With the new year, you might consider doing some renovation at home. Why not target your kitchen for a makeover? After all, the kitchen is an important functional space in your home and the all-white kitchen design is so 2013.
To help you get an idea of what’s hot (no pun intended) in kitchen design for 2014, here are the 5 kitchen trends for the coming year:
1. Cabinets, Cabinets, Cabinets
It’s all about cabinets this year. According to Zillow and a number of interior design companies, it’s time to open up your cabinets. Cynthia Nowak of Zillow says open-shelving and glass-front cabinets look good in your kitchen and not just in traditional places in your home.
Likewise, Kerrie Kelly of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab and a member of the Zillow Digs Board of Designers says: “As the kitchen has become a central meeting place for family and friends, presentation has become a priority for many homeowners. It is now fashionable to display almost everything in the kitchen—from dishes to pots and pans to gourmet oils and vinegars.”
To complement the kitchen-on-display idea, Sarah Knox of Completehome.com suggests having cleverly concealed storage areas in your kitchen as well. However, instead of hiding items, these cabinets can be presented artfully, like a bar that recedes under the benchtop.
Likewise, Erin Feasby of Feasby & Bleeks Design spoke to Lauren McPhillips of Styleathome.com on built-in accent cabinets that act as framework for the rest of the cabinetry: “We often design these cabinets tall and narrow to sit right on the counters, flanking the stove or on either ends of the run of cabinetry.”
2. Colorize It
There’s also a trend for more color this year vis-à-vis last year’s all-white. Zillow notes that a lot of homeowners browsed through more kitchen photos with darker tones, e.g., black, deep brown, dark red, and copper tones. Feasby agrees, citing warm metals and shades of iron and graphite instead of chrome, nickel, and stainless steel as popular choices when talking about kitchen metals.
Zillow also notes that black kitchen counters made of granite and quartz help add sophistication to kitchens. Likewise, Feasby says that you can use the natural backsplashes in the stone as part of the overall design: “Again, with more open space surrounding range hoods and sinks, there’s greater opportunity for large-scale backsplashes. To really showcase the backsplash and make it a focal point in your kitchen, opt for slabs of marble and limestone—their natural veining essentially creates a work of art.”
For an all-white kitchen, Knox says you can shift to alternating black-and-white to add depth to the surfaces while still maintaining the elegant classy look. Or you can use one solid pop of color in the kitchen to make it stand out, she adds. Just choose one element, such as the kitchen stand or the cabinet.
3. Opposites Attract
The website Beautiful Homes and Designs notes that you can add contrasting elements to the overall look, similar to the black-and-white advice by Knox. For example, add modern touches to the old-fashioned or unfinished look of the kitchen or vice versa with antique pieces in a modern kitchen.
In particular, you can use the apron-front sink as a focal point of your kitchen, which is good for some farmhouse flair, as well as being highly practical. Susan Serra, certified kitchen designer and president of Susan Serra Associates, concurs, telling Ideastodecor.com: “I do detect a whole new interpretation of country vogue that includes the appreciation of nature and natural textures and finishes juxtaposed with a lot of simple cabinet designs.”
4. It’s about Style
One of the top trends of 2014 is about displaying your style. This is especially important, given the use of open-shelving and glass-front cabinets. Kelly notes that you should be careful with what you show in the kitchen as it should present your overall kitchen style: “Spices, olive oil, cookbooks, and glass jars filled with oatmeal or dried fruits are all great candidates.” In other words, curate your kitchenware pieces.
As an additional measure, Kelly suggests do-it-yourself shelving with graphics, wallpaper, or colors on the inside of the glass-front cabinets to add to your style: “This could be done over the weekend and provides great versatility.” Another DIY project is using reclaimed wood for open shelving, says Feasby.
5. Go with Character
More than anything, 2014’s trends are about kitchens having their own unique touches to create character. Open-shelving and glass-front cabinets depend on the use of only just one or two materials, says Kelly, like painted cabinets or colored glass.
On the other hand, Knox recommends timber either as a subtle accent or as full-on floor-to-ceiling cabinetry to give the kitchen a natural warmth as well as texture to the space. Likewise, you can use old material, like wine boxes as pendant lights above the bar, to create the atmosphere of a quirky kitchen.
Whatever the trend or recommendation for this year, it’s always a good idea to put your personal mark on your kitchen. After all, as Chef Mario Batali once said, “The kitchen really is the castle itself. This is where we spend our happiest moments and where we find the joy of being a family.”
