The look of the kitchen is changing -- already granite countertops and dark wood cabinets are starting to look a little late 90s. If you're thinking of renovating or building a house (or just like looking!), here are five of the top trends for modern kitchens. And the best part? Some of these are things you can do right now, without spending much money at all.
2. White and wood and black is an intriguing combo. I spy IKEA cabinets. From Desire to Inspire.
3. It's the reverse of what you usually see, but wood cabinets with a white countertop work equally well. and is that...a laminate countertop? could it be making a comeback? From Klikk via Planete Deco.
4. How about white cabinets and wood cabinets together? Contrast is good. Ashley Capp via Desire to Inspire.
Marble has a reputation for being a bit high-maintenance, but if you're willing to put forth the effort, it is really breathtaking paired with the white cabinets that are so popular right now. (It's also equally striking with black cabinets.) Because it's a natural material, like wood, marble is wonderful for adding a little bit of visual texture to a modern kitchen.
Two-Tone Cabinets
Painting upper cabinets and lower cabinets a different color keeps things interesting -- and it's an easy makeover you can do by yourself (potentially by painting only half your cabinets!).
1. White and green, from Better Homes and Gardens.
2. Black and white cabinets give this traditional kitchen from Canadian House & Home a little something extra.
3. Contrasting uppers in wood from Cissy and Robert's kitchen (click to see full tour).
4. Bright white upper cabinets in this kitchen from Est blend into the wall, making the kitchen seem more spacious.
5. White uppers and wood lower cabinets in a contrasting kitchen from Better Homes and Gardens.
More Two-Tone Cabinet Inspiration:
• Growing Trend: Bi-Color Kitchen Cabinets
Open Shelving
Open shelving -- highly controversial, freakishly popular. Pros: open shelving can make a small kitchen look much larger, and it's a great way to put all your lovely things on display. Cons: all those plastic stadium cups and souvenir pint glasses are going to have to be stashed in the lower cabinets.
1. Elegant wood shelving, seen in a kitchen from The Marion House Book.
2. Open shelving makes this small kitchen from Lonny seem more spacious (the subdued color palette of the dishes definitely helps).
3. For your bohemian kitchen, crates and baskets can take the place of upper cabinets. I love the contrast of the super-sleek white lower cabinets (complete with white faucet!) and the rustic look of the crates. Katarina Grundstromer via The Brown Workshop and The Kitchn.
4. A great example of open shelving mixed with traditional upper cabinets, from Stadshem via Superb.li.
5. At the far end of the spectrum is this kitchen from House to Home with hardly any upper storage at all. Some people are choosing to take this one step further and go with no upper cabinets at all -- a clean look, but one that must involve a lot of squatting down and scrounging around.
This particular trend is actually quite accessible -- if you'd like to try it out, all you have to do is remove your cabinet doors and see how it looks. Then you can choose to go 'soft' by replacing cabinet doors with glass-front doors, or replacing a single section of cabinetry with open shelves to display the pretty things -- or you can go whole hog and tear out all your cabinets and replace them with shelving. (Hanging shelving won't be particularly hard, but you may have to re-think your backsplash.)
Tired of your kitchen, but convinced that kitchen remodels are only for people with lots of money? Edie, of the Life in Grace blog, embraced a few of these trends on a tiny budget, by removing the doors from her upper cabinets and painting the lower ones. You can see the transformation -- and get inspired -- here.
(Images: 1. Leela Cyd Ross/Ryan's Stunning San Francisco Remodel (click to see full tour). All others: as credited above)
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my mom designed a kitchen with white cabinets and butcher block counters 40 years ago when she was pregnant with me, it's still a great space and still looks beautiful
The other downside of open shelving: dust & grease.
I couldn't do the open shelving either. Agree with ladykatey. Glass doors for me!
I'm not usually a fan of two-tone cabinets but I'm really digging number 4 from Est. I guess since it's not such a high contrast?
I don't think I'll ever get on the band wagon with subway tile. It seems like it has the potential to look dated too quickly. Two tone cabinets, on the other hand, are something to consider - if you have the guts to go for such a daring look. Personally, I don't think dark cabinets will ever go out of style. They're nearly as versatile as white cabinets and they have a very clean, polished, and sophisticated look about them.
We have just renovated our kitchen using white cabinets, wood countertops, subway tiles and open shelving - so yay :)
I like all these trends, and although I don't have open shelving in my current home, it has worked really well in previous homes. And the con mentioned is not really a con - a correction would be: "all those plastic stadium cups and souvenir pint glasses are FINALLY going to THE SALVATION ARMY (or in the trash) "
Oh no, I hope that trendy doesn't mean these things will look dated soon! I have always loved white cabinets with butcherblock counter tops and that's what I'm working toward in my own kitchen. Also, I like the lack of upper cabinets over counters, more European style, which sometimes means open shelving. This gives a tall person like myself the feeling that I can really work at the counter, see what I'm doing, and not bump my head.
my god the title kitchen is amazing
Don't worry, white subway tiles won't go out of date, or not for very long. I grew up in the 60s with white subway tiles that were installed in the 1920s. It's a good, time-tested style that will hold its own.
