Kitchen Design Trends 2021
We took a peek at the latest kitchen design trends from the 2021 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. While there were many innovative designs, we narrowed it down to the top 5 that you can integrate into your next kitchen update.
Engineered Countertops
If the past year highlighted anything for us, it was the importance of hygiene and disinfection. Our kitchens are high traffic areas, that see “bio-hazards” like raw meat on a regular basis. Engineered countertops, like quartz, provide a durable, attractive, and non-porous surface that can easily be sanitized and will resist stains and daily wear and tear. This year highlighted light colors in natural stone patterns, like the Whitelight Collection from Ceasarstone.
Corian® also offers a number of sustainable, nature inspired solid surface options that are tough, easy to maintain, and non-porous for peace of mind. In addition to their signature line, Corian® offers a quartz line and their Endura™ high performance porcelain collection. The Endura™ collection was featured for the variety of surface looks offered – from marble and natural stone to concrete and metal-type industrial looks. All offer the same durable and non-porous benefits of the signature or quartz collections.
Touchless Smart Faucets
Keeping with the theme of cleanliness, touchless faucets have grown in popularity. Many are also smart faucets, like this one from Kohler’s Smart Home Collection.
These smart faucets allow for voice activated control and integration with a Google Home, Alexa, or Apple HomeKit device. You can set up pre-set voice commands in the device’s app to tell the faucet to dispense set amount of water for frequently filled containers. It can even control temperature. Of course, these faucets still function like a traditional faucet too. You can manually turn the water off and on, adjust temperature, and use the detachable “pull down” head. The spray is also adjustable, depending on your need, and there’s a “boost” button that will deliver an increased flow rate for faster filling or cleaning.
Slim Appliances
If you’re trying to update a small kitchen space, full sized appliances can take up most of your usable space. This can leave little left over for counter space and storage. Enter the slim appliance collection…
Pictured above, from left to right: Miele’s G500 slim line 18″ dishwasher, Fisher & Paykel’s 24″ slim line refrigerator, and ILVE’s Nostalgie Series 24″ gas range. These appliances allow you more creativity when working in small spaces, and can free up more options for layout, design, and usable space.
Drawer Appliances
Similar to slim line appliances, “hiding” some of them in drawers can enhance the design of your kitchen, while reclaiming some space. From microwaves to dishwashers, several popular appliances have made the transition to “drawer style”. The microwave drawer pictured below from Sharp offers “the speed of sensor microwave cooking, combined with the flexibility of convection cooking” in a “smart” package – simply wave open the drawer with your hand for a touch-free experience.
There are also drawer style refrigerators that allow you to individually control the temperature of each drawer compartment. If you find yourself throwing away wilted produce, you may be interested in Beko’s line of refrigerators that offer technology designed to mimic natural light in produce drawers to keep fruits and veggies fresh longer.
Color
Gone are the days of all white kitchens. Color is showing up in more kitchen designs, and not just muted colors either. Blues, Greens, and even Black have made bold statements on cabinets, while pops of brighter colors can be seen accenting traditional white designs.
