Redesigning your kitchen can be one of the best things you do for your house. With it typically serving as the center gathering place of the home, it’s important to make it comfortable for anyone cooking, eating, or just passing through. But, with so many kitchen styles out there, many wonder how they can create a modern kitchen design that is still authentic to their individual style. Luckily, this winter we have already seen a range of new styles and trends become popular and they can easily be personalized to fit your own kitchen. So, if you need a little more inspiration for your new kitchen design, keep reading for winter trends you can try.
1. Bold Color
Color has officially made its way back into modern kitchens and it’s definitely here to stay. With the large amount of all-white kitchens that we saw in the early 2010s, we’ve finally seen kitchen designs transition to be a little more vibrant this year.
While bright teals and peach tones are seen in some traditional and farmhouse-style kitchens, there has been an overwhelming draw to dark blue and black colors across a range of designs. Whether it be with dark walls or cabinets painted completely black, we expect this somber look to continue as a trend well into 2021. You may be wondering how to stylize a completely black kitchen. One way to do this is to bring in warm tones throughout the rest of the design to create a luxurious feel and personalize the trend to fit your unique style. To brighten up the space, you can contrast the black with a white or light-colored countertops or fixtures.
2. Warm Accents
Similarly, many homeowners have looked to warm-toned fixtures, floors, appliances, and accents to bring a cozy feel into their kitchen design. With many of our kitchen layouts including open floor plans and sleek finishes, warmth can easily get lost in the space and create a colder atmosphere overall. However, the addition of unique accents gives you the opportunity to incorporate metal, jewel, and wood tones into your design to bring warmth back into the kitchen.
Most common in many rustic designs, brass and copper fixtures have been popular and this winter, they are being seen more in other design styles. Kitchens with jewel-toned cabinets and countertops have found warm metals and gold colors to complement those features nicely. However, if you are opting for a lighter-colored kitchen, warm tones can be brought in through wooden tables or leather stools and seating.
This trend, specifically, is perfect for personalizing your space because there are hundreds of ways to incorporate warm tones and accents and draw attention to your kitchen. You can use this trend to stylize the main components of your kitchen design and bring balance back to the space.
3. Unique Shapes
Again, when adding accents and fixtures into your kitchen, we have seen a huge trend toward unique shapes. Whether it be with geometric light fixtures, a rustic-style faucet, or even a creative backsplash, this trend is the perfect way to bring your unique touch into the space. If you have selected a simple kitchen design and aren’t looking to add bold colors and patterns, this may be the perfect way to create subtle character in your design without it becoming too eclectic.
Conversely, you can combine your unique shapes with your vibrant kitchen design to create juxtaposition and style contrast in your space. This is a great way to showcase small pieces of your own creative style as well.
4. Customizations
Customizations have always been popular for cabinetry; however, it’s beginning to expand into other parts of the kitchen as well, specifically within storage, appliances, and seating. Though it is a style loved by many, the price point has always been a setback for homeowners redesigning their kitchen. However, with many individuals finding new ways to save and pay for the renovation with their home’s equity or additional lending, customization has found its way back to the forefront of kitchen design.
Storage is an absolute must in any kitchen; however, not every home comes with a separate and spacious pantry. So, instead, many homeowners are beginning to include custom, built-in storage systems into their kitchen designs. They often are separate units from the cabinets and in some cases, cover an entire wall of a kitchen. The concept behind them is very similar to china cabinets that are popular in many older styled homes; however, the built-in aspect gives it a modern twist.
Modern kitchen designs are also using built-in customizations to conceal bulky appliances. Instead of finding a way to integrate a steel appliance into your well-thought-out design, you can take advantage of custom doors, drawers and hoods to hide your appliances and match your aesthetic.
Additionally, with the new at-home lifestyle and pandemic-fueled cooking trends that many of us took on this year, seating areas have become popular again to accommodate large families. While a simple table set may match a modern design, midcentury, rustic, and traditional kitchen styles are beginning to incorporate custom banquette seating instead.
5. Double Island
With many homeowners prioritizing square footage in their kitchen designs, it encouraged the implementation of not one, but two islands in the center of the space. There is an undeniable need for more counter space in any kitchen and for at-home chefs, and this double island design has been a favorite recently.
Also, as many families have moved away from formal dining tables and relied on bar and stool seating, the need for a separated eating and cooking space has become apparent. It is common to use your island for meal prep and eating; however, with a double island, you can easily separate the two — which is actually a safer option. Some kitchen designs even allow one island to house the sink and stove to create a simple space to cook your meals.
When it comes to budgeting two islands into your kitchen plans, it’s actually not as daunting as you may think. More homeowners have started using affordable alternatives as opposed to splurging on expensive marble and granite countertops. You can actually get the same marble or granite look for a fraction of the price by using a countertop paint kit which allows you to customize and design your own marble, granite, slate, or white diamond countertop exactly how you want it. Even if you prefer a wooden, butcher block counter on your island, you can use the paint kit to give you the same look without the added maintenance that comes with installing a pure wood countertop. Small strategies like this one can give you much more room in your budget to match the popular double island trend.
Designing your kitchen can be a fun project to take on, so be sure to incorporate some of these new trends into your space this winter. Don’t forget to add some personal touches and you’ll truly be able to achieve your dream kitchen in no time.