Open shelves, on the other hand, mean grimy dishes.
Yeah, I'm glad you included the top photo. Those blue cabinets are absolutely luscious.
It surprises me that I love the very-dark brown cabinets like Ikea's "brown-black" color but don't think I could ever live with actual black cabinets. The two colors don't seem that different but the difference in effect is significant.
Yesterday in some magazine i saw where they'd combined two different stain (not paint) colors in a kitchen - I think it was like medium brown plus beech or birch. The doo styles were the same, so there was that degree of consistency. Anyway, that too ended up looking really great!
Love the white cabinets with darker stained butcher block counters. I have heard if you properly care for butcher block counters they'll last, but I'm still terrified of them...has anyone had any issues?
Breathing a giant sigh of relief that the granite countertop craze may actually be over. I *love* butcherblock counters with white cabinets.
We're in the market for a house and it's so annoying to see a decent house priced above market because the owners decided to do a trendy granite kitchen remodel. Blech.
No argument with those who love it, but I find that subway tile reminds me of...the NYC subway. Not really compatible with a clean kitchen.
I have open shelving and I've never had problems with grease or grime. Maybe it's because my open shelves are not near the stove? Granted, items on the top shelf get a little dusty, but that just requires a rinse and it's good to go.
How can "minimalist" and open shelving possibly be combined? To my eye, open shelving is for renters. Itis time to move when the shelves aren't perfect anymore.
Haha, I must be reading a lot of AT, because our new kitchen is going to have painted lower cabinets, open shelving up top, and subway tile in between! Marble's way out of our budget, but I had considered butcher block counters until I found a great on cabinets/counters on craigslist. :)
I agree, I always hated the granite counter tops!
I have to confess all of these trends are great. I've had plans for most of these for my place but the budget hasn't been there.
Most of these are rooted in tradition. Wood, next to a rock, was probably a fairly early material as a work surface. ;)
As the song goes, "everything old is new again". By the time I finish them maybe they'll return to fashion, but it doesn't matter - I like them regardless.
I think #1 from the "Two tone-shelving" is actually a great example of marrying the convenience of open shelving with the need to have most of your stuff behinds doors to avoid grease and dust. The cabinets have small slivers of open shelving--just enough for the most commonly used plates, bowls, and cups--and the rest is hidden behind cabinet doors with glass panels to decrease the visual weight of the cabinet. Also, the cabinets are white to balance the color on the bottom. Really, a brilliantly designed kitchen....
...other than those little motifs on the ceramic tiles, which aren't really to my taste.
But really, a fine job.
The first photo is by far and away one of my most favourite kitchen inspiration photos ever.
I've always planned on redoing my kitchen with a wooden countertop and I cannot believe how popular they've gotten in the past couple of years.
m_sf: We have a large butcher block island that is utilized as a prep space and in place of a kitchen table. We got two slabs from Ikea, and my husband worked his magic and pieced them together (biscuit and biscuit cutter) to make it wide enough. The island takes a beating: we have 2 teenagers and their friends gather here regularly. It's been used for homework, a dance stage, seating, and every school project imaginable. It's cleaned regularly, rubbed with bees oil (bee's wax and mineral oil--like you use to condition wood salad bowls and serving pieces) when it needs it, and in cases like the time Sharpie bled through, we have lightly sanded it, then re-condtioned it. I think it takes less upkeep than the @$%# grout on my tile counters...
We put granite counters in a few years ago and I SO regret it. The leatherette-texture laminate needed replacement, but if I had known then what I know now, I'd have either gotten marble, concrete, or soapstone. We just put in an island, and that's getting done with soapstone!
guess i was ahead of the curve when i redid a kitchen with an ex in 2008 - subway tile, butcher block and white cabinets :)
A year ago, I bought a house with open shelving in the kitchen. I was a little worried about it, because I had read complaints that dishes get dirty. (I won't even set a dinner party table a day early, because I don't want dust to settle there.) This shelving has been wonderful. I love to look at my dishes and serving pieces, arranged with collectibles, canisters and colorful baskets holding small things. I don't keep more dishes there than what I regularly use, and I rotate the dishes. That is, when clean dishes come out of the dishwasher, they go on the bottom of the stack. Coffee cups are upside-down. When I remodel this kitchen, the open shelves are staying.
