Welcome to our biggest post of the year! That’s right, nearly every year our annual kitchen trend post is the most popular which equally feels like a huge honor and responsibility as the gal that’s been writing them for the last 6 years. As we always say, when it comes to “trends” and more permanent applications in spaces such as a kitchen, we like to caution people because unless you know you’ll love it for 20 years maybe don’t… However, I like to choose and highlight our predictions very thoughtfully. While I’m not saying every person will love every “trend,” we think each one of them has longevity, can spark inspiration, or show a special detail you hadn’t thought of. Some of these trends would likely require a remodel while others are easy swaps if you’re looking for a little kitchen spruce up. So without further ado let’s see what this year is about to have in store for the world of kitchens.
Rounded Cabinets
I feel probably the most passionate about this one. Actually, I already talked about it in this post last August so you know I mean business. It looks fresh but isn’t too “right now” and I feel has total longevity when done well. Oh, and the style versatility is amazing. Let me show you.
Now, if someone had told me that rounded cabinetry is trending without showing me a picture, I would have likely pictured a more modern design like this stunning one by Stefania Reynolds of Studio Johnston. This is actually Stefania’s family home! It’s modern, soft, playful, and just cool. The way those rounded corners bring an effortless contrast to the harder angles is perfection. Another contrast that I love is the glossy sheen of the cabinetry with all the natural wood grain and natural limewash accent walls. It creates such a nice balance stylistically.
Also, I know this isn’t about lighting but that oversized sconce in that nook is SO GOOD.
This beautiful kitchen by White Studio & Co Interior Design leans much more modern traditional but is softened by the curved corners of the lower cabinetry and island. Doesn’t this just scream “I’m a very special kitchen”? My god is it elegant. This is a perfect detail if you want a very neutral kitchen but also want it to feel like it’s got a little something extra special going on:)
I believe this incredible kitchen by Bidgood was the first one last year where I really took note of this trend (or the initial murmurs of a trend). The cabinetry in the range surround is just so special. In this space, the rounded detail feels both modern and retro! Then paired with the sweet light dusty blue and butter yellow paint colors, this kitchen is dripping with charm.
Don’t worry, you’ll a few more examples as we get continue through the post:)
Integrated “Stand Alone” Cupboards
Integrated refrigerators are not new, obviously, but what I’ve been seeing more and more of are cupboard/hutch-like pieces being integrated with the more traditional floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. The majority of these “cupboards” are in fact where a lot of refrigerators are hiding but in that extremely special kitchen above by Nina Farmer Interiors (I just bought her book and have no idea why it took me so long), the fridge looks like it’s in the wood cabinetry on the far left and which leads me to believe the green cupboard is just that, a beautiful integrated Dutch larder cupboard. It’s a standout piece but feels like it belongs.
Ugh, I also just noticed that incredible double wood trim around the doorway. Aside from seeing how awesome this kitchen is in general, that sort of detail is why you hire a designer. So so good.
This beautiful cupboard-looking piece is most definitely a refrigerator but at first glance, you might assume it’s simply a regular cupboard. I love the sweetness this design brings to a kitchen and for this kitchen by Vaughan Design & Development especially! All the textures, perfectly aged materials, and color palette are amazing. Putting a naked fridge in there (especially a modern one) would have really changed the whole feel of it and I’m so glad they went with this design.
It’s not a real kitchen trend post if Sarah Sherman Samuel isn’t included, am I right? Well, here she is with a “cupboard fridge” as well as her DIY beaded cabinet fronts from her Semihandmade collaboration!
There are a million things to love about this kitchen (I mean look at those counter edges!!) but this fridge cupboard is a very special feature that really gives added charm to an already very charming kitchen!
There were a couple of examples I found with triangle tops instead of the bell shape that I loved too. I just didn’t hear back from the designers in time to get them in this post:)
Pop Of “Permanent” Color
Ok, so yes. At the beginning of the post, I said we usually caution people from making potentially very bold or super colorful choices with permanent features. On the other hand, if you are a person who loves a bold moment and loves color then this is for you!
I am very much in love with this kitchen design by Monika Michałowska. Those soft minty green cabinets (a trend we called last year that I continue to love), the veining stone with a short backsplash, those herringbone wood floors, all soft and stunning. Then boom! That pop of bright red is so exciting. The kitchen would have clearly been so pretty without it but with it, the whole space is taken to another level.
This pop of baby blue is a little less bold than the red but just as special and puts a little extra electricity in this wonderful kitchen by a. NABER DESIGN. Baby blue is on fire right now but it’s also a timeless color when done right. I really love this so much.
In that August trend post I also talked about zelliege tiles and the cool ways they are being used. Well, a pop of color is a very cool way. I love that instead of this kitchen peninsula being made out of the same wood the cabinetry is, Curio Interior Design decided to go for a rich brick red zellige tile. It’s eye-catching but doesn’t overpower the space and adds an incredible amount of texture.
Then with this kitchen by the amazing Rebecca Zajac (the cabinet designer of Bowser’s kitchen), she chose that beautiful green zellige tile as the perfect color pop. It really makes this kitchen look so inviting and extra special. Plus, greens and blues (depending on the tone) are a great choice if you want color but not have it overpower the room. They are neutrals after all;)
Reeding Accents
Not a brand-new trend but it feels extra on fire right now so let’s dig in!
