“Kitchens sell homes.” Realtors® like to say that…because most of the time the kitchen can win or repel a potential buyer in the first few minutes. A kitchen remodel is a great way to improve the value of your home.
The kitchen is typically the most expensive room to update, and when the kitchen is updated, it’s a big benefit. If you’re thinking about selling in the near future, you’ll want to do some updating to have the best advantage in your local real estate market, and you’ll want to get the highest return on your investment.
Are you considering a kitchen remodel but want to keep costs low? Here are some of today’s kitchen remodeling and decorating trends for homeowners that emphasize options and high-tech features at affordable prices.
Kitchen Trends for 2019
The way that we live in our homes has changed over the decades. Homeowners have moved from formal living rooms to open floor plans. Great rooms that open to the kitchen have increased in popularity since the 90’s, demonstrating the desire for more gathering and connecting in our living spaces.
Many designers are predicting that separate kitchens, as we have always known them, will disappear with even more “open-concept” designs.
The need for dedicated rooms has switched from living spaces to rooms with specialized purposes, like a home office, craft room, exercise room, home theater, and even a dedicated music room.
Trend #1: Remodeling has Scaled Back
A new focus on moderation and value has entered the remodeling mind-set. You can often make smaller improvements that don’t break the bank, but have an impact on the style and beauty of your kitchen. The trend for smaller, but smarter homes also continues, including the kitchen. Trends that are showing up in kitchens lately include:
- Small-scale kitchen projects are big news. Changing out cabinet hardware, replacing a faucet, and refacing your cabinets can update your kitchen without a major expense.
- Scaling back cabinetry purchases, with an increased emphasis on kitchen storage and functionality over elaborate decoration. For example, rather than stacked crown moldings throughout the kitchen, more homeowners are putting their money into practical roll-out trays and drawer organizers.
- Using existing items instead of replacing them. As appliances have gotten more extravagant, more homeowners are extending the life of their appliances with good maintenance and care. When replacing cabinets, they’re more likely to build around current appliances rather than choosing new models.
Trend #2: Technology expands its kitchen presence
Many of the techno products and trends that relate to your smartphones and tablets are not only making their way into your local showrooms and home centers, they are an everyday occurrence in homes we show.
- Appliances are equipped with USB ports and digital screens so you can display your family photographs and kids’ artwork.
- Smart, induction built-in cooktops($500-$3,000) remember your temperature settings as you move your pans across their entire surface.
- One light finger touch is all it takes to open the electronically controlled sliding doors of your kitchen cabinets — a boon to people with limited mobility. You’ll pay 40% to 70% more for cabinets with electronically controlled doors than standard models.
- Use your smart phones and tabletsto control lights and appliance settings from anywhere you have a wi-fi connection. Shop for appliances from major manufacturers right from your device.
- Internet Technology in the Kitchen is increasing, with Wi-Fi enabled appliances and app controlled items. Look for even more home-centered technologies in the next few years, as the “internet of things” increases, and more and more new tech products receive crowd-funding.
- Voice activated controls are becoming more available with internet connected appliances.
- Many are opting for LEDs for recessed lights, under-cabinet task lighting and color-changing accent lighting. We see more LED-powered pendants and chandeliers from major manufacturers as inefficient incandescent bulbs continue their march toward extinction.
- A wide selection of affordable microwave ovens with convection and even steam features gives owners of smaller kitchen spaces more high-end cooking ability.
Trend#3: Variety in Kitchen Appliances
- Appliance Trends. Stainless steel appliances have been popular for more than 2 decades, longer than most kitchen design trends. Although stainless-steel appliances are still popular, various other metals with toned down finishes are becoming popular. We’ve seen brushed nickle, pewter, copper, polished chrome and oil rubbed bronze.
- French door refrigerators, and bottom freezer drawers are still most popular.
- Expensive professional-style appliances such as free-standing stainless steel gas ranges, the trend for years, are losing popularity. They are being replaced by sleek induction cook topspaired with double wall ovens.
- Under-counter options are a growing trend, with drawers that double as refrigerators, wine storage or a pull out microwave. The placement of these appliances works better for many people.
Trend #4: Simpler, warmer cabinet styles are popular
Fussiness and excess have faded away in favor of pared-back looks that present a more timeless, flexible style.
- As more homes today have some form of open floor plan, kitchens are outfitted to flow with the other living areas nearby. The decor is complimentary, whether it is the small items like oven mitts and tea towels, or the lighting fixtures, backsplash or cabinets and cabinet pulls.
- Along with the integration of our kitchens into the rest of the decor, people are opting for a blend of refined and rustic elements. The relaxed appeal of “Farmhouse” design is updated and modernized in today’s kitchens. It’s common to see warm, wooden ceiling beams with industrial light fixtures and sleek modern quartz or granite countertops.
- The trend toward dark painted islands also seems to be sticking. Combining lighter uppers and darker lower cabinets became the rage last year.
- Kitchen wood finishes have gotten warmer and darker, and feature natural and stained woods. Walnut especially is growing in popularity.
- The trend toward dark painted islands also seems to be sticking. Combining lighter uppers and darker lower cabinets became the rage last year.
- Kitchen wood finishes have gotten warmer and darker, and feature natural and stained woods. Walnut especially is growing in popularity.
