1.A Connection to the Outdoors
Warm wood treatments, such as walnut and white oak, are becoming increasingly popular among homeowners in place of their basic all-white kitchen cabinets, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s recently published 2024 Kitchen Trends Report.
2.Innovative Personalized Designs
Demand will be high for appliances with customizable settings and controls that can be accessed through apps, like ovens with precise temperature control and delayed starts. Homeowners also desire lights that can be voice-activated, motion-activated, and equipped with presets for different times of the day that can be programmed.
3.Islands Are the Heart of the Kitchen
Another specialized kitchen option will be islands and cabinets that are suitable for all age groups. In addition, a lot of homes are choosing to install toe kick lighting at night for aesthetic and safety reasons. Living-in-place design can incorporate these solutions as well as technology such as automated window shades and motion-sensor lighting.
4.A Place for Wellness and Nutrition
Healthy eating and nutrition are the main priorities of kitchen design. According to seventy-eight percent of designers, homeowners desire appliances with integrated cooking features like air fryers and steam cookers, while sixty-eight percent say they want additional refrigerator space with better flexibility (e.g., columns, drawers, convertible).
5.Increased Focus on Sustainability
Both designers and homeowners continue to prioritize sustainability, with a particular emphasis on:
- Reduce: 51 percent of respondents are choosing long-lasting items to lessen the need for replacement in the future.
- Reuse: Of those surveyed, 44% claim to donate old kitchen cabinets and 37% say they donate old appliances.
- 53 percent of respondents set aside space in their kitchens for recycling, while 23 percent designate space for composting.
6.Well Curated Lighting
Designers report using multiple layers of lighting to support different functions in addition to using a lot of natural light in their kitchen designs. These functions include ambient lighting (85 percent) to create different moods, decorative statement lighting (80 percent) to showcase design elements, and nighttime lighting (69 percent) for safety and aesthetics. Motion detection, voice activation, light sensing, and customizable control choices are all essential for improving kitchen lighting functionality.