Kitchens are the activity center and heart of the home, a place for families and friends to gather, socialize, and work together. Homeowners see kitchens as places to demonstrate their own styles and tastes, from classic to quirky. Whether working with interior designers, kitchen designers, or on their own, consumers frequently wish to know about the latest design kitchen trends.

Green or sustainable design is by far the hottest trend in kitchen design right now. From sustainable wood for cabinets, to energy efficient lighting and appliances, to recycled or recyclable countertop materials, there are many options available to consumers. With a little research and education, homeowners can select environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing appliances, cabinets and countertops, fixtures, flooring, lighting, and other items for their dream kitchens.

Appliances

One of the latest appliance trends is to use “drawers” for additional storage space and flexibility in terms of location. Examples include warming drawers, drawer dishwashers, and refrigerated drawers that provide more storage for chilled items. Dishwasher drawers offer energy and water efficiency through their compact design and are often used in tandem with standard-sized dishwashers to accommodate glassware, dinner plates, and other items.

Appliances with state-of-the-art integrated electronics are becoming popular, with one-touch features and a wider range of functions and control, especially when it comes to ovens, ranges, and dishwashers.

Whether conventional or drawer-based, appliances can be paneled in the style used for a kitchen’s cabinets so that they blend with the rest of the cabinetry and create a 'furniture' type of look throughout the kitchen. On the flip side, some consumers prefer their appliances to stand out. Stainless steel appliances are still very popular, and generally tend to add a slightly industrial, professional, or contemporary look to a kitchen. White appliances are still a popular and flexible choice that can add a clean and sunny look. Appliances are now available in a wide array of colors in both modern and retro styles, allowing a very personalized and individualized kitchen.

Cabinets

Cabinet styles tend to be less trendy and are generally more tailored toward consumers’ tastes and their homes’ architectural styles. The multitude of cabinet construction types and styles enable clients to customize their cabinet designs to create highly personalized kitchens. In terms of materials, maple and cherry are still very popular, and sustainable woods like lyptus and bamboo are becoming more mainstream.

Stainless steel cabinets have also become popular recently, reflecting consumers’ wishes to create a professional or streamlined appearance. Stainless steel can be combined with other cabinet materials to avoid an overly modern look.

Glazed cabinet finishes are becoming increasingly popular. Glazing can be applied over a stained wood or painted finish to highlight mouldings, edges, and corners, thereby creating definition on cabinet doors and drawers. Colorful painted finishes are also very popular, allowing a greater degree of personalization and creativity for homeowners than traditional painted white cabinetry.

Fixtures

The wide array of faucets available tends to preclude one specific trend, but industry experts are seeing a shift away from more standard chrome or stainless steel finishes to more unique finishes such as rubbed bronze or brushed nickel, allowing more consistency with a kitchen’s overall design or style. According to ((NKBA)), pull down and pull out faucets are very popular, as they allow multiple functions within one unit. Also gaining in popularity are bridge design faucets , lending a classic and eye catching look and wall mount faucets allowing a clean, uncluttered, and professional look.

Flooring

There are numerous flooring choices, including more traditional natural or manmade tile, hardwood, and vinyl/linoleum, but there are newer choices as well including laminates, cork, bamboo, and concrete. Sustainable flooring is a growing trend that will remain on the forefront and will become a permanent factor in flooring selection.

Heated kitchen floors are becoming increasingly popular for new construction and kitchen renovations. Hydronic (liquid), electric, and air-heated remain the most widely used radiant heating options, with hydronic being the most cost effective in the long term. Electric radiant heat is fairly easy to install but operational costs can add up, based on the costs of standard or low voltage electricity. Air heated radiant floors are the least popular, least efficient, and least cost effective, but are sometimes employed when matched with a solar heating system.

Lighting  

Kitchen lighting trends are constantly improving lighting conditions in kitchens, as well as creating highly personalized results that become a central part of a kitchen's overall design. Successful kitchen lighting provides good general lighting as well as specialized task lighting, and can combine fluorescent, incandescent, and low voltage lighting.

Pendant lighting is probably the hottest trend in kitchen lighting today. Rather than the typical single pendant over the kitchen table, pendant lighting today includes an almost unlimited selection of styles, finishes, and lamping options (bulbs). Pendants range from tiny to very large, and can be used singly or in groups depending upon the desired function and effect.

Use of low-voltage lighting is a growing trend that allows for energy efficiency and which is available in recessed lighting, pendant lighting, and track lighting.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association's annual Design Competition Awards offer some great examples of excellence in kitchen design and feature many of the latest trends in terms of appliances, lighting, cabinetry, and other aspects of kitchen design.

Other Resources:

Kitchens & Baths for Today & Tomorrow: Ideas for Fabulous New Kitchens and Baths, by Jerri Farris (book available at Amazon.com)

Kitchens.com Information & inspiration for your ideal kitchen.

HGTVPro.com The site for homebuilding professionals.

National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Kitchen & Bathroom Planning Guidelines with Access Standards.

U.S. Department of Energy - Radiant Heating Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.

American Lighting Association - Kitchen Lighting Design Lighting Tips for Kitchen Designers and Consumers.