Throughout the country, there are regions where certain styles are more popular than others, proving that singular trends don’t sweep away the nation as a whole. Instead, your geographic location can have as much influence on your design identity.
Even so, transitional and contemporary designs had the edge over traditional ones throughout the U.S. in 2017.
Looking Back at the Trends of the Heart of the Home: The Kitchen
Looking back at the kitchen trends, what was widespread was a clean line style that created a rich layering of textures over a cold, minimalist modern motif. Vibrant colors and materials with distinctive, sleek styles reflected the best of the past century and created a visually potent look.
Along these perimeters, we saw Shaker cabinets experience a substantial rise in popularity. Midcentury and farm-inspired designs also saw a reasonably profound resurgence.
Once inherent to custom homes only, exclusive design elements are finally finding their way into mass production.
Trending Kitchen Colors
Interestingly, various cabinet styles ‘flew out the door’ in 2017. Light woods and gray tones are easily adapted to changing trends, and two tones and colors were also quite popular.
The in-demand wood types included quarter-sawn oak, possibly because its straight grain takes staining so well. The strong grain of walnut complimented the wood type’s well-known stability.
Euro-style frameless cabinet doors in white, gray, and matte black were mixed with solid white-gray or wood accents and did quite well in the marketplace.
It appeared that 2017 had chosen gray as the ‘new neutral’, often paired with muted pastel or jewel-tone accents. Glazed yet natural tones and wide grains were popular cabinet details, having become reasonably sought-after.
Trending Kitchen Layouts
Open kitchens, as opposed to closed kitchens, have remained the most desired among homeowners. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the higher-end designs provide plenty of natural light and are visually stunning.
In fact, consumers now forgo formal living and dining rooms, preferring to integrate them with the great room.
Their essentially collective functions blend and work together harmoniously, cementing effortless cohesion. With architectural features in demand, the kitchen’s cabinetry is made to mimic furniture’s appearance and include features like pocket doors.
Meanwhile, columns and arches are added to represent spaces. There was no clear winner in terms of popularity regarding L-shaped, U-shaped, and galley kitchens.
Trending Kitchen Appliances & Accessories
Also, these shifts toward open plans have affected appliance finish preferences. Now, they are unobtrusively concealed behind panels that match the cabinetry, easily accessible but otherwise invisible.
Less prominent oven ventilation hoods that blend with the cabinets were also popular.
Meanwhile, once high-end-only integrated refrigeration had finally made its way to the mainstream, along with steam cooking ability – they both seemed to be the must-haves of the last year.
One aspect that received much attention was the desire for greater, albeit smarter, kitchen storage. Much emphasis was put on smooth function and efficient placement, both implemented without creating a cluttered appearance.
Slide-outs, pullouts, drawer dividers, lazy susans, built-in bins, and charging stations cleverly placed within or around modern kitchen cabinets and drawers were among the past year’s delights.
In fact, much stress was placed on factors of accessibility and organization, especially where cabinets were concerned.
Specially designed compact and hidden hinges were commonly used effectively, as were recess corners that would normally have been neglected.
Now they house countertop appliances or spice shelves – all behind a sliding wall backsplash!
The ultimate compliment to it all was LED lighting (which is now practically standard) installed to provide light for undercabinet, interior, and ambient mood illumination.
No longer can you find the once common built-in deck in the kitchen that so often served as a place to write checks and pay bills.
Instead, the ever-present presence of portable laptops and tablets has all but made such an area obsolete.
People now prop themselves up at the kitchen island or bar (HDMI equipped) for tasks such as home finances.
The modern kitchen offers so much more than ever before. It contributes greatly to the art of entertaining by being functionally efficient and visually pleasing. The key here is that kitchens don’t have to be bigger, just smarter.
The Social Aspect
You may have deduced that the kitchen island has become an integral element of the open-plan layout. People gather there and socialize.
They serve to integrate dining while creating a seamless flow to the social areas. The island provides a perfect setup if it is out of the cook’s way or doesn’t crowd an open galley kitchen.
Design statements that make the area feel special by combining textures and tones and a unique mix of materials will contrast beautifully with the surrounding cabinets. It’s all part of a scheme, a modern look devised for 2017 that has passed the test and continues to develop into this new year.
