Barbara Novitsky, ABR,ASP,CRIS,CRS, e-PRO,GREEN,GRI,SFR, SRES,REALTOR
At some point, everyone thinks about upgrades and Kitchens are no exception. If you are considering an upgrade to your Kitchen, I urge you to do it after carefully considering current trends in design and decorating. Trends are just that: things that people do at specific points in time. Keep in mind that trends change over time, so what’s “in style” now, may not be so in 5-10 years. If you decide to upgrade, make sure you do so for you own benefit, not just to follow the crowd. Of course, keeping within “norms” is important as you consider resale implications. So, what are people thinking about trend-wise? Here are a few points from an article written by Mary Beth Breckenridge for RISMedia.
Lighting
While lighting used to be a simple matter of function, it increasingly reflects the homeowner’s personality. Natural lighting from windows, light tubes and skylights is becoming more popular; especially, in Green housing design. Energy efficient LEDs are showing up in Kitchens in the form of under-counter lighting or recessed ceiling fixtures. Layered lighting (e.g. ceiling fixture combined with under-counter lights) is also popular.
Refrigerators
Manufacturers are providing refrigerators that are less deep to make fitting in easier. Counter-depth refrigerators are now available. Extra space is also showing up in the form of drawer refrigerators to store things like vegetables closer to where they are most used.
Fresh, Clean Architecture
Ornate Kitchen designs (Tuscan, French Country, etc.) are losing ground to designs with less ornament ion.
Eat-in Kitchens
Bar-style counters remain popular; however, designs mimicking more of an extended counter form of table appear to be gaining acceptance. This allows people to face each other, rather than simply eat next to one another.
Green & Sustainable Materials
Consumers are paying more attention to the materials used in Kitchens. Cabinets with lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC) are rising in popularity, as are cabinets made joined dowels instead of glues containing formaldehyde. The reason is simple: people want less indoor air pollution as a result of the Green movement.
Colors
A majority of people still gravitate toward neutral colors for the permanent Kitchen items: counter tops, cabinets and flooring. Walls, on the other hand, are showing more bold hues.
Meet Me at the Bar
The bar used to be typical part of the Family or Recreation Rooms. Lately, it has begun to show up in the Kitchen. In some cases, Kitchen Desks are being replaced by bars to offer convenient storage. Bar cabinets that appear as Pantries are also popular – some with built-in wine or beverage refrigerators, glassware storage or cutting boards. Oh yes, bar sinks also.
Epilogue
Whatever your tastes, individualism should be reflected. After all, it’s your Kitchen and the whole point of making changes is to satisfy your own desires.
