One of the most exciting things occurring as we’re leaving 2023 behind us is the emergence of new kitchen design trends and styles taking the place of those that served us well but are now part of the past. Kitchen design trends change yearly, and so it should be; new advancements in furniture construction appear, fresh colour schemes are developed to complement modern kitchens better, and upgraded layout models to serve the ever-growing kitchen functionalities pop up.
Whether you’re an interior designer, design buff, interior architect, or simply want to gain some inspiration for your future kitchen revamps, the following round-up of the trends that we’re kissing goodbye will help you discover the areas in your kitchen that are about to need some changes for the better. Let’s go!
Story Stages
Doing away with fake wood-finish
Indeed, wood is an astonishingly-looking, high-quality material that eases almost any daily kitchen task and lands among the first materials regarding longevity. However, it’s safe to say that it may sometimes come on the pricier side, be unjustifiably expensive, or fail to meet the customer’s standards. A piece of furniture merely labelled with “wood” doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve found a hidden treasure you can leave as a heirloom. But that doesn’t translate to running away from wood, either, because today’s colossal furniture marketplace has something to suit any taste.
You’re not bound to look for your kitchen units in physical stores, but you can go to the most reliable and all-encompassing provider you know and go bespoke if you have some hardly findable preferences. As you will see when you find your ideal supplier, the vast range of options from which you can pick any kitchen unit that suits your budget, style, or quality requirements will make you want to stick with them forever. And given the provider’s notoriety, you’ll rest assured knowing they’re using the best materials and assembling methods, so your kitchen will look in top shape for years to come. Thanks to their recognition in the marketplace, you may find pieces priced lower than small local suppliers, which can benefit your budget if you work within financial constraints.
Wood offers everything from warmth to a welcoming aesthetic and durability, so choose with a long-term mindset.
Bye, insipid all-white colour scheme
The Mecca of non-colours, white, has long reigned in kitchens without having any other one compete against it. 2024 has finally witnessed when other hues challenge white’s leading position, and its popularity is decreasing to create room for more nuanced whitish hues to shine. We’re not saying goodbye forever or entirely to this neutral since this would be a foolish move and the popularity of acquisitions like the dove grey kitchen is rising, but colour schemes lacking any other slight nuance of off-white, beige, grey, or brighter hues seem to be stepping down from their throne.
You can opt for a neutral colour scheme as the base colour for your kitchen and resort to cabinetry with slightly darker or brighter nuances to add some character. Similarly, installing kitchen units in white hues while painting the walls in other neutrals is an equally savvy move to design a timeless kitchen that won’t lose its sizzle.
White is sterile, refreshing, practical, and widening, and since few colours can give what it can, all you have to do is find ways to include it in your kitchen without making it look bland, feeble, or too cold.
Kitchens as mere cooking areas
As we’re progressing to a world that favours work-from-home more and more and about 9 in 10 companies consider implementing this work model, or at least offer hybrid working possibilities, it’s unsurprising that kitchens are going beyond their traditional purpose of cooking and serving meals. Actually, over 50% of home design experts project kitchens’ revamps to shift toward a new utility: crafting a room that serves job tasks and needs. As you can see, 5 in 10 designers bet on kitchens to be the main focus in 2024’s home renovation projects, especially as workforce participants and newcomers take into consideration the need to engage in their jobs from home when the context may require so. Immediately after kitchens come the living rooms, similarly serving as suitable spaces to build a cosy office.
Consumers are eyeing some specific transformations and features as part of these current renovations. For instance, they’re looking for decluttering tips and strategies to keep the space clean, roomy, and airy. At the same time, many homeowners are looking to mix backsplashes to create the visual illusion of separated spaces.
Closed kitchens, aren’t you gone yet?
Kitchens built in a self-contained room in a house are concepts tied to the traditional way of living, which naturally implies a sense of obsolescence. Yet, they are still quite widespread, especially in homes and apartment blocks with rigid structures that did not suffer transformations.
Closed kitchens have gradually been dethroned by semi-open or open kitchens, witnessing the era of the integration of spaces that transformed the cooking space into the hub of the home. More and more activities are unfolding in the house’s hub, from family gatherings to hobby engagement to working, and 2024 will only emphasize this trend.
Design experts believe that the possibility of fusing separate chambers as desired, or versatility, is the upcoming trend that will seize the stage. In 2024, therefore, the semi-open kitchen model is gaining traction, offering a delicate but consistent separation between chambers.
Kissing darkness goodbye
While dark, black-oriented cooking spaces have been popular in the last decade, this trend has outlived its welcome. Instead of making bold statements as they used to, now they’re making spaces seem agglomerated, unfriendly, less inviting, or even oppressive. The darkness of a room makes it look significantly smaller and overwhelming.
What’s embraced, instead, are moody kitchens which employ rich, profound hues like hunter green, interstellar blue, night brown, opera mauve, or barn red, to name a few. Green, for instance, is a colour expected to outshine and outstay others, included in gracing walls, tiles, cabinets, and other areas in the design realm. As seen in the new collections released, this hue exudes a lasting appeal and can be easily integrated into more kitchen colour palettes for a timeless aesthetic.
So, are you heartily willing to leave these outdated kitchen trends to welcome new ones or bring fresh elements into your home’s heart, or are you still looking for the perfect design?