Kitchen Color Trends: What’s Hot in Home Design
In this blog, we’re discussing the vibrant and daring palette that’s about to redefine your cooking space. We've been enamored with the pristine allure of white kitchens for years, and it isn’t going away anytime soon. Yet, as we dive into the rich tapestry of this year's cabinetry color trends, we're taking a brief hiatus from the white-on-white kitchen. Join us on this journey as we explore the hues that are ready to spice up your kitchen and give it a fresh, trendy twist. Don’t worry, white kitchens – absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Kitchens Are Warming Up
The Better Home & Garden magazine has told consumers to “expect kitchens to warm up with earthy color palettes and plenty of wood tones, as well as integrated appliances and other European-style elements(McGuirk, Kristina).” We have to agree that earthy tones have been trending for a while now, especially in New England, where we have an affinity for bringing the great outdoors inside. So what exactly does this mean? When you picture an earthy color palette, you may picture five shades of beige. In reality, we can also add forest and muted greens, blues, and browns to this list, providing you with a larger palette to work with.
Modern Interiors
In 2024, we’re seeing a decrease in the monotone and dual-tone, starkly contrasting kitchens associated with modern interiors. These sharp, minimalistic kitchens are being largely replaced by a desire for the feeling of home associated with softer, more colorful designs. Of course, design will always be dependent on where you live.
A Biophilic Approach
As a general rule, homeowners and designers are using a biophilic approach to home design. This means they’re bringing the surrounding landscape inside of their homes. Located in Southern New Hampshire, we always find more homeowners looking to bring natural woods and the colors of nature inside. However, those with homes closer to the seaside will likely bring more blues and tans into their designs than those in heavily wooded areas. Likewise, those surrounded by sandy desert landscapes tend to lean more heavily toward tans and browns in their designs.
What trends persist regardless of your landscape? In terms of cabinetry, we’re seeing an increase in wood over paint. White oak and walnut have been the highest trending wood species for the past few years, but as color is fading away, we’re also beginning to move toward wood with more of a grain pattern like alder. Alder is a great wood choice as it doesn’t carry the same dated feeling of darker woods like a stained cherry. Wood is also being carried through the kitchen into flooring and other architectural accents.
Paint Colors
What paint colors are we still seeing in cabinetry? Elle Decor magazine put five colors on their “color trends to watch” list. Earthy Green, Warm Sand, Deep Sea Blue, Hot Chocolate and Rich Grey. Each of these colors falls on an earthy color pallet and supports the concept of bringing the outdoors into your home.
When asking any questions about kitchen design, It’s important to understand the context of what kitchens have become for us in today’s society. They are more than an area for preparing food. One of our designers, Donna Revens, stated that “more and more, people are seeing the kitchen as art.” This is absolutely true. In a party setting, the kitchen is often the activity hub for guests, making it more important than ever to be a place of comfort, beauty, and functionality.
