Every year the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) surveys design professionals to determine the styles and trends that are expected to be popular in kitchen and bath designs for the coming year. By surveying members from across the nation, the report provides a realistic prediction of design trends worth watching and to consider including in your own kitchen or bath remodel. Check out which trends made the top ten list for kitchen design below, and check back in a few weeks to see what made the list for bathroom trends.
Design Style
When it comes to the overall design style, transitional was found to be the most popular in kitchen design. By integrating the classic sophistication of traditional design with the clean lines and simplicity of contemporary and modern styles, transitional style is like a happy medium between the two extremes. Key design staples in a transitional kitchen include cabinets with simple and clean lines, natural materials used for flooring and countertops, simple accents, neutral colors, and incorporating a mixture of natural and manufactured materials.
Cabinet Colors
White, off-white, and gray are the top choices for cabinet colors. White cabinets have been an emerging trend over the past few years. They have a classic and clean look that can complement any overall kitchen style. White provides a neutral backdrop that will allow other elements of the kitchen to shine. Off white and gray provide a similar neutral backdrop without quite as much upkeep required to keep clean as white. Overall, neutral color cabinets continue to be a popular choice.
Mixing Colors and Finishes
Adding contrast by mixing colors and materials is an emerging trend that is gaining traction in kitchen design. Using two different colors for various sections of cabinets or pairing lighter colored cabinets with darker colored countertops or backsplash are a few ways to add variance in color. Combining multiple countertop materials is also becoming popular. A small section of wood butcher block countertop paired with stone, in particular, is an increasingly popular trend.
Cabinet Material
Wood cabinets have long been the popular choice and continue to remain the top choice in kitchen design. Quality wooden cabinets can last a long time and can be restained or painted a different color as trends or personal tastes change over time. Metal cabinets, gaining in popularity, are well suited for contemporary and transitional style kitchens.
Cabinet Features
Popular cabinet features include furniture like accents, pull/roll outs, and under cabinet lighting. Built in conveniences have seen a surge in popularity recently, and in the kitchen this often equates to things like pull out drawers for trash and recycling, specialty drawers or cabinets for spice and knife storage, and built in storage for small appliances like mixers or coffee makers so that they aren’t cluttering the counter when not in use but are still easy to access when needed.
Countertop Material
Countertop material is an area that is seeing a shift in popularity. Granite used to be the favorite, but quartz is now the go-to stone material. The slightly higher price tag with quartz is more bearable due to the higher durability and color options. Since quartz is not 100% stone it also doesn’t require quite as much care for upkeep when compared with granite.
Appliances
The popular appliances this year are expected to be ones that incorporate newer technology and contribute to better overall cooking quality. Induction cooktops, which will only heat up the specific cookware used on them instead of the entire cooktop surface, and convection ovens, which use a fan to evenly distribute heat throughout the oven, are both expected to be popular. Microwave drawers versus freestanding or built in microwaves were also noted as a popular appliance.
Barn & Pocket Doors
Both barn doors and pocket doors have the benefit of not having a swing path to contend with. Instead of needing to make sure there is enough space available to swing a door open and closed, barn and pocket doors instead slide to the side or retreat into the wall and out of the way.
Technology
Integrating technology into the home continues to grow in popularity. When it comes to the kitchen this is being seen in internet connected appliances, such as ovens that can be set and tracked via a smartphone app. Built in docking and charging stations are also being added into kitchens.
Accessible and Universal Design
Designing a space to be accessible for everyone regardless of age or ability, known as universal design, has been steadily growing in popularity over the years, especially as people age and decide that they want to keep their current home. In the kitchen universal design choices aren’t particularly stand out. Things such as small sections of shorter cabinets, additional lighting, hard flooring, and certain cabinet handles make a kitchen easier for all users.