Reeding is another one of those features that can be used for almost any style. Take this wonderful modern luxe kitchen by Charlotte Lucas Design. It adds a refined organic texture that beautifully contrasts the painted modern cabinetry and luxe lighting.
In this unreal kitchen by POCO Designs, she not only used reeding on the island but also on the cabinet fronts. It’s simple, elegant, and then with that incredible burgundy marble, it’s a texture design dream!
Of course, Sarah is on this list again! I love love how she used wood reeding not only on the body of the island but also on the support post. I don’t have much more to say aside from that it’s beautiful, the texture (like all the others) makes my eyes extremely happy, and the wood tone is perfect.
In a bit of a twist for the last example, I’m looking at this tile! I’ve had my eye on this style of tile for a minute so I’m really hoping this is the year it’ll so more mainstream. I mean it’s so good and it has that reeded look!
Colorful Window Trim
If you are thinking, “Hey Jess, wasn’t this a trend you called in 2020?” Well yes, yes I did. So while we all know what that year was, it was also 5 years ago and baby the window trims are getting a fresh coat of colorful paint.
This wildly beautiful kitchen by Bright Designlab perfectly shows the organic modern MCM style and those painted window trims and beams bring the whole space together. It’s a small detail that makes a huge, wonderful difference.
The painted green trim on these kitchen windows by Anna Haines Designs is equally as wonderful as the first! The personality it adds is so wonderful. I also really love that they chose the warmer color on the lower cabinetry and then went for a lighter, cooler shade for the windows which makes the room feel a little more open and taller if that makes sense.
Now this pop of bright blue is so fun and adds just the right amount of whimsy to this beautiful kitchen by Sophie Rowell (also look at those knobs!). I wholeheartedly stand by this trend because it’s a beautiful and fairly simple way to make a huge visual impact.
Dark Beige
This could be the new “white kitchen” and I’m not mad about it. I mean when you have a kitchen like the one Tali Roth designed above, wouldn’t you want the same? It is neutral but it feels cozier than a traditional white. Now there’s nothing wrong with white but having some other neutral option is very nice.
You know what’s funny, I was just about to say how much I liked silver fixtures with dark beige, the way Tali designed hers, but then I moved on to this also stunning kitchen by Meet West Studio and thought, “Wait! I love brass too!” This clearly means all metals look great with this color family.
This angle was too pretty not to include. I adore how the cabinet color is also in the marble accent on the wall. Oh, and for the beautiful texture Olympics, what a cool thing to mix the wall marble with cement countertops and a tiled upper counter accent. All look so cool together.
While this is the lightest of the dark beiges, I am completely smitten with this custom-built and painted cabinet/fridge/freezer. The goal, according to Merete Coleman, was to make it look like a modernized Hungarian marriage armoire. The results are incredible and this one also feels like it could be in the “cupboard cabinet” trend too. A two-fer:)
Fun Stools
No reno required! All you need is a counter.
More and more I’ve been seeing designers play with stools that are really fun. Sometimes they are in the same style of the kitchen but I really love it when they contrast a little like these burgundy beauties that Shapeless Studio used in this awesome kitchen they designed. They have a fun shape, cool, details, and are a perfect moody pop of color.
Now these beauties don’t contrast the design by Charlie Ferrer at all but are just as perfect. If I could take a wild guess, they look vintage to me:) All those details and mixed materials add the perfect finishing touch to this kitchen. I also love how the wall color and the leather seats of the stools match. Your eye just feels happy.
Another complementary stool to a wonderful kitchen design is this one by Nainoa Architecture and Interiors. These are stools they actually designed and I really love how unique they are. Picking a stool with an interesting space is usually a great bet:)
Another example of this are these stools in a beautiful kitchen by Leyden Lewis Design Studio. Since the island is open, with a lot of legs, choosing a pedestal-style stool was the perfect choice for this space. Plus they add a handmade, organic element that effortlessly contrasts the straight lines and hard angles. Stools are power players, people!
Colorful Stained Wood
Ok, this one is also VERY exciting to me. Historically, I wouldn’t have called myself a colorful stained wood lover. The ones I had seen were very intense with the grain very heavily pronounced. It just wasn’t for me. But boy have times changed and I am pretty in love with how designers have been using it. All of the examples below are different shades of green but I’ve seen it done in light and dark blue and they are equally as cool. I really feel this is on the rise.
YSG Studio is known for its incredibly creative and bold designs. This kitchen is a prime example of that. So while there are so many amazing elements I just can’t stop looking at the green-stained upper cabinets that so beautifully complement the stone.
This is a design element that like the rounded cabinets, I would have put in the “modern” design category but I was proven very wrong when I came across this unreal kitchen by Bidgood. So first off, rounded cabinetry and second, green stained wood! It has a traditional style but looks so fresh. Not to mention the light green on the walls for a little tonal moment. Heaven.
I thought I’d crop this photo and show you this kitchen again because look! The green cabinets are stained, not painted. I just love how gently the wood grain peeks through. 10000/10.
Dark Hardware On Dark Cabinets
I could only get one photo for this one but I feel that tonal hardware will be a big trend this year. I think mostly dark hardware on dark cabinets. It’s chic and simple and that’s all I have to say about that:)
And here we are at the end. I love pulling this post together and I hope you get inspired! Or at least loved looking at the photos. Any favorites? Any thoughts (remember not everything has to be for everybody;))? Let’s chat.
Love you, mean it.
Opening Image Credits: Design by Anna Haines Designs | Photo by Paul Whitbread
THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE.
