Top Kitchen Trends for 2021

You have a lot of decisions to make as you plan a custom home. The kitchen is home to important conversations, celebrations and gatherings. It is not the place to neglect design. To keep your style on the cutting edge, we’ve scoured our home design resources and gathered some of the top kitchen trends for 2021.

Rethinking Open Concept?

If you’ve ever watched HGTV, you probably have heard the phrase “open concept.” It’s been all the rage to design homes with minimal walls and more open space. Believe it or not, more homeowners are opting for private rooms nowadays, according to a 2021 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. This may be a result of families spending more time together at home because of the pandemic. Despite the trend towards defined rooms, we are still seeing growing numbers of homeowners who want kitchens that are open to the outdoors. This provides perfect access to an outdoor kitchen grill island or sprawling backyard.

The Pantry

Walk-in pantries are trending this year. It’s the perfect time to put one in when you are building a home from scratch. Benefits of enlarged pantries include:

• Easy viewing of contents thanks to plenty of shelf space. 
• Convenient storage of large items or items used infrequently.
• Counterspace to store items like cookbooks or small appliances.
• More room for snacks!

Powerful Colors

White cabinets and neutral walls are still a staple in today’s kitchens. This year, pops of color are making a splash in the world of kitchen design. Popular blank canvases that can be brightened with color include backsplashes in solids or patterns and colorful islands in a complementary color like blue or gray. Customized appliances in contrasting colors such as black stainless steel are also growing in popularity. Some manufacturers customize their pieces with a variety of colors and provide the ability to mix and match models.

Trending Tile

Tile is a popular flooring choice in kitchens, but that’s not where its uses stop. Ceramic and porcelain tile offer benefits towards your family’s health and wellness. This design option is hypoallergenic, resistant to bacteria and easy to maintain and clean. It’s durable to withstand a steady flow of traffic and spills. Plus, there are many styles and colors available. Tile is more popular than hardwood flooring. Tile is also popular as a backsplash. When it comes to choosing the color or style, there are plenty of options to contrast your other design choices. Choices run the full gamut from traditional subway tile to rustic wood-like tile. This year’s kitchen tile trends include hexagonal tiles, dark colors and playful patterns.

Marble and Quartz

Marble and quartz are at the top of this list again this year. Both are highly sustainable, durable and have a classic appearance. They can be incorporated in flooring, countertops or sinks. Heavily-veined marble adds a subtle statement by contrasting other polished surfaces. Looking to include marble that doesn’t break the bank? Another of this year’s hot trends is to opt for quartz with a marble-like pattern. Quartz is non-porous and resistant against bacteria, stains and scratches. It’s also durable and low maintenance. It looks great in every kitchen because it can be customized to any color and finish you’d like.

No-Contact Appliances

No-contact procedures are shaking up the world. Now, with touchless faucets, even using the kitchen sink is contact-free. The sensor-activated technology prevents germs from spreading and keeps messy hands off of nice appliances. Handleless design in the kitchen also promotes less contact with germy surfaces and gives a more streamlined appearance to a kitchen. Cabinets and drawers are prime targets of this new design choice. Manufacturers of appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators are offering contactless-opening options, too. Opening mechanisms include push-to-open and recessed stainless steel channels.

Statement Lights

Zone lighting is a popular way to illuminate your kitchen in 2021. This consists of grouping multiple pendant lights over your island or table and putting recessed lighting in the rest of the room. With different switches for each part of the room, you can adjust the brightness accordingly. 

To bring a modern touch to the room, consider geometric fixtures like unusually shaped hanging accent lamps.

Spotlighting the inside of cabinets or the counters below cabinets is another popular lighting style in 2021. This style makes it easier to use the workspace and highlights your sleek countertops.

Top Kitchen Trends and Inspiration

You can check out our other articles on kitchen trends for more design inspiration. If you’re looking for gadgets, check out our post on the International Builders’ Show this year. If you are going after a modern farmhouse look, check out our post on creating a kitchen that belongs down on the farm.

For extraordinary custom homes, request custom home and development information. You can also schedule a tour of our Northern Kentucky master-planned community, or stop by one of our open houses this summer.