Kitchen Trends That Might Be Here To Stay

‘Trend’ can be a scary word when it comes to kitchen design. It’s not like you can throw away your floor tiles every season like a pair of stretched out jeggings. Kitchen and bathroom styles tend to have a much longer shelf-life, for obvious reasons. So, kitchen renovators shouldn’t be afraid to try the latest and greatest. But, proceed with caution.

The following are a few kitchen design trends that I think might be worth the investment.

• Black appliances. We’ve seen STAINLESS, STAINLESS and more STAINLESS STEEL for the last 15 years. Enough already with the stainless! White isn’t very practical and can look cheap, but black is oh-so chic.

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  Statement floor tiles. While, some of the recent encaustic cement floor tile trends are beautifully reminiscent of the original late 19th century designs first introduced at the Paris Exposition of 1867, if not done well they can look like bad Taco Bell bathroom floors. Proceed with caution.

• Painted cabinets. What a fun way to add your own personality to the kitchen. Boring off-the-shelf cabinets have run their course and homeowners should really embrace this trend. I’ve seen kitchen cabinets in navy blue, pale grey, black, cream and even emerald green. Ooh la la!!
• Copper! We’ve all seen miles and miles of chrome and stainless faucets and drawer pulls. It’s time to reconsider copper. This marvelous metal can be used for countertops, backsplashes, sinks, faucets and shelving. Use lots of copper or just as an accent. It adds warmth and gravitas to any kitchen.
• Unique lighting. Crystal chandeliers, glass pendants, mid-century sputniks lights and industrial schoolhouse lights all work well and add personality to kitchens. Be as bold and daring as you like.
• Steam Ovens. They cook food faster, more evenly and don’t dry out the roast. What more could you want.
• Smart Kitchens. The Internet of Things makes kitchens of the future super smart. Inventory, grocery ordering, recipe ideas, voice activation and video screens on your refrigerator with cooking demos. Cue the Jetsons theme music…
• Point-of-use refrigerators. Instead of one big, hulking fridge, the latest trend is to have multiple smaller ones near work stations. Great idea!
• Hygge…. it’s the Danish word for ‘cozy’ and ‘snuggly’. Spare, clinical kitchens are going away. Almost as a counter-balance to the techy nature of new kitchens, the design trend is for smaller, cozier kitchens designed to evoke warmth and comfort.
• Non-trends! Just like in fashion, the rules today say there are no rules. Just do what makes you happy and don’t forget to Kiss the Cook!