In the 1950s, home designers dreamed of futuristic kitchens full of video screens and hidden compartments, with circular ovens that would cook a chicken to perfection in minutes and refrigerators that would descend from the cabinetry with a push of a button.
Now that we’re living in the future, kitchen trends aren’t exactly what midcentury musers predicted – but in many ways, 2021 will prove to be a year of new kitchen design trends.
Houzz performed a comprehensive study of kitchen remodels done in 2019, 2020 and what is likely to take place in 2021. The report showed some interesting new trends in the world of kitchen design and remodeling. We’ll break down some of the big takeaways and what this means for design in 2021.
Open-concept floor plans have dominated the last decade of remodeling trends, but we’re now seeing a shift away from this design. Only 43% of homeowners remolding their kitchens this year plan to choose an open-concept floor plan; versus 53% back in 2019. While open floor plans allow for more airflow and conversation between rooms, they can also be a drawback when it comes to the spread of food odors, as well as the resulting echoes in a space lacking architecture.
In 2020, storage was critical. 93% of renovators performed work on cabinets, and 28% added new cabinets – nearly 4 times as many as in 2019. We’ll no doubt see this trend continue in 2021 with demand for more storage solutions.
If you’re brainstorming for storage ideas, check out this showcase video featuring some unique kitchen cabinets from Starmark Cabinetry:
The demand for pantries in general and walk-in pantries grew in 2021. We’ve also seen this trend with our own clients. Many homeowners are now opting for a “super pantry” – using creative storage solutions to carve pantries out of small areas while still allowing for the same storage as a larger pantry. We’re sure this trend will continue in popularity with the rise of homeowners opting to cook their own meals in lieu of dining out.
Homeowners are now choosing to extend their backsplash all the way up to the upper cabinets or range hood. While white is still the most popular color choice, multicolored backsplashes are on the rise. This points to 2021 being a year of bigger, bolder backsplashes.
In 2019, hardwood flooring was the most popular choice for kitchens. In 2020, we saw luxury vinyl products rise in popularity which has continued through 2019. As technology has improved, vinyl flooring has evolved to look more and more high-end while still retaining the longevity and resiliency over other flooring options. Choosing a luxury vinyl floor over more expensive hardwood is also a way to free up budget to spend on other areas of the kitchen remodel.
Houzz found that 41% of renovators differentiate the island cabinet color from the colors of the cabinets in the rest of the kitchen. This adds a pop of visual interest, making it a popular choice. Blue and gray are the top color picks – these neutral colors compliment most kitchen color palettes.
Likely due to the increased attention on handwashing, 2020 saw an uptick in faucets with high-tech features. Features include water efficiency boost, no-fingerprint coating and touch-free activation.
It’s hard to know what the future will hold, but one thing that is certain is that kitchen remodels will continue to be a popular home remodeling project. We expect to see these trends gaining traction in 2021.
Interested in remodeling your own kitchen? Our award-winning team is ready to meet you virtually to share our innovative Discovery-Design-Build process. We’d be honored to work with you and hope you might consider joining our hundreds of satisfied clients.
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