4 Trends in Kitchen Design

Remodeling or redecorating your kitchen can change the entire dynamic of your home. Kitchens are no longer just a space for preparing meals and food storage; they are now hybrid spots for family gatherings, wireless work spaces and entertaining guests. Design experts say that the trends reflect this transformation. Clean, modern style complete with warm touches is a great approach to a functional and inviting kitchen.

If you are considering an

Cabinets: When it comes to cabinets, classic white is really trending. Since kitchens are becoming the hub of the home, bright and airy elements make them even more friendly and inviting, while the richer, darker tones are starting to feel stuffy and heavy. Selecting a few glass fronts for cabinet doors extends the feeling of light and also provides a way to showcase some of your upscale dinnerware. There are also many more storage options available in today’s kitchen cabinetry. Pullout doors, storage inserts and racks for canned goods are all common sites in redesigned kitchens.

Countertops: For many years, granite kitchen countertops have been considered the way to go when making upgrades. Engineered stone is quickly closing in on granite, however, as a beautiful, durable kitchen countertop material. Engineered stone differs from granite in that it does not need to be sealed, and can be made in a larger variety of colors and patterns. Despite its name, engineered stone is made up of 93 percent quartz particle elements—making it almost a completely natural material that is scratch resistant. Other trendy options include stainless steel, concrete, PaperStone (an eco-friendly option), wood, bamboo, and glass.

Cooking space: Many kitchens are now implementing a secondary food preparation and cooking space, often in the form of a kitchen island. Depending on the amount of room in your kitchen, you may even want to consider another sink equipped with a garbage disposal. Moving the cooking space away from the wall allows the person preparing the meal to better interact with other family members or friends in the space. It also frees up more space for more cooks in the kitchen and a more cooperative approach to meal preparation.

Shelving: Long gone are the days when items in the kitchen needed to be hidden behind dark cabinets or in pantries. As people redecorate their kitchen space, a preference for open shelving is becoming more common. Not only is this a smart way to showcase some of your nicer items, but it can make the kitchen look and feel bigger. Kitchens in small, urban apartments can really benefit from the open shelving concept as a way to make best use of little space. Some people are even choosing to eliminate upper shelving completely and use just lower cabinetry instead. While this frees up space, it means less storage—a factor that may not matter to minimalists or young residents just starting out.

Even if you do not have the budget to completely redesign your kitchen space, pick one area to upgrade. You may even be able to make some changes with what you already have to freshen up your kitchen. Find simple ways to combine the functionality of a kitchen with friendly design elements and make the best use of this community space in your home.