Give me industrial stainless steel any day.
My dream kitchen is industrial, with seperate scullery with stainless steel bench tops on rolling tables, washable walls, modular chrome or stainless steel industrial shelving and good light and ventilation. With seperate pantry room for dry goods etc.
There is a lot to be said for the stainless steel bench and sink.
AMEN and ADIOS granite! Talk about buzz word . . .
Why is only white marble shown? I think #5 would look better if the colors were inverted (black counter, white cabinets). In fact, I opened the pic in gimp to invert the colors and it turns out I'M RIGHT!
Can't say goodbye to the granite trend fast enough. I once tried to explain to a friend who was doing over her tiny starter house with crazy high-end finishes why it wasn't a good idea. Didn't get anywhere.
Here's something I have learned as I get older: "Contemporary" eventually ages into "Dated." I soooo wish I could spread that gospel far and wide.
I can walk into a house and guess: "Oh, you got married in the (1990's/2000's/2010's) just based on the couple's furniture. That's why subway tile is called classic. It is in the house I grew up in (built circa 1927) and my first apartment (circa 1948) and it goes on and on and on. I can't wait to put it in my unfortunate 1970's dark oak and "earth tones" dungeon (oops, I meant to say), kitchen.
We installed white subway tile in our first kitchen renovation -- in 1991. (Oh, and it had butcherblock counters everywhere)
It's a classic, a basic kitchen building block, and so while I am "over" it because "been there, done that", I don't think you can date a kitchen through the use of subway tile. Granite on the other hand...
That's why I loathe trends, and try really hard to find my own path.
I've seen elements of the kitchen reno we did in 2003, but it still looks great to me, 10 years later. We used matte cherry cabinets (had to go custom for that), soapstone counters and sink, confetti terrazzo concrete on the island, rubber on the floor.
I wish we would loosen up about kitchens in North America -- they are such serious investment pieces here. If you look through the pages of Marie Claire Maison and other Euro publications you can find more whimsical and playful kitchens. They don't have to all be semi-pro kitchens...
I've liked light kitchens all through the dark cabinets phase. I might even do laminate counters when we finally reno. I like butcher block better, but you can't beat how low-maintenance laminate is. I prefer to cook in my kitchen, not maintain it.
When I was hunting for a condo in 2007, I saw some of the worst units where the sellers were proudly trumpeting "GRANITE COUNTERTOPS!!!!" as if that would solve every problem. Shee! Yes, variety is good.
In terms of stains and booboos on butcherblock: Ironically, you may not want to consider using your butcherblock counters for butchering or chopping. I've seen people treat the butcherblock with oils to give a nice treated surface, then restrict their chopping to chopping boards or the block at the island or... If you use your counters as a chopping block, your kitchen will look like a working kitchen. Period. Some people are OK with this, others find the idea abhorrent.
If marble is trendy, why isn't this or this? Just because they're granite?
Maybe we should just put in a kitchen we like, which is fit for purpose (mine) and forget about trends. Must admit though always a bit gobsmacked at large kitchens which have minimal work space.
Top 5 Trends! Because granite is dated, just as the Top 5 Trends will be in a couple of years. Next!
When I was looking for a house to buy this summer, I became pretty suspicious of houses with granite countertops. They all seemed to have been installed to distract potential buyers from noticing serious flaws elsewhere in the house.
We bought an apartment a couple of years ago where the previous owners had put in beautiful cabinetry and marble counters. It was all wonderful, high quality workmanship and materials so we only changed paint and wallpaper. The kitchen is beautiful. I want to kiss it every day. The owners had kept everything in mint condition, so we wound up keeping many of the fixtures etc that they had put in throughout the apartment. But the marble countertops in the kitchen are CRAZY.
They wear the memory of every wet cup or drip or spill that stayed a moment to long and countless tiny chips that hold years of out of reach dirt (and these guys were pristine!). I could polish the marble or some other expensive treatment but why? So I can be paranoid about every single new stain or chip that might occur? I don't recommend marble.
Have at me, everyone. I'm gradually doing work in my small (10 x 10), ugly kitchen as time allows. Thus far, I have installed white tiles on the countertops and a white subway tile backsplash with a stripe of indigo blue glass (two 3/4" x 3/4") tiles. I plan to have the subway tile extended to cover an entire wall. The cabinets are painted white, although I'm thinking of re-painting the bottom cabinets blue. The walls are pale yellow and the trim is white.
I've taken the doors off one cabinet to display my colorful dishes. We use them every day so dust is not an issue except for the less frequently used ones stored on the higher shelves. I do not have a problem keeping the subway tile clean. The grout on the countertops gets dirty but I've found it very easy to clean with SoftScrub.
