Homeowners are increasingly seeking to experiment in their kitchen designs, it has been claimed.In setting out its views on current design trends, Builder Magazine has noted that people are increasingly ditching the highly popular granite work surfaces in order to test out other materials, boston.com reported.Nor do your cabinets all have to match, with homeowners looking to shake things up here as well, with different wood stains or even a mix of wood and painted surfaces, Builder predicts, said the site.This trend towards greater experimentation could also impact on design themes in food prep and kitchen sink areas. According to boston.com, the recession appears to have had an impact on home design trends, with granite surfaces now partly associated with the housing bubble and foolish buyers tripping over themselves at open houses.Meanwhile, Anna-Marie Desouza, editor of Build It magazine, recently predicted a surge in people buying home improvement items ahead of the impending VAT hike.