Even though the year is young there are many trends that are already emerging, trends in kitchens are one of them. Some of the trends started in the years previous and area considered longer running trends and some are trends that have started more recently. These trends are new; sometimes these trends have been around for years but are finally gaining in popularity.
Kitchens
Here is a list of the trends that have stayed the same over the last several years;
• Large kitchen taps with pull out sprayers are common in all new kitchens.
• Viking and Wolfs are the most popular ovens and cook tops in high end kitchens.
• Granite that waterfalls over the end of islands and cabinets have become very popular. This has waned a little recently as there is a high cost to it.
• Under mount stainless steel sinks are still the most popular option.
• Painted kitchen cupboards are still the most popular choice over stained wood.
• White is a colour that is back in for kitchens, it has rapidly replaced the darker bolder colours of the last couple of years, you can’t open a magazine or watch's a television show without seeing one.
• Stainless steel is still the most popular for appliances.
• Islands are still the most popular way to create counter space in kitchens. The size of islands continues grow as larger homes have larger areas to fill.
• Custom panels covering fume hoods is a common site in most new kitchens. The exposed stainless steel fume hood is not seen as often as before.
• The main sink is now placed in the island instead of on a wall under a window. The main sink in the island faces toward the living room so that people working in the kitchen can interact with their guests. This goes along with the kitchen being the hub of the home.
• Multiple sinks are still popular, usually a large main sink and then a small separate sink that is used to wash fruit. But with larger kitchens two larger sinks are growing in popularity.
• Multiple ovens are still popular.
• Multiple wall ovens even with their increased cost are now a staple in large kitchens.
• Multiple dishwashers which were only a novelty and an excess in years previous are now the norm in large kitchens that plan to see a lot of traffic.
• Specially designed cabinets are common now to help fit things easier in your kitchen such as pot drawers, spice racks, custom dish racks and small speciality drawers that hold your wash cloths and dish soup.
• Granite had been the most popular choice in kitchens for a long time. But with the invention of new manufactured products for counter tops that are comparative in price with the traditional granite, you are seeing a lot more home owners choosing Caesar stone, Quartz and Corian. These products have a lot of the same characteristics as granite, some of them are also cheaper and they come in a variety of colours and styles. Trends right now is to do a mix of manufactured and granite. This adds a little variety to the kitchen and can also solve the problem in large kitchens of trying to find enough granite that matches for every surface in the ever expanding surface area.
• There isn’t a dominant choose in the fridge manufactures, in previous years it was always a sub zero fridge in high-end kitchens, this has ended because of the high cost of the fridges and also from endless problems and warranty issues. Samsung looked to be the manufacture that would take over that mantle but that seems to have stalled and now no fridge manufacture has stepped up to take the title yet.
• Kitchens continue to grow in size, as houses are growing again over the last couple of years so are the kitchens in the homes. With the amount of conveniences rising in homes it is forcing the kitchen to become larger to accommodate them as all the modern machines require their own spaces.
• The microwave has returned to a prominent place in the kitchen after years of it being placed under counters or in pantries, with the increased size in kitchens the possible positions that microwaves can be placed has also grown. This is allowing people to easily find space for their microwaves.
• Leathering of granite counter tops has become the best way to have a “non shiny” surface but still have granite.
• Wall ovens with microwaves that share the same trim are common; these then look to be one appliance instead of two different ones.
• Glass in upper cabinet doors that are backlit are common in high end kitchens.
• Two or three hanging pendants are the norm now over every island in kitchens.
• Having kitchens that have different coloured islands compared to the cabinets on the walls. Usually the colours are dramatically different to create contrast.
• Chrome or polished nickel is what almost always installed in kitchens.
Here are the new trends in kitchens;
• Dark stained wood cabinets are coming back into style as the stark white kitchens that have been all the rage for the last couple of years are leaving some people less inspired.
• The biggest trend change is the growing popularity of soapstone counter tops. These give a completely different look to the surface of the kitchen, a much more rustic look to the kitchen surface.
• The multi level island has come back with not only a higher bar section but islands also being made with a lower section that can be sat at with a normal dining room chair instead of a bar stool.
• Windows have taking a giant step forward as kitchens in custom homes are being designed around as many windows as possible bringing as much natural light as possible.
• A hot trend these days is the buying of IKEA kitchens and having them installed by the general contractor to try and lower the cost of kitchens. Homeowners are sacrificing overall quality and longevity for a lower bill upfront.
• New sinks with holders for knifes and speciality items are growing in popularity. Blanco is one of the most popular in this category.
• Drain boards that are built right into the counter tops are becoming more popular, this allows
you to place wet dishes right on top of the counter next to the sink and have it drain away.
• Modern kitchens are really starting to become more popular. There flat doors and clean lines are really appealing to homeowners.
• In smaller kitchens there is now a fill-in piece for the sink to allow you to work right over the sink.
• People are trying new materials on their kitchen backsplashes instead of the traditional tile. Some of the materials are natural stone, back painted glass and hammered copper.
Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.