I decided to go with tile countertops because they are right for the period of the house. I did not consider granite because I thought it would look ridiculous in my kitchen. I don't much like granite anyway, as I find most of the colors remind me of unpleasant substances.
One of things remaining to do is to replace the cheap and ugly vinyl floor. I can't decide between marmoleum (and, if marmoleum, what color), bamboo, and cork? I have three dogs so the floor needs to be easy to take care of.
Finally, I need to say that I hate the word "dated." I like new things sometimes and I like old things sometimes.
Hmmmm I'm not sure about the open shelving trend but subway tile I absulutely adore. It has such a clean look and the tile ads so much depth to any kitchen. I would definitely say it will stand the test of time too as it is a classic. I think in 100 years people will still enjoy it! :)
#2 or #5 for me please! so glad the granite is going.. never been a fan. Also, open shelves any day!
"I wish we would loosen up about kitchens in North America -- they are such serious investment pieces here."
I can tell you why. Because everyone already has an SUV and an double-mortgage house. The arms-race had to move to something else.
Blue, yellow, or orangey yellow (a nice friendly colour) Marmoleum would all be great choices.
Have fun with it -- the best kitchens are the most personal quirky ones, which come together over time.
"I can tell you why. Because everyone already has an SUV and an double-mortgage house. The arms-race had to move to something else."
You nailed it excelgum. Still, I am thrilled that granite is on its way out. This has been ten plus years and counting for me. Too bad I just purchased a house that has granite counter tops, but at least it is an interesting slightly marble-esque tone. I lust after marble and subway tiles. My 1920s apartment had subway tile in the bathroom. It will never go out of style in my book. Open shelves, no thank you.
"Trendy" is not a compliment in my lexicon. Pick what you like, what works, what you can afford and what has at least a chance of surviving a trend. Why granite was suddenly de rigeur bafffled me. Same with the notion that crown moulding was always a plus, regardless of whether it fit the house or not. One of my favourite real estate ad copy mistakes was "excessive use of crown moulding". Presumably they meant "extensive".
I'm toying with a big re-do of a kitchen, and something I've always wondered (even moreso than design, although they're not separate), is how to make a sink comfortable.
What I mean is, after doing dishes, I feel like I was leaning over too much and that it's bad for my back and posture. It's really uncomfortable. Maybe have under-the-sink space for your feet so you're not leaning forward so much or something?
I'm another person with open shelving who doesn't get the complaints about dust and grease on dishes. Granted, I have a small kitchen which means all I have on display are frequently used items that get used and run through the dishwasher several times per week.
I like white granite. So sue me.
Your sink might be too deep for you. Consider getting a shallow one.
Your sink might be too deep for you. Consider getting a shallow one.
We're painting our cabs glossy cream uppers & graphite gray lowers; we have access to a professional spray booth, so we're using oil based gloss. Dark grey concrete counters with integral sink & drainboard will be poured on site -- I am hosting a workshop! -- with a deep aqua end wall & pale pale aqua accent wall. Probably subway tile, depends on what I can find on sale, behind the stove & sink. We also have a doug fir reclaimed wood sideboard top that will eventually have an industrial style open shelving system holding it, either when I find the right salvaged one, or my husband (a builder) can make one.
All this is to replace the 12 year old cheery, kid-raising era kitchen/dining area of yellows, greens, terra cotta, and lots & lots of fiesta ware. We're decluttering, toning it down about 2 dozen notches, and continuing to create the calm, adult space we both long for. Since we're keeping all the appliances & flooring, and are doing all the work ourselves, I am budgeting $1000 for the total makeover, and hope it's less. It's gonna be a fun summer!
As the saying goes, "everything old is new again". Subway tiles & butcher blocks have been around for years. I'm retro so never cared about current trends & don't care about resale. Yeah, I like ceramic tile counters, evil grout and all. I can put hot pans all over it and not worry.
Never liked granite...reminds me of graveyard headstones, will be glad to see that trend disappear.
@m-sf: I've installed butcher block in a kitchen remodel (with Ikea white cabinets). It's an inexpensive route to a warm, modern looking kitchen. You should be prepared to oil the wood regularly. Even then, areas that come into frequent contact with water WILL discolour, and you might also get black mildew around taps unless you are scrupulous about wiping dry after every use. Personally, I prefer a perfectly smooth kitchen surface that can be disinfected, such as stainless steel, which is as forgiving as wood when slamming plates and glasses down..
Granite is actually a great material for kitchen counters, being non-porous, heat-resistant, hardwearing, and cool for baking. We have marble, but I can't recommend it, particularly if, like us, you have teens who slice salami or bread without bothering to use a board, inebriated guests slicing citrus fruit for drinks, if you drink wine, or cook with vinegar or lemon juice. Kitchens are hardworking, social spaces and you can't be precious or constantly vigilant (do you really want to put coasters under wine glasses or always wipe the base of the balsamic vinegar bottle?) I am now resigned to a 'patinaed' marble, but it looked more beautiful when new (only a couple of years ago!)
