The latest kitchen design ideas include turning the kitchen green–but not just by installing energy-efficient appliances.
Imagine this.
About 10.2 million American households remodeled their kitchen in 2017 alone.
That’s one in 10 households.
The National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NKBA) found something else at the beginning of 2021.
Out of 4,700 surveyed Americans, 10% said they were still going to renovate kitchens despite the pandemic’s economic effects.
But why do so many people renovate their kitchens? Do trending kitchen designs have anything to do with it?
Houz reported a couple of interesting reasons in 2021.
The biggest one is this:
Americans who do renovate their kitchen do so because they just can’t withstand their old kitchen anymore.
Next.
They finally had the means to remodel, and so they renovated the old kitchen they couldn’t withstand anymore.
Third. They wanted to customize a recently purchased home.
So yeah, kitchen design trends may have something to do with them all.
Wondering what the new kitchen colors for 2021 are? Or do you need kitchen ideas about cabinet design or kitchen layout?
Here are answers to those and more questions based on the latest kitchen design trends.
What Are the Kitchen Trends in 2021?
Let’s see what’s already trending among homeowners who renovated their kitchens in the last 12 months.
The following trends in kitchen design came from kitchen designers, remodelers, homeowners, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, Houzz, and the National Bathroom and Kitchen
Association.
We’ve also thrown in a good bunch of our own latest kitchen design trends in 2021.
Here you go.
- Homeowners in rural and suburban settings are focussing on increasing their kitchen sizes.
- Urban-based homeowners want to maximize storage without adding space.
- More people want more storage space.
- Younger kitchen renovators prefer open shelving to upper cabinets.
- Most people spend about $5,000 on home improvement. So they want to find affordable alternatives to upscale upgrades.
- The number of people opening kitchens to outdoor spaces remains consistent with previous years.
- Vinyl continues to grow as a preferred kitchen flooring material.
- Faucets are getting high-tech treatment.
- Kitchen island designs are moving away from uniformity with countertops and cabinet colors, design, and materials.
- Minor kitchen remodels clocked in at $12,000 on average, $5,000 for small kitchens, and $35,000 where homeowners revamped all cabinets and appliances (Houzz, 2021).
There are more.
What is the Trend for Kitchen Cabinets in 2021?
According to Houzz, more homeowners renovated kitchen cabinets to increase storage in 2020 more than any other year. Americans also increased pantry sizes. Storing food, drinks, spices, appliances, and other supplies is the big reason here. More people are cooking at home due to COVID-19 restrictions, which increases the need to keep more foodstuff and dishes around.
Pantry trends
A growing trend in 2021 is that more people add a walk-in pantry or add shelves to their pantry to increase storage capacity.
Spacious pantries are taking in an appliance or two or are turning into multi-purpose wine cellars. One goal is to help declutter the main kitchen area. Plus, you can do that to inject some life into your pantry.
Don’t be afraid to paint the pantry walls with a bright color, especially if it isn’t hiding behind a door.
Handleless Cabinets
Modern kitchen designs have all continued to highlight clean lines and streamlined kitchen ideas. Miniature cabinet hardware caught on in the last few years, like installing Scandinavian-style cabinets.
The latest trend is to eliminate handles and other visible cabinet hardware to emphasize a clean, streamlined, and ultra-modern look and feel.
Open Shelving Trends
If handleless cabinets are not your thing, you may find doorless cabinets appealing.
Or, you can do better.
Gorgeous open shelving with cups, plates, and bowls stacked perfectly can add oomph to your kitchen personality.
Open shelves are excellent if you have an open-style kitchen, a beautiful collection of utensils, and good lighting.
Play around with wood planks for a rustic, minimalist look. Or pick metal rods if you want to exude a more industrial feel.
Angling Shelves and Glass
Still, you can tilt the shelves to an angle of display you like to strike a more playful tone right on. Those shelves are certainly an excellent match for displaying your multi-colored spices and health-conscious flavors.
Oh, another thing.
You can also install open-shelving at a fraction of the cost of other modern cabinet designs.
Now, all you need to do is keep those dishes free of dust, clutter, and from falling off. One way to do that is to install glass cabinet boxes with the angled shelves at the heart of it all.
Don’t be afraid to replace barn doors with glass doors, too. It’ll help your kitchen exude a chic look in a modern kitchen.
What are the Latest Kitchen Countertop Ideas?
Quartz remains a top-pick for its sturdiness, and more pronounced, its low-maintenance element. Quartz and granite countertops are a good bet if you want something more upscale, especially if you plan on selling the house soon.
If you are going with the green kitchen color palette, consider adding Carrara-marble countertops in the mix.
Shades of green will help bring out the veining in the marble without overdoing it.
You can go as far as you wish here. We are seeing more people play with their worktop designs, including on the kitchen island.
What are the Best Kitchen Colors for 2021?
New kitchen designs are embracing a splash of colors. Not everything needs to match, especially if you prefer your spaces a little more eclectic and like to experiment with different looks and feel every few years. Do your fun family moments or parties all seem to end up in the kitchen?
In those cases, painting your kitchen in multiple colors can help inject personality into it.
You can go all-out Bohemian in that kitchen if you want; layers of colors, texture, and pattern. Just don’t be planning to sell the home too soon.
Or you can go for a two-toned kitchen style if mix-matching won’t lift your spirit, but you still do not want a matchy-matchy look.
