Kitchen Trends

Kitchens are one of the most used areas of the home (along with bathrooms), which means they need to be easy to use, durable (to all the elements involved… including children) and also a fun place to hang out – after all, we spend hours and hours there! 

Here are some trends in kitchen decorating that have been popping everywhere recently. As always with trends, some will probably stick forever while some will prove to be a fad. Which one can you see yourself using?

 

 

Interior designer (and famed blogger) Lauren Liess had an old and less than presentable refrigerator when she started decorating her home. A few coats of chalkboard paint (which you can find at any utility store) and her fridge did not only look better but gave a whole new personality to her kitchen and another way for her son to play while she's in the kitchen. Others have used chalkboard paint differently, painting the inside of a frame or even the walls (you can write down today's menu on one of them, for that restaurant touch). It might also come handy if your kids tend to color the walls – this way you can just wipe it easily afterwards. (photo: Helen Norman)

 

 

 

This is one of those trends that are beautiful but require a lot of work. Open shelves are gorgeous, especially when styled properly, but you will need to make sure that all dishes are matching (or artfully mismatching) because everything is on display. And if you live in Israel, or somewhere else where dust is an issue, consider the constant cleaning. If you absolutely love it, consider limiting the open shelving to one side only. (photo: Jenna Lyons kitchen, as seen in Domino magazine)

 

 

 

Sleek white kitchens are something people tend to either love or hate. They may seem cold or difficult to clean, but as someone who owns one let me tell you: it's much easier to clean than the black kitchen we had when we were newlyweds (which I loved, by the way). Decorating-wise, a white kitchen is the dream of the indecisive because of its versatility: you can dress it up with any accessory you want (and yes, your toaster or favorite mug can be an accessory when it comes to kitchens), just like the kitchen photographed here, which Skona Hem magazine gave that cheerful Scandinavian treatment (here's how you can achieve this look). (photo: Skona Hem)

 

 

 

Gone are the days when you would consider the kitchen a separate being. A lot of people prefer to carry on the general design esthetic of the house into the kitchen. The purists might want the cabinetry custom made to look like furniture, but even if you're not going to go into that much trouble, you can still use the same color-story as in the rest of your house (a blue kitchen can be gorgeous – just look at this one decorated by Miles Redd), hang a chandelier, put up art or family photos (make sure they're framed properly so the spaghetti sauce doesn't ruin a family heirloom) --- and make it "talk" with the rest of the house. (photos: Krista Ewart in House Beautiful, Ruthie Sommers in Domino, Miles Redd in Elle Décor)

 

 

 

Classics will be classics, and the ultimate American kitchen got a boost a few years ago when a similar version was featured in a successful film (Somethings Gotta Give). To make sure it doesn't get too boring, display your collection (blue and white plates are always a good choice, but even your coffee mugs or teacups can be great) keep your towels presentable (there comes a day in every towel's life when it needs to retire) and let your family's personality shine. (photo: Carole Lalli in House Beautiful)