The most valuable room for return on your investment and use in your house is the kitchen. We saw a lot of changes in recent years, this year was no exception. Kitchens are performing better than ever and starting to work as design pieces too. Here’s my list of ten trends I’ve been watching.
- Conceal everything (hidden + integrated design): ultra-clean, minimal kitchens dominate. Paneled refrigerators and dishwashers, appliance garages, flush cabinetry, larger pantries to hide the “stuff” and chaos. Especially critical in open plans—kitchens should blend with living spaces and hide the stuff rather than dominate with things on counters
- Natural Colors Take Over: warm woods and natural paint colors such as greens, terracotta, muted blues. Sterile is out—personality is in.
- Bigger, Smarter Pantries: the pantry is no longer a closet, it's hidden prep spaces to keep kitchen sleek. Secondary prep spaces keep the main kitchen pristine. Messes can happen..behind the curtain. Guests see calm, cooks still have function.
- The Island is the Nucleus: cooktop, sink, plug-ins, storage and seating—all roads lead to the island. It’s no longer an accessory; it’s the nucleus. This is the eat-in kitchen of the last thirty years. It's the command center.
- The End of the All-White Kitchens: white isn't dead, it's demoted. Richer palettes with warmth and contrast are replacing all-white kitchens. White still exists—as a supporting actor, not the lead.
- Open Shelving is Officially Retired. Great in photos, miserable and impractical in real life. Dust, grass, visual clutter. Ya, it’s cheap to install..for a reason. It’s retired.
- Uniformity is Boring: perfectly matched kitchens feel predictable—everything must match. Perfection is boring (and predictable). Mix textures, finishes and materials instead. Combine knobs and pulls. Vary pull sizes. Change cabinet heights and styles. Kitchens are feeling more DESIGNED, not store-built.
- The Hood Leads the Design: the hood is the anchor. It is central to kitchen design and a statement hood is where the design begins. They define the kitchen, frame the space, and bring architectural weight, unapologetically.
- Bigger Refrigerator (Yes, BIGger): bigger is better when it comes to the refrigerator. Yes, massive. People cook, host, and store food—shocking revelation for us Costco shoppers.
- Quartz Backsplashes Beat Tile: backsplash beat tile—decisively. Not the counters—the backsplash. Come on, I’m not talking about the counters (yes, the 80-90s tiled counters from Home Alone), I’m referring to the backsplash. We finally learned tile is a maintenance disaster thanks to grease + grout.
What we got this year was a kitchen that was calm, layered, warm and intentional. It hides mess, rewards daily use, and finally stops pretending we don’t own appliances and cook at home. What do you think, agree and what did I miss?
