Current Trends in Kitchen Design

By Jim Long, S&J Properties, General Contractor, Resident since 1991

www.BlackhawkLivingCA.com

Decades ago, the kitchen was hidden in the back of the house. It was a place where meals were prepared, and dirty dishes were washed. Fast forward to 2018 and the kitchen has a much different role. Today the kitchen is the focal point of the home, the place that brings everyone together, the kitchen is paraded in all its beauty and warmth at the very center of the house.

Technology advances and changing social dynamics have contributed greatly to the rise of the modern kitchen. There is a far bigger focus on open concept homes that revolve around the kitchen, so everyone can be together. As with any modern design trend, clean and simple styles have become favorites for homeowners with natural light becoming an essential aspect of the overall look and function of the kitchen space.

Technology has entered the kitchen in full force and not just in the form of fancy gadgets and appliances. Today, you can have a kitchen with technology integrated into every function and appliance from the faucets to the fridge to the lighting. This is what we call a smart kitchen. Smart kitchens are an evolving aspect of design. In fact, a lot of kitchens today are built smart from the ground up. For older kitchens, sensors, smart gadgets and other devices can be added to for convenience to the homeowner.

Easy add-ons are motion sense equipped kitchen faucets that can sense the presence of hands underneath and will come on automatically or try a one-touch feature. Refrigerators that can alert you when your grocery items are running low or a coffee maker programmed to have your coffee ready when you wake up. There is also a gadget that monitors your eggs, telling you which ones are almost going bad. Do not forget to update your lighting system allowing you to control all the lights from your smartphone or tablet.

White is still a big favorite for kitchen cabinets; homeowners love it for its clean look, which is especially beneficial in a space that tends to get cluttered. White cabinets are simply beautiful and timeless and can be used in almost any kind of kitchen style. We expect white to remain a popular cabinet color probably for years to come. To break up the all-white kitchen expect to see islands in a variety of different paint colors or wood stain colors. The mixing of finishes creates a needed accent piece and additional pops-of color for the brave of heart.

As popular as white cabinets are, grey is the second choice for many. Grey cabinets are like a chameleon of sorts. Versatile for any look or project. Grey cabinets work great when paired with natural elements, glamour accents, or none.

White and grey seem to be the two big cabinet colors. Their modern clean look will keep them as favorites for years.

But there is another color palette slowly making its way into the kitchen, dark jewel tones: black, navy, emerald green and even plum. It will surprise you at how well dark kitchen cabinets can work in and/or enhance a kitchen space with its dramatic and luxurious feel.

For high-end kitchen counter tops, quartz still reigns supreme.

The material is extremely hardy, can last virtually forever, is a breeze to maintain and is anti-microbial. Granite, the main competitor in the high-end bracket, requires slightly more maintenance.

When quartz counter tops first came into the market, the main worry was lack of variety in terms of colors and finishes. But with time, thanks to technology, manufacturers have provided a wide range of colors to choose from as well as realistic stone patterns. You can even get quartz finished with elaborate swirls and large veining to imitate other materials like natural stone. These unique styles have become immensely popular, although there is a notable trend toward softer and more neutral colors. More and more homeowners are opting for colors like grey, taupe, creamy or white finishes. The pattern preferences have changed to veining from particulates that we’ve seen in past years. This follows the trend towards cleaner styles seen in most home spaces.

If you are thinking of new remodeling ideas, getting the help from a qualified professional builder is worth the investment and long run value.