Look, kitchen trends are fun to follow, but you probably don’t want your kitchen to be trendy. Outfits can change, even paint colors, but for the vast majority of people, changing your kitchen with the changing winds of style just isn’t realistic. With this in mind, we’re always looking for new and fresh kitchen ideas that will still feel fresh within a couple of years. Here are seven bets for kitchen “trends” from 2017 that have serious staying power.
Bold tile on the floor
It’s no secret that I love tile, so I’m very happy to see tile return to the kitchen. It never left, really, but now we’re seeing the embrace of bolder styles, both for the backsplash and now, particularly, for the floor. The pastel-colored cement tile in this kitchen GCG Architects makes a nice concession to modernity without being too over the top.
Mixed countertops
Choosing a countertop is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your kitchen, so maybe it’s not surprising that mixed-media countertops are a big thing in modern kitchens. The kitchen above stylishly mixes stone and wood, but you can also combine marble and butcherblock, or quartz and stainless. Try a contrasting countertop on the island, because who says everything has to match?
High contrast
In the bathroom as in the kitchen, black fixtures (and hardware, and lighting) are an eye-catching, stylish, and modern look. Pair them with white cabinets for a striking look that’s sure to turn heads. (Also, if you tire of them, faucets and cabinet pulls are fairly easy to replace down the road.)
Old world influence
From terracotta tile to rustic worktables to china cabinets designed to look like the freestanding hutches of the past, old-fashioned elements are making a re-appearance in the kitchen. Subway tile and glass-front cabinets have been popular for some time now, but this takes that classic look and carries it a step further, for a textured, old-world style.
Wood cabinets
The return of wood cabinets was almost inevitable, but now we’re seeing them in a different guise than in the ’90s. Instead of the heavy, figured doors of two decades ago, these wood cabinets are in very modern styles, or in classic country styles like the Shaker cabinets seen above.
Embracing the darkness
Grey, navy, and even occasionally hunter green are very popular colors for cabinets right now. Black has also been on the scene for a while, but I’m betting on these more colorful ‘neutrals’, which bring a touch of the unexpected, but still have the potential to match with lots of things.
The mix of old and new
We’ve mentioned the revival of all things old (or old looking), but equally powerful is the mix of old and new. Antique pieces paired with modern ones create high drama, and a look that feels very now but also enduring for later.