Kitchen Trends to Watch For

July 11, 2016

Kitchen makeovers can be tricky business, especially if you’re not up to date with latest design trends. This year, chic kitchens feature a lot of well-lit storage space, serene color palette, open-floor layout, textural opulence, smart features, and a few charming touches evocative of bygone eras. Let’s take a quick look at the hottest kitchen looks for 2016, shall we?

1. Illuminated storage unitsCeiling fixtures, pendants, recessed lights, and task lighting are still on-trend, but this year they have received an update in the shape of storage illumination. Cabinetry lights minimize storage search hassle and add a bright accent to existing kitchen décor. For maximum eye-candy and minimal update costs, outfit the inside of your cabinetry with LED strip lights, or add a LED strip to the bottom side of the countertop overhangs. For bonus points, storage unit lighting will help bring out the best features in kitchens centered on natural materials and organic elements – and it will also help set the mood to romantic for a special occasion.

2. Get clever with smart chargingCharging stations have migrated out of the living area and into the kitchen to make room for all-family hi-tech convenience. In addition to concealed charging hubs, 2016 kitchens feature state-of-the-art appliances, such as built-in coffeemakers, induction cooktops, and wine coolers. According to Sydney interior designer Jo Taylor, steam ovens are another clever hi-tech kitchen update for homeowners who have both a generous budget and kitchen dimensions to go with the wallet size.

3. A soothing color schemePantone’s announcement of rose quartz and serenity as 2016 colors of the year ushered in a new interior design era: nowadays, stylish homes boast a warm pastel hue palette, and kitchens are no exception. White is still around, but charcoal, soft pink, grey, pale blue, beige, and even tinted shades of white are spreading fast across kitchen walls, tiles, and cabinetry, coupled with whitewashed wood and light veneer. Multicolor-loving homeowners can turn to secondary and accent tones to spice up the kitchen mood: neutrals and pastels are extremely versatile and can be paired with bold pops of color for a livelier ambiance twist.

4. Open-floor is the new blackGone are the days when kitchens were isolated from the rest of the property: 21st-century homeowners have embraced the concept of multifunctional space, and kitchens, dining rooms, and living areas are coming together as the traditional layout is ceding the throne to open-floor plans. Instead of walls, 2016 kitchens rock isles and breakfast bars as the only remainder of physical barriers once used to separate the cooking area from the rest of the house. According to kitchen plumbing experts, traditional kitchens do not need extensive plumbing and drainage overhauls to make the shift to the open-floor. A conventional cooking area can be easily integrated with the living area by knocking down the divider walls, leaving water outlets and pipes intact.

5. Brushed metal is here to stayAs forecasted by the Wall Street Journal, copper elements are a top vogue in the world of interior design this year, but other metallic finishes are following close at its heels. Brushed steel, bronze-hued pendant lights, and cabinet pulls polished to a high shine help add a note of textural opulence to kitchen aesthetics, and they also play well with metal mantle hoods which are gradually replacing their traditional wooden counterparts. Are you ready to update your worn-looking cooking area and turn it into a kitchen fit for a haute chef? Add LED strips to the cabinetry, switch to the open-floor plan, repaint the walls in a pastel hue, throw in a few metallic touches, and round off the smart kitchen upgrade by installing a hidden charging station. After all, life’s too short to spend your meal prep time in anything short of a top-notch kitchen. And if you need help along the way, JKath will be there to save the day.