Meals & Memories: Kitchen Trends For Your Busy Family
Jan 10, 2017The kitchen is taking on a more active family role. As the hot spot for cooking, eating, socializing and homework, there is a higher demand for kitchens to be both beautiful and functional.
Whether you are considering a kitchen remodel, or just some inspiration for updating your kitchen layout; we offer the following tips and trends for distinctive and sustainable kitchen updates to help you achieve a more versatile and elegant design.
Work Zones v. The Kitchen “Triangle”
There is divergence from the traditional kitchen “triangle” (to which the refrigerator, sink and stove should form an equilateral triangle) toward a more efficient “work zone” replacement. This stylistic evolution offers greater efficiency for your kitchen space. For each work zone, you should have everything you require to perform a task.
Some work zone examples include:
Meal Prep and Food Storage Stations:
Cutting boards, seasoning spices and mixing utensils could be kept in the cabinets above and/or below these areas.
Additionally, we are seeing a shift toward more simplistic counter spaces and smart stations. Solutions such as cabinet drawers that are fitted with baking goods canisters and hidden or integrated appliances offer more countertop real estate.
Landing Areas For Hot Food Items:
As someone who has melted her fair share of veneer countertops in her early 20’s, it is a great idea to have a dedicated, heat friendly counter top area for resting hot items. This is also a prime area for housing pots, pans and baking sheets for storage.
Consider A Household Command Center:
If you have children, you know the multitude of details that come with them. By creating a household command center, you can integrate storage and organization for things like: school correspondence, a calendar, and a phone charging station. This can also offer a supervised space for homework and technology use.
A Zone For Entertaining:
Whether it be a cocktail party, game night or jut the chaos of the holidays, people always seem to gravitate toward the kitchen. By considering the addition of an island or a breakfast nook, people can gather in ease for conversation without getting in the way.
Aesthetics Meet Functionality
The Allure Of Color:
Kitchen trends, much like fashion seem to be cyclical. Layouts and color palettes reemerge in different ways. Where we are seeing softer, muted, colors coming back in style, they still do not quite circle back to the “Easter Egg Pink” I remember from my grandmother’s 1940’s style kitchen.
Colors this time around are more soft, earthy, tones in charcoal grays, slate blues, shades of ivory and even soft, buttery yellows.
Refined Elegance In Raw Texture:
With the all the chaos life has to offer, kitchens are moving toward a cleaner, more simplistic style that still offers a refined elegance, combined with a sleek and modern feel. Trends are pointing toward easier to clean, yet distinctive materials for backsplashes, counters, and lighting.
Brushed Metal:
Brushed chrome or steel when combined with softer color palettes and subtle texture can avoid looking utilitarian, while being extremely easy to clean and sterilize.
Bronze or Brass:
Not in a glaringly shiny finish, rather oil rubbed bronze or a satin finish brass, these options offer another unique, modern look. They are easiest to incorporate with natural materials and textures for a twist on modern vintage.
Stone:
While granite and marble are two tried-and-true options, we are also seeing a shift toward concrete and stone tile accents that are calculated and strategically placed elements.
Shining Luminosity:
The kitchen is one spot in your home that requires careful thought to lighting. Rooms commonly require three kinds of lighting: overall illumination, task lighting, and accent lighting. You should consider your work areas when selecting your lighting.
Pendant or track lighting are two great options to consider for above islands, breakfast bars or sink areas, while under cabinet lighting can provide both work zone illumination and accent ambiance.
Cabinet lighting is one of the most frequently overlooked kitchen design elements. Low-voltage and LED options are the most common selections. These can be grouped together with recessed lighting for additional ambiance.
If these tips and tricks have sparked your desire to update your kitchen on a large, or small scale Erie Home can be of service! We offer a wide range of kitchen remodeling services to help you achieve a more versatile and elegant design.
