EMBRACING WHAT YOU LOVE
While Instagram, Pinterest and style blogs have made it easier than ever for homeowners to be inspired (or influenced) by others’ design choices, Picture Perfect Kitchen Designs owner Amanda Lopez says many of her clients have started relying more on their own instincts. “Before, it was always, what’s safe? What is going to make my house resell without any issues? What’s neutral?” she says. “I feel like in the last few years I am seeing a change, and people are embracing their own style.”
APPLIANCES LOOK DIFFERENT
Lopez says only about half of her clients are choosing appliances with a stainless steel finish. The other half are pushing the envelope a bit. They’ll choose pieces covered with panels that match their cabinets, or they’ll go for appliances in colors like white, black and gray. Brooke Eversoll, the principal designer and owner of Bee Studios, says her team usually integrates at least one appliance covered with a panel into their designs to create a more seamless look.
IN THE GREEN
Though blue in all its many hues is still the most requested kitchen accent color, both Lopez and Eversoll say green is becoming a popular choice for elements like islands and base cabinets. “I don’t think blue is going to go away, but I think green is going to play a bigger role,” Eversoll adds.
WHITE KITCHENS WITH A TWIST
Homeowners are beginning to crave splashes of colors and warmth to break up the monotony of all-white cabinets. “They might do white perimeter [cabinets] and then a warm wood island, or we might do a beautiful navy or a sage green island,” Lopez says. “Then we might add some coordinating open shelving in wood tones so that your eye is drawn to that, and it’s not just stark white everywhere.” Eversoll adds that many clients who want an overall neutral color are opting for softer shades of off white, light taupe, grey or greige.
QUARTZ IS KING
The hard, nearly indestructible material is still the go-to for countertops, Lopez says. “Clients definitely want countertops that are low maintenance that they can beat up a little bit and not have to stress about,” but are still stylish, she notes. Eversoll adds that variations on the material, like quartzite instead of traditional quartz, and finish (matte over glossy), can give you a different look with all the stone’s heavy duty benefits. FUNCTION FIRST Much of kitchen design in 2020 is focused on creating a space that works for you the way you need it to. Features like under cabinet LED lighting, workstation sinks (with built-in shelves for cutting boards, colanders and drying racks) and touch-less faucets are now just as important as paint colors and cabinetry. On a larger scale, Eversoll believes this prioritization of function could lead to a shift away from the open-concept home with the kitchen at the center that has been embraced in the last decade. “I think we’re going to see a little more separation of spaces again, especially after going through COVID, where everyone is working from home and schooling from home,” she says. “In these big, open homes, there’s nowhere to get [away].”
