Kitchen Design Trends- things to look for and things to avoid

A granite counter here, new custom cabinets there. Anyone who’s ever undertaken a kitchen remodeling project knows those costs can add up quickly. According to the Remodeling Magazine 2012-13 Cost vs. Value Report, the national average cost for a high-end kitchen makeover is now $53,931.

Because they’re such a large investment, most homeowners hope to end up with a finished product that looks fresh as long as possible. What’s hot and trendy today may be out of vogue in a year, making your kitchen look outdated before you’ve had a chance to break it in. One important question to ask yourself before renovation begins is “who is this remodel for?”

Is this project for you and your family to enjoy forever? Is this a long term house? Or is your kitchen only your “Mr Right for right now”? Do you have plans to sell your home in a few years? Is there a good chance your family size, dynamics, job situation may change relatively soon?

“Is this something the homeowners are doing for themselves, for their own enjoyment?” he said. “Or, do they need to update to be able to sell their house?” The answers to these questions can help drive design choices for the kitchen and beyond.

If you remodel falls into the somewhat temporary catagory, you need to make design decisions that will lead to getting the highest return on your investment and which will appeal to the largest number of people. For example, a white painted kitchen has a draw in the current marketplace and it has for some time.

If, however, you have no plans to move anytime soon, you don’t want to completely throw caution to the wind, but you can make more personal design decisions. In total honesty, most kitchen remodels are begun, not because the current kitchen is completely unfunctioning, but because the finishes and materials become tired and worn out looking. As you look to the future in your new space, find ways to add personality without completely committing to trendy phases.

While no one can say for sure which kitchen features will stand the test of time, here are a few trends you may want to avoid to keep your remodel looking relevant for years to come.

Keeping small appliances behind closed doors was a notion that gained a lot of fans in the 1980s and ‘90s. Unfortunately, these garages ate up a lot of valuable counter space. Today’s homeowners generally choose to keep often-used appliances right on the counter, and pull-out drawers are terrific hideaways for blenders, mixers and more.

A decade ago, desk areas in kitchens were a desired feature. Today many people find these spots were never used to sit down and plan a meal or take a phone call. Instead they became drop zones for papers and mail and every other thing. With wifi networks and cell phone use being the constant in today’s homes, a drawer that accomodates plugs for cell chargers, laptop docking station, or family electronics may be the smarter way to go.

Farmhouse sinks have long been on the wish list for homeowners. For several years, nothing said I got a new kitchen and paid a fair amount of money for it quite like the apron front sink. This slowly may be making way for a more practical return to the workhorse, stainless undermount sink. Time will tell when this trend fades.

These appliances were especially popular in the 1970s and ‘80s but not so anymore. Oh, they still have their fans, but they tend to get stinky as they fill up with garbage, they can malfunction and many homeowners simply don’t want to hassle with keeping them clean.

The most current kitchens have a space for the microwave — and it’s not on the counter or in a niche built into the upper cabinets. Under-counter microwave drawers fit in seamlessly with the rest of your cabinets, free up valuable kitchen real estate and make sense ergonomically. Marketed toward families on the go, they’re installed at an accessible height for children and equipped with safety locks for homes with toddlers.

All the rage in 2009, ’10 and ’11, decorative range hoods haven’t completely disappeared from the scene, but their popularity is waning. Ditto pot racks. Hanging pots tend to detract from the open kitchen concept. Today’s homeowners generally prefer storing their pot collections in deep drawers that roll out for accessibility.