Of all the rooms in your home, your kitchen is probably the one you spend the most time in—and is also the hardest working. At the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in January, more than 600 manufacturers debuted some of their latest products. The show revealed several new kitchen trends as well as those that are still popular today.

Kitchen Trends for Today & the Future

  • Open Space: Because kitchens are, and continue to be, an important hub of the home, the open space design—where the kitchen flows into the family room—will continue to be popular for most consumers.
  • Private Nooks: However, there is a growing segment of consumers who are pushing back from the entire common area being open. While they still want a nice flow from the kitchen to living room, they also seek a bit more privacy. Watch for more designs with a kitchen and a small sitting area or nooks that create a space for more solitude, when wanted.
  • Livability: Baby Boomers want to remain in their homes and as independent as possible, and more manufacturers are focused on products that allow for folks to age-in-place, such as an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant sink by Elkay. Additionally, small space living is trending, such as those found for in-law suites or accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Whirlpool has a small spaces collection of appliances that are perfectly portioned to fit this small kitchen niche.

Less Complexity, More Convenience

  • Smart Home Tech: One common theme throughout the show was functionality. Designers have said for ages that good design isn’t efficient until it’s functional. Now that smart home appliances are growing in popularity, there is a demand for ease of use. Consumers, and designers alike, want smart home technology to talk to each other. Expect to see more solutions available for smart home tech integrations over the next year.
  • Fewer Appliances: More manufacturers are introducing appliances that can do more than one thing.
    • The KitchenAid® SmartOven+ features three oven-powered attachments to grill, bake and steam with one appliance.
    • The Smart All-In-One Washer/Dryer by Whirlpool is ventless—allowing you to hook it up practically anywhere.
    • The Samsung 22 cu. Ft. FamilyHub™ 4-Door Flex Refrigerator has features that will help your family stay organized and connected. From leaving notes for each other and syncing calendars, to assigning expiration dates and loading coupons directly to your loyalty card, this refrigerator is the next wave of truly making your kitchen your hub. This fridge also has three built-in cameras, voice activation and even a wine rack—making it your total food management station.

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Colors & Finishes in the Kitchen

  • Appliance colors: Black (or slate gray) stainless steel appliances continue to be a popular option, but there is also a growing collection of colored appliances, like a canary yellow range from Bertazzoni or a vintage-inspired refrigerator in turquoise by Elmira Appliances.
  • Mixing finishes: There is a growing movement to be less matchy-matchy with fixtures. For the last few years, homeowners have been experimenting with mixed metal accents in the kitchen and now this is gravitating to other areas of the home, including appliances. Metal is also getting paired together, such as matte black and gold, on faucets, hardware and small appliances.
  • Cabinetry: White has dominated kitchen cabinetry design, but it is being replaced with more bold colors and even wood-toned cabinetry accents.
  • Matte Black & Rose Gold: Core hardware finishes, like polished chrome and stainless steel, remain constant in kitchen and bathroom design. However, new tones, like matte black and rose gold, are on the rise. In bathroom renovations, we see matte black frameless shower doors and rose gold shower hardware growing in popularity.

As you think about how you want your kitchen, what comes to mind? Are you ready for a more open layout with greater functionality or do you want to update your colors and finishes? Whatever it is, we’d love to help. Contact us to talk about your project.

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