Photo: © Mtreasure - iStockphoto
The kitchen is a central place in the home where family members gather for food and fellowship. Creating a beautiful, welcoming kitchen space makes food prep and mealtime enjoyable for everyone. Kitchen renovations also boast a high resale value, which is important if you're anticipating selling your home in the near future. As you start to sketch out ideas for your upcoming remodel, think about the following 2017 kitchen trends.
1. Gray Cabinetry
While white remains a popular choice for kitchen remodels, gray is quickly rising in popularity. When paired with another dark neutral, such as black or navy, gray makes the room a little softer than white. Many designers are choosing soft-gray cabinets and richly stained, warm woods for their 2017 remodels. Look for gray finishes with lots of texture to give the room more character.
2. Bold Fixtures
Many people are hesitant to create a bold kitchen, particularly when they're planning to put the house on the market in the next few years. It always seems safer to choose conservative features. Keeping the majority of the kitchen conservative and adding one or two bold features will still give it a unique, fresh edge. Choosing funky light fixtures for the island space gives the room a natural focal point. A traditional fixture in a bright color also offers an unexpected twist.
3. Combining Old with New
Adding a couple of vintage-inspired elements to a kitchen helps soften the hard edge modern kitchens often have. Older kitchen components that also offer storage do double duty, such as an antique bar cart with built-in storage to serve as a small kitchen island. Don't be afraid to add a unique vintage piece you might not normally find in a kitchen, such as a large antique rug or wooden-framed mirror.
4. Apron-Front Sinks
Apron-front sinks offer a timeless aesthetic. The farmhouse kitchen design will come and go in popularity, but an apron-front sink will never lose its classic feel. A modern apron-front sink is very practical and serves as an ideal focal point for the kitchen. If you're in the market for an unusual finish, think about a paragon copper sink against dark cabinetry and light counters and backsplash.
5. Hidden Appliances
Stainless steel appliances aren't the most attractive kitchen feature. They often leave the space feeling cold and industrial. If you have the money to spring for high-end appliances, consider hidden appliances that blend in to the design scheme seamlessly. They also add a little element of surprise for anyone in the kitchen for the first time.
6. Large Kitchen Islands
Numerous homeowners have embraced the large kitchen-island trend, and it isn't going anywhere in 2017. A bigger kitchen island gives you all the prep space you'll ever need, and there's ample room for kids to eat a quick breakfast before school or do their homework while you're making dinner. It's wonderful to have room for dinner guests to crowd around or for extended family to gather at holidays. Large kitchen islands are also a great fit for open-floor-plan homes.
7. Multiple Countertop Materials
If you like the look of stainless steel but want a more updated design than what stainless steel appliances offer, think about using the material as one of your countertop options. Stainless steel contrasts beautifully with marble and other stone materials. It also pairs nicely with wood, which is one of the trendiest 2017 countertop materials.
8. Mixed Hardware
Outfitting an entire kitchen with a single hardware finish often looks overly matchy-matchy, particularly in a large kitchen. Consider selecting pewter finish hardware for the outer cabinets and contrasting copper finish hardware for the kitchen islands. You can even mix and match with two or three different types of hardware throughout the kitchen's cabinets and drawers. For 2017, the hardware trend has moved away from streamlined, elongated pieces in favor of simple, well-rounded knobs in matte finishes.
9. Patterned Tiles
For 2017, homeowners are choosing fresh, funky patterned tiles over some of the more popular clean patterns from the past few years, such as subway tiles. Chevron, herringbone, and florals are on the rise, particularly in large colorful designs. If you want to go daring, choose a bold-patterned tile for the flooring. It will pop against a more traditional backsplash pattern.
10. Commercial-Grade Features
A kitchen remodel is a major undertaking. When you're redoing the kitchen, you should do it right and get what you really want. For homeowners who love cooking, using commercial-grade appliances and fixtures is a dream come true. These features also add to the resale value of the home. Consider a commercial-grade layout, such as a prep sink with a built-in pot-filler, to maximize prep space and boost productivity.
