Top Trends in Kitchen Design

As the real estate market has shifted the left few years, we are seeing more and more homeowners staying in their homes and upgrading their spaces rather than selling.  There are also a large pool of buyers purchasing fixer upper properties which not only offers them a better deal on the purchase price, but it also allows them to put their personal stamp on the home during the renovation process.  Regardless of the situation, here are some of the top trends in kitchen design and renovation.  Each of these can be adapted to full scale remodels or inexpensive quick fixes.Kitchen Islands are not only the center of a kitchen, but they are also practical and extremely functional.  There are many pre-fabricated options available in stores and online for a few hundred dollars which can be an immediate cure for kitchens lacking counter space and/or storage.  For example, if your kitchen is in good condition or if you've already done a kitchen remodel, but could still use more counter space for prepping meals or baking, adding a prefabricated island is an excellent solution.  Depending on the style you choose, it can also offer additional storage.  If you are planning a kitchen remodel, you may want to incorporate an island into the space so that it coordinates well with the rest of the cabinetry.  Either way, it will be the most well used area.Open Floor Concept.  All contemporary floor plans have the open floor concept where rooms open into one another.  Those of us who grew up in older homes or have opted to purchase older homes, know that that's not how homes were designed in the recent past.  In order for homes to function well for today's lifestyle, one of the top renovation must haves is to eliminate the feeling of isolation in the kitchen from the family room or living room.  Additionally, most families today have no use for a "formal" dining area and are opening up the rooms to be incorporated into a larger kitchen space.There are two general ways that this can be done:  A pass-through wall or removing the wall between rooms altogether.  Obviously, the latter requires more construction, is more expensive, but also has the biggest impact.  If that is not an option or does not fit into the budget, creating a pass-through opening in the wall is a desirable runner-up.  It still opens up the space to one another, generally makes the space feel much larger and brighter with natural light coming in from windows in the adjoining spaces, and allows those in the kitchen to interact with their guests or a parent to see their children in the other rooms.Here are some examples of pass through walls:

Here is an example of unifying a kitchen with the adjoining dining room by removing the wall in between. The result is one large spacious room which is much more conducive to today's lifestyle.

Kitchen and Dining Room Before removing the wall - Photo courtesy of AliceTChan.com

Kitchen and Dining Room After removing the wall - Photo courtesy of AliceTChan.com

Low Maintenance Countertops.  We all grew up in a house with that awful 4x4 tile with the thick grout that was so much fun to clean right?  Well, don't even think about replacing your old tile with new tile.  Not even 12x12 tile is an option.  I remember when the big thing was to install 12x12 granite tiles as a cost effective alternative to slab granite.  These days, it's all about low maintenance solid surface countertops.  Easy to clean, easy to maintain.  Who wants to take out the toothbrush to scrub that grout...I sure don't!  There are many different solid surface options available today... laminate, quartz, granite, marble, concrete, recycled glass, etc.  If you are on a very tight budget, laminate is your best bet.  Laminate comes in a variety of patterns and colors and some look very realistic.  Laminate is not as durable as some of the higher end products, but if the price is right then you have to take the benefits (easy to clean) with the fact that it's not as hard wearing.  My personal favorite is a quartz countertop.  It is very easy to clean (sponge wipe or spray with an all-purpose cleaner and wipe), is anti-bacterial, comes in a variety of colors and styles, and does not require regular sealing like natural stones such as granite, marble, limestone, or even granite.Here is an example of a kitchen with a quartz countertop:

Image courtesy of Houzz.com

Here is an example of a kitchen with a laminate countertop:

Photo courtesy of AliceTChan.com

 Two Tone Finishes.  This trend has been showing up in using two different color cabinets or countertops in a kitchen.  In the examples below, you see white cabinets around the perimeter of the room, while the island is in a black or very dark java stained finish.  This is probably the most popular combination.  Mixing up the finishes gives the room more interest and creating the island in a darker finish allows it to stand out and be the centerpiece of the room.  In the quartz countertop photo above, you see how they reversed it with darker cabinets around the perimeter and designed the island in white.  Also, in the After photo of the kitchen where the wall was removed between the kitchen and dining room, the center island was wrapped on three sides with a zebra wood veneer to make it look more important and to break up the monotony of having the same dark finish throughout.

Photo courtesy of Venegas and Company via Houzz.com

Cozy Eat-in Kitchen Spaces.  Who doesn't love to sit in a booth?  They are popular in a restaurant and you can bring the same experience into your home.  It not only maximizes the square footage in your room by taking full advantage of the space, but it is also very inviting.  The benches can also be built to provide additional storage underneath.  It's a fantastic combination of form and function.

Here are some examples of built-in seating for an inviting eat-in area:

Photo courtesy of DownsviewKitchens.com

I hope this inspires you to make major or minor changes to your kitchen. I would love to see what you've done. Please feel free to share with me below.