After spending my growing-up Saturdays scrubbing grime off our white kitchen cabinets, I swore that I'd never have a light colored kitchen. Sure, it looks lovely and crisp in the photos, but heaven help you if you actually want to cook in there... they're magnets for dirt. And ours didn't even have beadboard.
I do love the two-tone cabinets though. :)
You see subway tiles I see public lavatories.
None of these pics really caught my eye. Great architectural features; such as windows & room size. I like clean, fairly minimal, but most of these look, black, white and blah. Not to mention cold and uninviting for real living. Thankfully, AT has posted far better kitchens; from small cool, on up.
Maybe it's just me, but there is only one of these that I would consider a "trend" - the two-toned cabinets. All the others have been on my kitchen wishlist for at least the last 15 years, and I don't consider myself a trendsetter! ;)
Personally, I am not a fan of marble counter tops; they are just too cold for me; they remind me of hotel bathrooms. I like the idea of a mix of open shelving, two-toned cabinets and great tiling on the back-splash.
Yikes, this is why we chose granite for our renovation. It was granite or butcher block and we weren't comfortable with the butcher block's durability and upkeep. We didn't want to have to worry about ruining the counter with stains. The granite is beautiful and has been a dream to clean and I love it.
I get why others think it's boring but I don't get people who don't like it just because it's popular. Everything was really popular at one time or another, and it always swings back around. And anyways, style is subjective. Some granite is godawful ugly and some granite is really lovely. It's ludicrous to lump all granite owners into one category and pass judgment on them.
I agree with @mandybrotini that the only trend on the list is the two toned cabinets. Everything else are materials that come and go in style. The trend part is how they are used. I think anyone who is redoing their kitchen should think about the kitchen as a little black dress instead of the latest runway look. After all, that's how we ended up with so many ugly granite kitchens - people followed the trend. Full disclosure: my kitchen has 25 year old galaxy black granite counters that I have opted to keep since they are still going strong, look good in the space and I try to be green in my choices and first solve with design rather than ripping out and starting over.
I have open shelves and love them, but they do get greasy and dusty so every week I have to take everything off, wipe down the shelves, then dust or wash each item as I put it back up. Luckily my kitchen is small so this process isn't too bad.
I personally don't care for glass fronted cabinets -- they don't have the open quality that visually expands, so the goal of lightening or enlarging the room isn't really met. The light reflecting off the glass and bouncing around inside the cabinets make for lots of visual clutter which can make a room feel more cramped. Also, those lights inside the cabinets to highlight a special bowl or something is just not for me. Makes me think of a trophy case at the school gym.
I love subway tile and think it is quite timeless. When I do get to redo my kitchen (and rip out the yellow laminate ON THE WALLS), I will slather the thing with white subway tile. For countertops, I will either go with soapstone or butcher block, both are appropriate to the period of the house. My heart sings for soapstone (yes, I know the edges chip, but I call it patina), but the budget may require butcher block...
some day when i'm not in a rental kitchen, the upper cabinets are coming down. yes, they hold lots of stuff, but i've noticed that every time i like or pin a photo of a kitchen, there's one constant: no uppers. whether i leave the space bare or use shelves or (if i'm lucky) have a bank of windows will depend on how large my household is. as a single person, there is no reason i should have 16 of every piece of dinnerware.
10 years ago we did a gut remodel of our condo kitchen. During the planning stage I kept asking myself, what's just trendy and what will really last? Decided to go with granite counters, but not with stainless steel appliances--who wants a stove that in five years will look like the grill on a Hummer?
I certainly managed to guess wrong!!!!
10 years ago we did a gut remodel of our condo kitchen. During the planning stage I kept asking myself, what's just trendy and what will really last? Decided to go with granite counters, but not with stainless steel appliances--who wants a stove that in five years will look like the grill on a Hummer?
I certainly managed to guess wrong!!!!
Fear not, kb, in another 10 years the "trend" will swing back around and people will be jettisoning the marble and wood (and their upkeep) and singing the praises of granite again. Or something else entirely.
Ooooh la, that photo of the two-tone cabinets with the green and white ones is great. I really like the two-tone idea, but sometimes, especially in a room with a lot of cabinets, it can look like horizontal stripes: bottom cabinets, backsplash/wall, upper cabinets. This green and white one is so skillful to break up all that green without creating the stripey effect. LOVE.
