I spoke to a handful of designers and interior experts about the kitchens they love (and hate!) the most this year, and why.
1. Battery-Operated Lighting
Hillary Cohen, founder and principal designer of HCO Interiors, believes that trends can be helpful in a home — spaces that feel current and inspiring have the power to change your everyday experiences there. With that said, what’s inspiring Cohen these days is all the different types of lighting she’s added to her kitchen. Calling this approach “a smart idea,” the designer has added table lights that are battery-operated around her kitchen, which “change the atmosphere by adding another layer of lighting and ambience to the space.”
On the other hand, you won’t see Cohen’s kitchen take on a cottage look this year. “There is definitely more of a cottage trend that is popular right now, and while I think it can be really beautiful and interesting, for me it’s something that would be too busy and that I would tire of quickly. I lean toward a more classic kitchen that has clean lines.”
2. Doubling Up on Appliances
The trend of utmost kitchen convenience continues to go strong, and it’s something that Margaret Carroll, owner and lead designer of Margaret Carroll Interiors, has embraced in her own kitchen. In fact, she’s loving life with not one, but two dishwashers.
When she designed her home, she initially wanted a hideaway drying rack in a cabinet (to avoid an “ugly dish drying rack” on her countertop) with vents so that the items could naturally air-dry. While this was a brilliant idea, the island she designed had to be reduced by 6inches, and as a result, the dish drying cabinet no longer fit. The solution? She installed a second dishwasher.
Calling it “a great decision,” Carroll says, “I love having a full-size dishwasher and a second one to hide drying dishes or to use when entertaining and [I] need another one.”
Although this addition made her kitchen doubly functional, Carroll has differing opinions on smart functions and AI-driven kitchens. “For me and the way I live, I’m not sure if inventory-tracking refrigerators and integrated oven cameras that analyze food are ready for mainstream use,” she says. “There’s nothing worse than thinking you’re ahead of the tech game — only to have an expensive appliance become useless in just two to three years because the technology moved on and it’s almost impossible to repair.”
3. Color Drenching
In the middle of designer Elizabeth Cross-Beard’s kitchen renovation, she heavily weighed where to infuse lesser-used details and where to include the perfect amount of current touches. “Our kitchen is petite, yet has a wonderfully pitched ceiling with reclaimed wood beams and is often bathed in natural light due to the wide French doors and large window over the sink,” she explains.
She’s always been a fan of drenching rooms with color in clients’ homes, so she decided to bring this paint trend into her own kitchen. “The term ‘drenching’ means painting walls, casing, ceilings… all in the same color… and I was all in with a deep Studio Green from Farrow & Ball,” she says. “The dark tone creates a cozy and moody atmosphere, while being balanced with the natural light and high ceiling.”
Cross-Beard adds her thoughts on one kitchen trend she passed on: “Although I adore reeded and fluted furnishings, getting into all of those crevices is a cleanability nightmare. No fluted, reeded walls or cabinetry for me!”
What do you think of these three designer-loved (and -hated) trends? Let us know in the comments below!