- Cabinet color choices include painted, stained and matte finishes, with muted earth tones and pastels as popular choices. When cabinets are on display from the other living spaces, color choices open up from the usual wood finishes, although still popular and with more choices than ever, to colors that are in keeping with the whole design. So it’s not surprising that darker cabinets are becoming popular. Mixing uppers and lowers is also a trend.With quality paints, updating your cabinets by painting them is a viable option. What colors to choose? Here’s some great advice from our expert Debbie Gartner: Best Paint Choices for Kitchen Cabinets
Trend #5: Function Trumps Appearance
- Function wins in today’s kitchens, but that doesn’t mean it has to look inferior.
haker-style cabinets and drawers with simplicity in mind are popular. They are also practical, as they complement many styles and the maintenance and cleaning is easier. - Open shelving is more popular, with fewer cabinets and easy access to items. This can be a great way to add style and color to your kitchen with decorative, yet functional items, like colorful dishes, pitchers of flowers, or plants.
- White kitchens are still timeless and classic. You can never go wrong with a white kitchen.
- Open shelving is more popular, with fewer cabinets and easy access to items. This can be a great way to add style and color to your kitchen with decorative, yet functional items, like colorful dishes, pitchers of flowers, or plants.
- White kitchens are still timeless and classic. You can never go wrong with a white kitchen.
- Cabinet decoration continues to streamline. For example, massive corbels, once fashionable as undercounter supports, are giving way to sleeker countertop supports and cantelivered countertop edges. Stacked moldings have pared back or disappeared entirely. Elaborately glazed finishes have yielded to simpler paints and stains. Bottom cabinets or islands are often a different color that upper cabinets, but in a toned down matte finish.
- Streamlined Looks. Minimalist and uncluttered. Cabinetry is following the “less-is-more” trend with clean lines and simple moldings and finishes, which are easier to maintain as well.
- Flat-panel and Shaker doors are popular. People are also mixing it up with horizontal cabinets. Hiding appliances behind cabinet doors is a continuing trend, in keeping with the minimalist trend.
Trend #6: Eco-Friendly Kitchens
- Eco-Friendly Design. Glass walls, French and sliding doors, and large windows are desirable in today’s kitchens, to bring the outdoors in. Patios, decks and “outdoor rooms” are ideally suited directly off the kitchen. Reclaimed wood is hot, and bamboo is growing in popularity for more than just floors. Bamboo countertops are showing up in kitchens.
- Repurpose and Upcycle works just as well in the kitchen as the rest of the house. The big trend is the industrial look. Using industrial light fixtures works well in the kitchen. Repurposing large industrial pieces like shelves or cabinets for use in a kitchen is also very trendy.
- Repurposed Wood makes a wonderful kitchen island:
Trend #7: Today’s Kitchen Design is Full of Choices
- Lighting is another aspect of kitchen design that has changed over the last few years. There is no longer a sense of “right and wrong” lighting. As our kitchens are on display from several living areas, people are choosing light fixtures that are not traditional kitchen choices. Whatever you choose, just make sure that you have adequate lighting for three types of needs: overall lighting, task lighting and accent lighting. As with appliances and cabinets, there are a plethora of colors and metallics to choose from in the coming years.
- Natural flooring materials such as ceramic, stone, hardwood and cork are favorites, along with reclaimed and distressed wood finishes in wider, hand scraped planks.
- Backsplashes of glossy ceramic, porcelain or glass tile in either subtle or bold color combinations – or a combination of both are in demand. Again, kitchens are increasingly “on display”, so more thought is put into the design of each aspect. Geometric designs became very popular last year. Here are some great tips on creating a backsplash that will make your kitchen a show stopper: 20 Neutral Backsplash Tiles for Kitchens, by Debbie Gartner.
- Kitchen Wall Color Trends. Modern kitchens are open to the living spaces of the home, and have a need to blend in with the rest of the decor. Kitchen colors are moving away from stark whites and more toward creamy neutrals, with pops of color. Nature is a strong influence on color choices today, with greens, blues and browns popular. Gray is still the hottest neutral, and is showing up in kitchen cabinets.
- Kitchen Sinks are no longer one of two choices, stainless or white. Colors are coming back into style in today’s sinks. Colors that will blend with the rest of the decor are being considered. The latest kitchen decorating and remodeling trends for homeowners include a variety of color-friendly choices.
- Farmhouse sinks have become super popular. Many find it more convenient to fit any oversized pots or dishes in a large sink. If you like a metallic sink, a copper farmhouse sink is all the rage!
Trend #8: Task Specialization
- Task specialization is a growing consideration in kitchen design, with thought to smarter, if smaller spaces. Pot fillers, built-in cutting boards, coffee and drink stations, appliance “garage” storage spaces, pull-out drawers instead of traditional cabinet doors, warming drawers, and specialized home management spaces are examples.
- Many kitchens today have more than one sink, with an extra sink for specialized tasks, like cleaning vegetables or fruit.
- Another popular specialized task is a pot filler at the stove. If you are a pasta lover, there’s nothing more convenient than filling the pot right on the stove. It cuts down significantly on the heavy lifting from the sink to the burner.
Trend #9: Universal Design
- Aging in place has been important to boomers. We’re also seeing many more families living in multiple generation households. Design trends include fixtures and features that are ideal for aging in place, like touch-activated and pull-out faucets, widened door and hallways, multi-level cabinets and non-slip flooring.
- While many homeowners are planning to stay in their homes longer, they are thinking about selecting a style they like today, and will still like in the future. Classic looks are in.
Classic Kitchen Looks that Last
- White kitchen cabinets are timeless and stay popular every year. The great thing about white is the ability to create style and color combinations in the less expensive items in the kitchen, decor, walls and furniture.
- Subway tiles never seem to go out of style.
- Natural stone floors and counters, whether granite, quartz, stone or marble, they continue to be a top choice for homeowners.
- Wood floors, or engineered wood floors are especially beloved in today’s open floor plans.
- Kitchen islands add real “livable” functionality to a kitchen, which is the center of the home.
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