If you’re planning to ooze mid-century-modern luxury, then go for wood cabinets–from light to dark colors. White ash has been catching on lately, a step away from gray cabinets, countertops, and backsplashes.
So, is gray still in for 2021?
There are cold, bland grays, and then there are rich, energetic grays. The all-gray kitchen look is going out, and the latter is coming in.
How do you warm up gray paint?
Consider using gray paints with lavender or olive-green undertones to add warmth to your kitchen. Or combine the gray look with small doses of blue-green (aquamarine) or urban bronze.
Also, contrasting neutral gray with bright whites can also do the trick.
You can pull this off on the walls, countertops, and cabinets–just not on the same surface at the same time.
Are white kitchens out of style in 2021?
Shiplap designs are sinking out of style. Yet, a coastal kitchen design is one of those timeless themes that keep coming back. White is still a dominant kitchen color–from appliances to countertops and cabinetry.
But how would you like to introduce shades of beige and greige into the room full of white?
It certainly would warm up the place.
Better, add a rich terra-cotta hue to your walls for a unique, warm feel.
Still, shades of blue are in a trend that started a year or two ago. Navy blue came out first.
Now, you can bring brighter blues out to play, including royal blue for the more adventurous and vintage blue for moderates.
Some people find accent colors in the living room more distracting than popping with color.
So, accent colors are moving across the room to the kitchen now. They can add a pop of color without wandering the eyeball from the television or the family photos.
What are the Latest Trends in Kitchen Backsplash in 2021?
Colorful backsplashes are catching on. And so are backsplash patterns, including shades of blue, beige, golden-yellow, and green. Again, these are excellent if your kitchen opens up to the living area. You can then show out your true colors right at the center-level of your kitchen.
There’s more.
Feel free to extend upward. Go all-in and install the backsplash from the countertop up to the range hood or upper cabinets.
You can still do this on the “empty” wall if you have all cabinets on one wall.
Or, you can match your living room’s interior decor to unite both so seamlessly.
The latest trend is to use step-ladder effects, staggered brick bonds, oversize vertical tiles. Staggered brick bonds in green or urban bronze look especially chic and unique.
Should backsplash be lighter or darker than countertops?
Some people choose to match backsplashes to countertops and contrast them to the cabinetry. Others do the opposite. So, you decide.
Are Kitchen Islands Outdated in 2021?
Installing large kitchen islands is a trend that’s become more attractive. A larger-size preference matches the growing need to have multi-purpose islands to turn into drinking bars, breakfast and casual dining spots, and primary storage options.
One practical idea is to use a single-level island with multiple storage options to eliminate upper cabinets. In turn, you can add a large window to allow in more natural light and ventilation.
Homeowners who renovated their kitchens in 2020 chose a contrasting color for island cabinets to the rest of the kitchen.
According to the 2020 Houzz U.S. Kitchen Trends Study, more people (47%) picked out blue and gray as their favorite island color combination.
Compare that number to 13% of renovators who used the color combination in their main wall cabinetry.
Another thing.
Remember the statistic we highlighted earlier about more people with room preferring to renovate the kitchen to enlarge it?
Well, many of them told Houzz they wanted to install double islands. If you wish, you can extend one or both into the living area. Then install enough island cabinets to remove all wall cabinetry.
Next, you can open your kitchen to the outdoors with large, airy windows for a perfect Scandinavian look and feel.
What is the Most Timeless Kitchen Flooring Material?
Wood. Hardwood has been the most appealing flooring material of all time. But more people are moving from hardwood flooring options to ceramic and porcelain tiles. Interestingly, though, interest in vinyl or resilient flooring continues to spike.
Technology advances are introducing more ceramic tile and vinyl flooring designs, sizes, and styles.
For example, you can have your ceramic surface texture changed to mimic natural stone or hardwood.
Or you can get custom cut tiles to bring out a kitchen floor pattern that is both unique and easy to maintain.
What are the Latest Kitchen Lighting Design Trends?
Minimalist worktop and industrial downlights may not be out of style yet. But intelligent lighting is in style now. Smart bulbs are catching on because they shine light only where needed, turning off automatically when not in use.
More kitchen design looks to increase efficiency and minimize clutter.
That’s great if you want to keep your power bills on the low end.
It is also a smart move if you consider making your home smart over time or sooner than later.
2021 Kitchen Ideas: Hot Water Tap Installation
Instant boiling taps have become a noticeable trending kitchen idea as more people work from home. They want to make a cup of coffee or tea while at it, for instance. And instant hot water taps fill that gap without delays as more of us are used to instant results already.
Are hot water taps worth it?
Is it cheaper to run a hot water tap or boil water in a kettle?
Some estimates suggest running a regular hot tap would cost you about 1c more than using a kettle. But if your hot tap uses a high-vacuum installation, it can use about 50% less energy than your boiler.
Wrapping Up
Applying new kitchen ideas can do more than pop color in the busiest room in the home.
It can help inject life into an aging kitchen. And that can help you skip an expensive home renovation.
The latest kitchen design ideas also embrace turning the kitchen green–both in terms of energy efficiency and licks of paint on wall or island cabinetry.
Others are favoring large windows and connection to the outdoors over installing wall cabinets. They opt to do away with most wall cabinets and get larger islands that offer ample storage boxes.
Ultimately, there is no right or wrong here. It is your kitchen. You can cook up the best kitchen ideas after a cup of Joe, work on them, and love what you finally come up with.
Or, you can create a proper transitional kitchen, where you change the style and layout over time instead of at once.
What do you think?