In many homes, the kitchen has become the gathering room for busy families. It’s more than just a room for food preparation for the modern family. It’s also often one of the first rooms people consider for upgrades when they begin to think about remodeling their homes. That’s because you can recoup anywhere from 61-70 percent of the cost of a major kitchen renovation, according to Remodeling Magazine. Talk about an upgrade that’s worth your investment! If you’re considering a kitchen re-do, you might want to consider some of the current trends.
Current Trends in Kitchen Design and Remodeling
Going Green in the Kitchen (And We Don’t Mean the Color)
Whether you’re a Do-it-yourselfer (DIY) or hire a helping hand, many of today’s consumers are environmentally conscience and are buying products that reflect that. Products that are renewable, recyclable, and environmentally safe range from sustainable tabletops to energy efficient dishwashers. Teragren manufactures bamboo parquet butcher block for counter or table tops that is formaldehyde-free and food-safe. The company also manufactures wide-plank floating floor, which is available in vertical or flat grain. The flooring has a self -locking system, TeraLoc, which doesn’t require any adhesive.
Painting Shades of Gray (Yes, We Do Mean the Color)
Forget white cabinets. White is heading out, and gray is coming in. Leading manufacturers anticipate gray will soon replace white in most popular, widely sold cabinets. So if you’re looking to re-face, replace, or paint those kitchen cabinets, think gray for a fresh, new trendy look.
Open-Concept Kitchen
By blending the kitchen and the living or family room, an open concept space maximizes what might otherwise have been a small area and also allows for an easy flow between the two rooms. This allows the cook to interact with the family (or company) in the family room. With the busy schedules that working parents have today, they need to multi-task constantly. Mom and Dad like to be able to talk with the family as they prepare a meal after a day’s work.
As far as decor for open-concept areas, the kitchen and family room don’t have to be exact matches, but they should harmonize well. Consider accent colors for the kitchen to highlight colors from the family room. Area rugs that coordinate or pieces of art by the same artist are other design elements that might help the two spaces flow together well.
Brass or Copper-Colored Metal Kitchen Fixtures and Accents
The classic song “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music” references “warm copper kettles.” “Warm” is the perfect word to describe brass or copper-colored kitchen fixtures. These fixtures will add a warm, inviting glow that brightens up any kitchen.
Updated Kitchen Sinks: Choose White or Colorful
If you have a traditional stainless steel sink, you’re probably wondering how you will make those “warm” metal fixtures look good on that sink. The answer is simple: You don’t have to. Buy yourself a new sink. Go with plain white, or choose a splash of color for your kitchen sink. Lots of people are choosing a red sink for a splash of color in the kitchen!
Sources
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,1637271,00.html
http://www.hgtv.com/design/rooms/kitchens/17-top-kitchen-design-trends-pictures