My husband and I have had kitchens with white cabinets and blue and white tile in 3 of our houses and we have loved all three. The last two have had wood floors, which held up really well. Because the kitchens are different, no one has found them dated. We switch out lighting and handle fixtures to change the look. I think that the telling point will be whether the "lack" of stainless steel appliances (although all of them have been updated), will turn away potential buyers in the future.
Love the two tone cabinets and I will always hate the idea of open shelving in my own kitchen.
Subway tiles are classic, but I gotta say I am so tired of the all white look. Yes it is lovely, but an all white kitchen, which I have now, is a pain in the ass to keep clean. Maybe my cleaning skills suck, but just no.
The funny thing about marble to me is, after researching about it, the maintenance of it would never make me use it in the kitchen, but I do think it is stunning as a counter top in a bathroom,
Nah, you did what you thought was right and durable. Granite is not for everyone, but there are some pretty spectacular granite choices out there. Not just the boring looks shown on HGTV.
Whether it's metres of chocolate shop style marble counters or farmhouse kitchens, most trends are just that - they're very rarely timeless or in context! As long as a kitchen is fit for purpose, and well used, though, it doesn't really matter. And if you're lucky enough to be able to indulge your fantasy, good for you. But don't say you weren't warned about marble!
So many great comments. I have to say that reading them all gives me a Great sense of perspective on my own current kitchen design choices. Truth is I think Caesar stone is simply hideous, granite a close second but then I have not seen enough to qualify this. But this man made reconstituted stone makes me think of crabmeat: bleached flesh died orange to make it appealing to mass taste and really tasteless. On the other hand I am really struggling with timber around the sink area: with all the grime that gets beneath the edges of sink etc, I also think the undercounted sink is a real harboured of bacteria and can't get around the weird feeling of it just not being at the right height to really get stuck into scrubbing a pan or washing the coriander.... The other comments I am really feeling are the different opinionsZ on subway tiles: I love them and I hate them! I love their simplicity and the fact that they are tendy I suppose but the train station feel is not really for me. I like the whie grout but am really scared of how much cleaning I am setting myself up for with all that grout but the black?? Well it really does look immediately grimy. It's like saying: this is going to get dirty so I may as well make it look dirty from the get go!
My current choices for kitchen is timber bench for eating and an L shaped custom made sink and bench in one for around the highest functioning area of the kitchen: sink and stove. I have a stainless steel Ilve. I love it. White overhead cupboards with some soft open shelving - yep going glass because I just cannot tolerate the thought of weekly dusting and wiping. And timber cupboards below to match the timber eating bench. Regarding tiles I am really stuck! Tempted to go subway but just cannot commit..... pS great links to other sites too!!! Thanks.
between flipping and becoming a landlord I have done at least a dozen kitchens for myself in the last 18 years, and hundreds for clients. I'm only talking about my own kitchens here - i currently need to maintain 6. I'm the practical pig - so my two cents are likely not to appeal to many people here. #1 - buy quality. it is cheapest to do something once. but my primary recommendation is to do what works for you, not what you think is good for resale, or what everyone else is doing. if you spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen go for what you like.
appliances - whirlpool appliances not only hold up, but are the easiest to fix and cheapest to pay to have repaired -talk to a reputable appliance repair person before purchasing. appliance finish? i hate stainless, it's incredibly difficult to maintain [again, this is landlord talk] i love but cant afford integrated. appliance paint is awesome. stay far far away from subzero. word to the wise, if you get a stove from a restaurant supply place [used, totally awesome stuff available for way cheaper than you'd think], make sure that you have enough gas pressure to feed it. also make sure that you put durock on the wall and floor behind it, those things throw very serious BTUs.
counters and backsplash - single piece backsplash is the easiest to clean, if your walls are flat enough try glass. if not, sheetmetal [copper, roof flashing, whatever] is a good way to go. try mounting kitchen electrics under the cabinets in old brick mould stye boxes, keeps the walls smooth and the cords off the counters. butcherblock can be great [if you buy quality], but not for the sink counter. granite, silestone, concrete are all durable - it is a matter of taste. laminate and wood dont belong anywhere near the stove, they tend to end up burnt.
cabinetry if you like wood, put in wood. if you like paint, put in paint. if your taste changes, paint the wood. it is your home, enjoy it. if you want to use an old dresser/buffet instead of 'real' cabinets, go for it. but buy quality, once your counters are on, dealing with the cabinetry underneath is very expensive. put truck sized floormat [the kind for spills in work trucks] under the kitchen sink, it can save you from trying to retrofit if you have a leak.
flooring - wood flooring has been the highest maintenance kitchen installation i have come across in all my years. i am a huge fan of tile. if you have bad knees/back floor pad is your friend. if you like wood, or cork,dont have kids or dogs or too much traffic go for it, but i'd recommend a minimum of 5 layers of finish. again it is your house do whatcha like as long as you can live with maintaining it.
