Whether you’re dreaming about a total remodel of your kitchen, or you’re looking to update and refresh, each choice impacts daily life in these key areas of your home. Recently, the national Kitchen and Bath Association polled members nationwide to come up with their top design trends for 2016. In a word, clean lines, less ornamentation and personalized luxury stand out as top trends.
Transitional Combines the Best of Both Worlds. Featuring elements of contemporary and modern design in addition to some traditional approaches, the transitional style fits so many needs and tastes, while still remaining fresh. Characterized by clean lines and smooth transitions, it remains uncluttered by its philosophy of less ornamentation. Design experts agree—its staying power is secure.
White / Grey / Neutral Color Palette. White is always crisp, clean and timeless and never goes out of style. It combines well with all sorts of textures, colors and finishes and provides a clean palette for almost any type of design. Also noted was a rise in new neutrals and accent colors, with gray, blue and black being most popular.
Let There Be Light. There may be no other places in the home where the lighting is as essential as in the kitchen. Today’s designers are taking advantage of the best of natural light while accommodating needs as varied as prepping and primping to cooking, entertaining and relaxing. LED lighting has proven the worth of its investment and is making appearances in all sorts of places. Interior lights in cabinets, concealed in crown molding to bathe ceilings with soft light, or under cabinets to highlight backsplash details are just a few of their versatile uses. An added benefit? They emit almost no heat.
Tech Savvy. The art of automation is not going anywhere. Adding more tech-friendly areas such as hidden docking and charging stations, sensor-activated lights that only illuminate when the kitchen or bath is in use, and all sorts of apps to coordinate everything from the temperature of the room to turning off the oven on time continue to expand exponentially.
Open Shelving for Style and Functionality. This trend has taken off for many reasons. Open shelving is a great way to display your favorite items from heirloom china to cookbooks, vases or even a piece of art, while also highlighting a beautiful wall treatment behind it, such as today’s amazing tile backsplash selections. And it’s a great way to take advantage of often-empty vertical wall space. For most homeowners, however, it works best to remember to still have ample storage behind closed cabinet doors, for all those other items not as display worthy (think overflowing plastic containers and cleaning supplies).
Creative Storage. Adding more drawers and pullout shelves makes it easier for everyone to access items with less bending and reaching. Hardware manufacturers are capitalizing on clients’ needs for functionality and ease by changing the way many cabinet doors and drawers open and close. Look for more hydraulic, easy-to-close doors that make the most efficient use of space.
Look Mom, No Hands. Hands-free and touch-activated faucets are rapidly moving from the trendy to the must-have, super practical list. They’re perfect for sticky hands, both big and small, and are also ultimately a water saver because of the auto shut-off feature.
Keeping It Cool. The convenience of “point of use” refrigeration means it’s no longer just about having one huge unit in the kitchen; homeowners are installing refrigeration in the places it’s needed most. That may translate to a wine refrigerator next to the bar, a counter-height produce fridge or refrigerated drawer in the prep island.
Quartz Rules. The most popular countertop material is quartz, followed by granite. These natural stone leaders were specified by more than 80% of the professional kitchen designers in 2015 and the trend is expected to continue. While granite is still extremely popular, it has shown signs of decline in the last four years with 31% of the NKBA design professionals expect to use less of it in 2016.
Top Kitchen Trends For 2016
• Transitional style, with clean lines and less ornamentation.
• Two or more cabinet colors/finishes in the same kitchen, often in a light/dark combo.
• Pull-outs, tilt-outs, and tilt-ins for easy access to storage, trash and recycling.
• The look of wood flooring dominates, be it actual wood or wood-look ceramic tile.
• Different countertops for islands and the perimeter, varying in both color and material.
• Outdoor kitchens, most popular in the Southeast.
• Built-in coffee stations and wet bars, as well as built-in wine refrigerators.
• Pocket doors.
• Pet spaces, including built-in feeding stations, food storage, and crates.
• Docking and charging stations.