Cabinets, wall colors, appliances, countertops, floors and decor. We know all too well that kitchens are endlessly customizable! And with the long days of summer finally here, it’s the perfect time to add some new kitchen updates—before the busy months of back to school and the holidays are upon us. Here are some of the trendiest 2017 updates for the heart of your home.
The Tuxedo Effect
While it’s true that we normally associate bright colors with summer, the standout choice color for kitchens this year—at least for larger surfaces like walls, flooring, countertops, and cabinets—is a sleek and sophisticated palette of high-contrast black and white. It’s a classic that has made a comeback, replacing the drab neutral tones—think beige and taupe—of outdated kitchens. This still leaves plenty of room for pops of color in smaller doses, such as appliances, textiles, and accessories like hardware. If you’re on a budget, the closeout aisle at Marc’s is the perfect place to find affordable accent pieces, all while you’re getting your grocery shopping done, too! But the screaming neons of 2016 have fallen in popularity. As interior designer Gail Drury told Forbes, “Drier colors will become popular. Muted blues and greens and pale yellow pastel will be used as accent colors.” Think of light and airy powdery pigments joining white cabinetry.
Interior designer Jane Lockhart brings up gray as an alternative to a white base. “Charcoal, grays, and even neutral pastels like pale blue, pale green gray, and tinted whites are the new alternative to the standard white.” These colors can be brought in as backsplashes, wall colors, or even as sinks.
Shine Things Up
Everyone loves a little bit of shine! Metal range hoods, mirrored backsplashes, and brass accessories add the perfect amount of shimmer to a kitchen. The light-reflecting qualities of these materials make them a perfect addition for a sunny summer kitchen, but they’re also a sophisticated classic that injects warmth and charm in any season.
To maintain that mood-boosting shine as much as possible during winter months, make sure you illuminate these fixtures now. Cabinetry lighting is a big trend for 2017 and gives you more multi-purpose use out of these decorative elements. You can incorporate low-voltage light tape strips almost anywhere, including above or below cabinets, inside, or even underneath countertop overhangs. Eco-friendly LEDs are the preferred form of lighting since they don’t release heat and even come in an array of colors.
Make Way for Technology
When you’re in the kitchen, you often need a computer handy to read a recipe or look up quick cooking tips, but a countertop full of prep materials is no place for a computer. A new sign of the times trend is to have designated “smart spaces.” This idea includes using cabinet attachments that allow tablets and smartphones to hover over countertop workspace and built-in charging stations. Other ways to embrace technology are by investing in a hands-free faucet and building your kitchen to include special spots for coffeemakers, food processors, or blenders for your summer frozen smoothies and tropical cocktails.
Love Your Design
There are endless ways to aesthetically and practically customize your kitchen to fit your needs.Trendy kitchens this year might be full of clean white cabinets, copper metal additions, and specific areas for smart appliances, but if these styles didn’t strike you as charming, try to start your own new trend. After all, creating a space that you love and are comfortable with day-to-day never goes out of style.
Contributed from the HVAC heating and cooling experts at Modernize.