Just like floor plans, paint colors, appliances, lighting and flooring, another key element that can make your kitchen look incredibly fresh or impossibly outdated is your cabinetry.
There are numerous choices when it comes kitchen cabinets ranging from surface type, color, hardware, doors, spacing and size. And the trend of what’s in style right now might surprise you. Many of the emerging and ongoing trends right now stem from functionality. If something is beautiful, but not practical, it isn’t gaining popularity at the moment.
We spoke with several industry experts about the latest trends and why they are so popular. Here are the top five things you need to know before updating or installing your kitchen cabinets.
1. Go natural
As floor plans get more and more open, windows get larger and ceilings get taller, bare-looking wood cabinetry is a great way to warm up a light-filled space. Michael Glaser, creative director and owner of Nashville Modern Cabinetry, said wood helps define spaces by drawing your eye to look at the wood in the kitchen.
“Wood is being used in cabinetry to warm up a space,” Glaser said. “Wood helps define a space and separate it without using walls.”
Devan Erwin, president of Franklin Kitchen Center said he works with several builders who are doing the old barnwood and rustic touches throughout kitchens whether it’s a range hood, an island or even perimeter cabinetry.
“I am seeing a lot of oak being used, which gives a nice, rustic look,” Erwin said. “We’ve noticed quite a bit of hickory lately too, which goes nice with a colored cabinet on the perimeter and a nice knotty hickory island. It’s a really cool look that is very popular.”
2. Mixed mediums
Maybe the barnwood look is a bit too rustic for the style of your kitchen. Another trend that continues to grow in popularity is mixing a natural wood look, say on an island, coupled with painted or stained cabinetry elsewhere in the kitchen.
Season Lane, creative development director for Signature Homes, said in an attempt to stay ahead of the developing trends in cabinetry, they have been adding lighter wood stain options to their selections and it has been very popular with homeowners.
“At Signature Homes, we’ve seen the popularity of stained wood selections rise once again,” she said. “There is just something cozy and elegant about mixing wood and painted cabinetry in a space. The natural warmth that wood grain adds is a juxtaposition to the white-on-white kitchens we’ve been seeing for the last several years.”