Kitchen decoration has become increasingly relaxed over the past decade as homeowners have focused on making the room a comfortable space for family interaction.That is according to the Daily Journal, which has looked back at the key trends in home design during the noughties.The report said that many homeowners found that promoting communal gatherings was more important than the overall aesthetic of a room, adding that the ideal was a combination of a functional kitchen with a relaxing area.Another key trend according to the article has been the use of environmentally-friendly materials in food preparation and kitchen sink areas. Being green moved from the fringe into mainstream design... Many designers embraced the trend, giving us beautiful art and furniture made of recycled materials. Now your kitchen counter may have once been a truckload of soda bottles...and solar panels can power everything from hot water heaters to patio lighting, said the newspaper.A recent article by the Times suggested that functional features such as open-plan layouts and kitchen islands had been among the top trends during the decade.