Kitchen Design Trends in Phoenix for 2018
In celebration of the new year 2018, we are dedicating a few blog posts to the building and design trends we will see the remainder of this year and beyond. In this post, we will focus on the kitchen design trends.
It is often said that kitchens sell homes. This makes sense as kitchens often times become a gathering hub and space where a lot of time is spent. A well-designed kitchen can both add value to your home as well as functionality in your everyday life. Below are some design ideas to consider if you are building a new home or remodeling your current kitchen.
Storage Walls
As people continue to gravitate towards simple, minimalist, and open concepts in their interior designs, a design element we will see more of in 2018 is a kitchen storage wall. Traditionally, kitchens have had just about every wall covered in lower cabinets, upper cabinets, and countertops. With a storage wall, the idea is to dedicate one wall in your kitchen that will have storage from floor to ceiling, essentially focusing storage on one wall. We have used Rev-A-Shelf in many of our kitchen cabinets and they have some great options to optimize storage, function, and accessibility. By utilizing a storage wall, you can incorporate other design elements in your kitchen that may not have been possible before. This will allow you to install floating shelves to open up the kitchen and add a decorative accent to the kitchen. In many of our remodels and new construction designs, we are removing walls entirely to create a much more open concept, letting your kitchen to flow into your dining room, family room, or both. AFT Construction has utilized versions of storage walls on a few of our projects in the past year including in a newly constructed custom home and a recent remodel project. In both of these instances, the result was a much more open concept.
Countertop Trends
Perhaps the biggest trend we are seeing here at AFT Construction is the declining use of granite and the growing popularity of countertop materials such as quartz. Quartz is a manufactured product that consists of natural stones fused with polymer resins. Because quartz is a manufactured product, it offers less maintenance and a much more sanitary surface, which is especially advantageous in kitchens and bathrooms. Quartz options and designs have greatly increased and provided us with a wider assortment of colors and styles. In addition, while each slab of natural stone is unique, quartz offers consistency – what you see is what you get. This creates ideal patterns that we are able to “bookmatch” for a more seamless look. Other pros of quartz include its durability and sustainability.
Two-Tone Cabinets
2018 will bring us more kitchens with two-tone cabinets. In a two-tone cabinet design, we have the option to finish the island one color, and then contrast the perimeter cabinets with a different color. Additionally, we can finish the island and perimeter base cabinets one color, and the upper cabinets a contrasting color. Two-tone cabinets can liven up an otherwise traditional kitchen by offering a unique design element that provides great visual interest. AFT Construction recently completed a kitchen remodel for a client in which the client created great contrast by selecting black lower cabinets and white upper cabinets.
Mixed Metal Finishes
Mixed metal finishes are another trend on point for 2018 such as stainless-steel appliances paired with satin brass faucets and cabinet hardware. As with two-tone cabinets, mixed metal finishes provide contrast and visual interest. And speaking of brass fixtures and hardware, brass is certainly making a comeback and has become a popular trend. If you are unsure of shiny brass, satin brass finishes bring in the same element of warmth to your kitchen adding subtlety.
Textures, Colors, and Patterns
The final trend we will discuss in this post is the trend of incorporating more textures, colors, and patterns in finishes. It is not a secret that white kitchens have dominated the last number of years. And while many consider white kitchens timeless, many people are adding more textures, colors, and patterns to their kitchens. Lighter, warm wood finishes are becoming popular cabinet choices as are bold cabinet colors such as blues and greens. Another example of this is the variety of bold colors of appliances. Other examples are a twist on finishes such as the white subway tiles that have been so popular the past few years. Instead, consider a patterned or shaped white tile, which still provides the white tile look, but the different pattern or shape provides a slightly different look. Or instead of using a white subway tile, follow the bold, vibrant color trend and choose a colored subway tile. We have more options today than ever, which allows for great design creativity. Both a simple, white kitchen and kitchen with bold colors and mixing of finishes can be equally stunning. When designing your new home or planning your remodel, you may be overwhelmed by the choices or what design direction you want to go with. Here at AFT Construction, we have the experience to help guide you through those decisions by exploring our job portfolio as well as showing samples from the manufacturers we have partnered with.
