New Trends In Kitchen Design

With each new year new trends emerge in home design decor. 2016 sees some old trends regaining popularity and new ideas coming into prominence in kitchen design, colour, appliances and fittings. What should you be looking at if you are considering giving your kitchen a new lease on life for the new year?

Soft Muted Colour Palettes

Though the traditional white motifs will probably continue to dominate for some time, kitchen colours in muted tones are gaining popularity in line with general colour trends this year. There is also a general trend back towards lighter woods rather than the darker tones which predominated in past years. Metallic finishes are also increasingly popular along with metallic muted colours like greys in countertops, tiles and back splashes.

Deep Kitchen Drawers

Data pulled from websites which collect information about what people are doing to their homes show most people prioritise storage when considering a kitchen remodel. For a while now this has led to deep kitchen drawers overtaking lower kitchen cabinets as sought after solutions to storing larger items more easily. These are not just big boxes on wheels, but some have dividers and inserts for any shape or size of dish, pan or kitchen tool you can imagine. Speak to the cabinet experts in your home improvement or kitchen fittings store about the various ideas that are gaining prominence.

Well lit cabinetry

Homeowners today don't need to settle for just ceiling lights and table lamps to illuminate their kitchens. Extensive cabinet lighting which makes use of flow-voltage light strips as accent pieces below and above cabinets, both inside and outside cabinets and even below countertop overhangs are trends worth keeping an eye on. With advances in LED lighting, options include the ability to control the levels and colour temperature of these new energy efficient lights, or even add mood-lighting to rooms throughout your home.

Minimalism

A nod to the mid century modern styles which gained prominence in the 60s, kitchens are incorporating less fussy, more pared down and elegant touches which seem reminiscent of the 60s when sleek lines and colour clad appliances first made their appearance. Sometimes also called Nordic style, the popularity of this style in Scandinavian homes and in the type of furniture became popular the world over with the birth of Swedish retailer, Ikea. While we don't have Ikea in South Africa, the Swedish style has been emulated in many of our local stores.