try something novel - if it appeals. after a trip to thailand I re-did the kitchen of the unit i [now we] live in for $1500. mostly off craigslist. those oak cabinets from the 70s that everyone hates are incredibly well made. i painted the boxes, stacked the wall cabinets 2 high [we have 10.5' ceilings], and used a carved wood room divider i picked up in asia instead of the fugly doors that came with them. sink cabinet is a standard cabinet. for the other side of the room, i got a cool asian buffet off craigslist, and poured liquid glass over the top for a durable surface [i should have had a piece of glass cut, i will do that when i get around to it.] anyway, i like the mixed woods, it gives flavor and texture. countertop that came with double undermount sinks was another CL find as was the cabinet over our fridge - old media cabinet, great for space hogs like the cooler, wok, papertowels, etc. i keep meaning to paint the appliances a cool color, but cant seem to find the time
bottom line - whatever works for YOU is what works. if that is a magazine kitchen because you always wanted one, or mix and match because it works for how you live/cook it is all good.
I just can't appreciate black grout with white subway tiles....it just looks dirty to me...but I love it with white grout!
My biggest pet peeve with the "granite" countertops is that most of them are NOT granite by any geological definition, and then they give them stupid marketing names. Heck, some were not even igneous rock. But a lot of it was really pretty, I have to admit. But, I like rocks a lot. I didn't like that every renovation on tv and magazines showed granite +stainless appliances.
Granite is NOT non-porous. It is a common misconception, and so I think it worth setting the record straight. I think it gets that rep because it is a very hard stone -- an igneous stone -- as opposed to marble, which is very soft because it is calcareous (and thus, easily damaged by acids).
The only non-porous stone used for kitchen counters that I know about it soapstone, which was also traditionally used for lab counters for that very reason. But remember, soapstone is soft, and so over time, your edges will be less crisp, and you may have scratches (which you can easily sand out...).
We love soapstone, but then, we don't mind oiling it every week or so.
If I were doing a kitchen backsplash now, I would go with zelliges.
The beauty of zelliges is that they are undercut, so there is next to no grout line.
They are handmade, and so slightly irregular in cut and glaze; so beautiful.
Make sure to check out the gallery:
http://www.emeryetcie.com/en/what/tiles/zelliges/
I have been through many of these trends. Open shelves instead of cabinets when we were too poor for cabinets. Hated it. Butcher block in first house. Do not like that. Too high maintenance and after a while a fissure. Subway tile. Never had it but seems like a classic. Granite countertops, I love mine. I think they too are a classic. You can not keep up with the kitchen rat race so just get what you like.
I don't think these are mere trends - these are rather general design principles that work well for kitchens. That is why they will never fade away.
Natural materials (butcher block, wood cabinets, marble) and clean palettes (white, grey, black, wood) are classic for all rooms, and don't wonder why. White tile cannot harm a kichen, no matter the shape. Open shelving, although a bit messier than cupboards, puts cooking supplies into hand's reach. White rooms always feel clean, calm and happy, an ideal environment to cook. These are all design choices that make sense. Therefore, they cannot be fashionable, and therefore, they will never go out of style.
I am building a new kitchen in a few months. It will have dark wood base cabinets, white uppers, some open shelving, some quartz and an island topped with butcher block. I chose these materials because they make sense, not because they are fashionable.
The room doesn't have much natural light, so the uppers had to be luminous. I didn't want an entirely white kitchen, and since the kitchen is in an open concept living room which is also the first room when you enter the house, the dark base cabinets will not contrast with the clutter in the foreground as much as white base cabinets would have. I have oak floors and the butcher block on the island and the open shelving will match that. I love the warmth of wood and I love wood countertops, but I also wanted my main work area to have a carefree surface, so the cabinets along the wall will have a quartz countertop. I might go with a pale green backpainted glass backsplash, but subway tile, because it matches so nicely with my design, is a close second (I might need a source for coloured subway tile).
I made these design choices not because they are trendy, but because they match my specific needs. I don't care if my kitchen is fashionable or not, I just want to have a good time using it. And I have a hunch it is not going to scare away potential buyers when the time comes, even if only in a decade.
I'm with fixit chick. I just painted my 80's stained white cabinets two different blues and added several different types of brushed stainless pulls. Going from wood cabinets to painted is pretty shocking and makes a huge difference in how the kitchen looks. I cook everyday and so does my husband so I'm most concerned about how the kitchen functions. I still like my large, color in the clay , floor tile counter tops. They are completely impervious and have minimal dark grout lines. No maintence! The marmoleum floor is still fine and the only other things we replaced were the sink, faucet, and light fixture.
