The warm wood tones of the classic country style will be popular in kitchen design next year, a report has suggested.A recent article by the Times looked back at the top trends over the past decade and suggested which kitchen design styles would take off next year.Open-plan layouts, kitchen islands and granite surfaces were all highlighted as popular trends during the noughties while the report noted the growing importance of the kitchen as an effective communal area.Mhairi Coyle, senior designer at Living in Space, told the newspaper that during the decade the kitchen got a lot sleeker as it became the most likely place to entertain guests.Among the hot tips for 2010 were leather-covered furniture, manufactured stone, energy efficient appliances and the return of the classic country style of the 1980s.Contractor Polly Bart recently told Baltimoremagazine.net that kitchen owners would have access to an increasing range of environmentally-friendly materials and appliances for use in and around kitchen sink areas.