With no exaggeration whatsoever, the kitchen is the heart and soul of a home. And rightfully so, as food is pretty much one of the most important experiences and aspects of human life. Even if you subscribe to the ‘eat to survive’ philosophy — you’re still eating!
So the point is: Whether you talk about family mornings or party nights, the modern kitchen is your ally through thick and thin. And just like every other element of your home, kitchen design trends fall in and out of favor every single year too.
Okay okay. We get it. A kitchen renovation is not something you can undertake on a whim just as the trends change. It takes a lot more than people on the internet saying your kitchen is ‘outdated’ to actually make you want to commit to a makeover. But if you are in the market for a remodel for whatever reason, it becomes crucial that you get the most of your investment. And staying trendy is one way of avoiding buyer’s remorse.
What Can We Predict for Kitchen Designs
Just like in 2020, the trends in 2021 are projected to primarily focus on being environmentally friendly, while simultaneously furthering the technological goal. To some, sustenance and the obsession with going ‘smart’ might feel like opposite directions; However, from what we have seen over the past few months, it is increasingly clear that technology can work perfectly well in an eco-conscious framework — sometimes even enhancing the overall impact.
Here we list down major trends to look out for in 2021:
1. Smart Kitchens
At this point, it is pretty clear that technological advancement is a juggernaut that cannot be stopped. Heck, it doesn’t even show any signs of slowing down. So any ‘trendsetting’ article is incomplete without the ‘smart’ factor.
We are talking about smart microwave ovens which can be controlled via assistants, refrigerators with wifi, eco-friendly washers, and a multitude of other great projects. After all, the modern kitchen is all about being faster, safer, and just overall better because of the technology.
Here’s the good news: Apart from appliances getting better at what they do, all-around connectivity has been a plus as well. The fact that almost every major element of your kitchen can be remotely controlled via an app (especially the lighting) has made the kitchen far more efficient.
We can say with certainty that there are no indications that the trend to modernize your kitchen will fall out of favor in the near future; so we would suggest just leaning into it and letting technology make your job a lot easier.
2. Sustainability
Honestly, it is a travesty that it took us so long to seriously focus on the sustainable nature of our homes. But, thankfully so, eco-friendly and sustainable have been buzz words all throughout 2019. Being environmentally conscious is a way of life, and the humble kitchen hasn’t been left untouched.
One of the most obvious ways of going sustainable is using reclaimed wood for furniture and cabinetry. Such a design adds a certain warmth to the kitchen. Apart from that, there are plenty more ways for you to start looking out for the planet as well. Energy star rated appliances, solar panels, recycled stone for countertops, etc. are a few starters.
With giants such as IKEA moving to recycled and eco-friendly materials, the trend of going green is expected to grow bigger in 2021.
3. Concealed Kitchen Appliances
A kitchen is incomplete without its appliances. But let’s be honest — the gray refrigerator breaking the wooden motif of the rest of the kitchen is a bummer.
No matter which design you choose, wooden or otherwise, sometimes the result is not as good as you expect because all the appliances keep sticking out like a sore thumb. Over the course of the next year, we expect to see people ditch the traditional approach and blend the appliances into their surroundings.
The most common way of doing that is by adding panels and fronts that resemble the cabinetry. Integrating the appliances into the cabinetry is the easiest way of hiding them away from sight. You can also go for smaller under-counter appliances, if you wish.
Any which way, inspired designs incorporating appliances are going to be big in 2021.
4. Marble Countertops
Do we even need to say this out loud?
Marble countertops are always going to be in fashion — and with the recent surge in public opinion about white kitchens, marble will be the go-to material for countertops in the coming year.
What’s new this year and for the foreseeable future is the rise of modern art-esque pieces of stone. Stone with intricate veins, often in contrasting colors, have been in demand off lately.
The point is: Whether you like the minimalist pure white approach or the more modern and artistic designs, marble will be there for you!
5. Wallpaper
We acknowledge that wallpaper is a contentious issue, especially its usage in the kitchen. After all, it’s 2019 right?
Well, it is not a secret anymore that people have started warming up to wallpapers recently. They are cheap, easy to apply, and give you flexibility in terms of shaking things up. Even considering all that, wallpapers have been a big NO for kitchens…until now that is.
During the past year, people have started using wallpapers more and more to give their kitchens an alternate and transient look — and we expect this trend to spill over into the next year.
Go extravagantly eccentric, or choose the paper that mimics a tiled surface — the choice is yours!
6. Open Shelving
Over the years, a common thread among differing trends in home decor has been minimalism. People have been getting rid of stuff left and right. There have been plenty of victims of this trend, but there have been a few winners as well.
With less and less to store and nearly all of the unnecessary stuff out of the way, open shelving is a trend that has piggybacked on minimalism as a design choice.
There was a time when even the most efficient homemakers couldn’t inventory everything they had from memory, and open shelves were horrifying, to say the least. But with the current trend of stripping everything down to bare essentials, open shelves have emerged as a great way of showcasing what you own.
Don’t ignore the cleaning through!
7. Bold Colors
The white kitchen has reigned supreme for the past few years. Darker tones have been worthy competitors, but moving beyond monochromatic designs has been seen as a risk.
But as they say, nothing lasts forever. The overabundance of white in the kitchen has resulted in a sort of rebellion, and colors have made an impactful return as a result. Most of the appliance manufacturers now provide various colorful options, everything from fiery red to the calming turquoise. You can paint a wall, or even the island in popping colors and make a style statement.
In case you are not too sure, go for colorful wallpapers and see how you like them. Once satisfied, you can paint the walls or even just let the wallpapers be. Either way, colors have made a comeback and it looks like they are here to stay!
8. Kitchen Larders
Carrying on the theme of rediscovering old trends and redesigning them to fit modern sensibilities, we have the kitchen larder.
Larders used to be these big cupboards that could house everything from your utensils to food items. The advent of walk-in pantry alongwith the design leaps in cabinetry probably pushed them out of favor. But they have been back for a while, and 2021 is going to be the year they finally break out.
Not only do they save space when compared to walk-in pantries, they are also a great way of keeping everything in plain view — so that your next trip to the grocery store is that much easier. If you have a kitchen with no upper cabinets (which is a trend unto itself) or even open shelving…consider larders a gift from above.