I'm always amazed at the lengths and expense some people go to to have the over-the-top kitchen. It's a work space that should look pleasant and no more.
Alternative title for this piece: "Five things to avoid if you don't want a dated kitchen in five years"
@Kathryn1123--
No Marmoleum with dogs! I had 2 big dogs in my house with Marmoleum and not only did it always look dirty (I got off-white--more like a cream--and charcoal gray) but the nail marks from the dogs were all over. When I was selling that house, I had to mop it EVERYDAY to look clean. No thank you.
Not sure what the general hate towards granite is. I remodeled in 08 and chose white cabinets and absolute granite countertops. As much as I hated paying the bill and would never choose a black again for again never looking clean, granite is a wonderful surface is you actually use your kitchen. We moved into an unrenovated house with carrot colored formica counters (I don't know these were ever IN!) and in researching counters, it's most likely going to be granite again that looks like marble. Marble is super hard to live with if you use your kitchen. Soapstone requires more maintenance. Quartz or the other manufactured counters have upsides but they're still pricey.
Subway tile isn't "trendy" unless you consider the period since like 1800 as a trend.
This post is for all you granite haters and granite lovers out there. I find both sides are quite extreme in their opinions, and I believe this is due to the fact that granite comes in such a variety of colours and finishes that you could mistake a lot of granite for many other things. Each of us has different experiences with granite, but one thing most everybody seems to agree on is that it is tough, durable and easy to clean.
What people disagree on is the look. If the only granite you've ever seen in person is in that one friend's kitchen who went for the dramatic looking rich dark brown with green and black veining, then I agree with you that granite reminds you of a tombstone and you would never use it. But did you know that there is also white granite with no veining? There is also pale green, off white and beige, with no veining or very light veining. We can all agree that those don't look anything like a tombstone, and they even remind us of slate, soapstone and marble. I would have absolutely no trouble installing that kind of granite in my kitchen. In fact, even though I am against dark counters, heavy veining and the tombstone look, give me granite any day and I will be a happy woman - because granite can look lightyears away from a nasty tombstone.
Guys, this recent trend was not a granite trend, it was the tombstone trend. Glad that's over, but don't be so quick to judge the look of granite - it doesn't have ONE look. It is in fact probably the best countertop material when it comes to choice of colour and finish.
And by the way, for those of you who love the look of marble but don't want it installed because of its feeble resistance to wear, the good news is quartz. I have been shopping for kitchen materials for the past months and I have seen the most perfect imitation of marble made out of quartz. I could not believe my eyes! So now, you can get your marble and cook on it too! It may be pricey, but think of what you are getting: the toughness of quartz combined with the look of marble is your all-time perfect countertop! It is worth the money!
Yes, Pi! I agree-- lumping all granite in as "passe" is just silly. Sure, there's builder-grade granite, just like there are builder-grade light fixtures, but even the cheapest types of granite are still amazingly strong types of resilient counter-tops, and they're still a lovely natural material that could be crushed into gravel and recycled, or even recut for someone else to use, whereas a lot of other countertops would just end up in a landfill.
Just like there are lots of kinds of marble, there are lots of kinds of granite, soapstone, etc. After winning a granite counter top in 2008, we spent hours and hours looking through an entire showroom of types of stone counters, and I kept mistakenly assuming that all the little speckly ones were granite and that the ones with large veining were marble, only to be told that they were also types of granite. We finally found one with big veining that has the look of an old-world map. It's just beautiful, and durable, and hard wearing. For someone who cooks a lot, and bakes a lot, it's a great product, and it looks good. Fortunately for me, I was ahead of these other trends, because I painted our lower cabinets white, the top ones are maple, we chose white subway tile and bamboo floors so I apparently nailed 4 trends all at once, without even knowing it! Just do what you like, and who cares what everyone else thinks? :)
My brother had maple butcher block in the eighties. It got stains that could not be removed.
Plus there was the temptation to use it as a cutting board, but that caused permanent damage. Plus, because light darkened the surface considerably, it had to be sanded and then resealed every year or so. I like my granite. Nothing has hurt it in ten years. My son just got new granite. We all love granite and will not change to suit a trend.
First, white kitchens are classic. They can look retro, modern, sleek, shabby, traditional, organic, industrial, or glam. In other words, timeless. Second, I'm so happy to see granite go buh-bye! Not that I dislike granite - I'm just sick of it being the "must have" of counters. Third, I personally love marble. I have 1950s laminate Carrara marble counters in my kitchen that I love. Yes, laminate! How fun that marble laminate, which was a trend in the 1950s, is now considered "an authentic vintage choice"! My dream kitchen, however, has real Carrara or Calcutta marble. And is white. As always, the best design is what makes you happy.