which was used for both practical and ambient purposes.

Even though modern kitchen appliances are stunningly designed, most of the refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers were hidden in cabinets.

The kitchen sink

There were a few interesting solutions to the kitchen sink at the trade show. One was with thin Corian lids covering the sink, with the lids featuring metal inserts on the back to allow a safe resting place for hot pots and pans. Another interesting feature was a smooth stainless steel sliding cover to cover the sink when the kitchen was not in use.

Eco Friendly

A strong emphasis was put on sustainability. Recycled materials as well as materials that can be recycled without losing their properties and materials that can retain value for a long time.

Bright and Bold

And for future colour trends the Eurocucina 2010 saw a variety of bright kitchen colours creep in. Pink, yellow, red and green, were a few colours that cropped up however they didn’t take the centre stage, with the natural palette the common trend, featuring white and black, blonde and ebony as the most common colours for the kitchen.

View some more pictures from the Eurocucina Trade Show 2010 featuring many of the inspirational trends by visiting Contemporist.com – an architect and interior design news website – by clicking here.