We attended this year’s Kitchen and Bath Idea Show while at The 2018 International Home Builders Show. If you’re building a new home in Dayton and looking for insight into the coming kitchen trends for 2018 and beyond, take a look at the great ideas collected by our friends at Houzz. Some of ideas from the 2018 Kitchen and Bath Show include:
1. Transitional style. Transitional decor is continuing to dominate kitchen design for the foreseeable future, with true traditional style becoming less popular. After all, why would you want to choose just one style when you can get the best of both worlds?
Transitional kitchens mix traditional and contemporary elements, so the space can feel rich and inviting but also up-to-date. The somewhat relaxed nature of a transitional kitchen works well with other minor trend elements like furniture-style islands and open shelves, giving you the freedom to follow traditional rules when they suit you and break the rules when it suits your mood.
2. Farmhouse style. Alternatively, another enduring style trend for kitchens is farmhouse or farmhouse-inspired style. Beadboard, soft heritage colors, rustic hardware and lighting, and planks of knotty wood all give a room a lived-in feel, in a less stuffy or fussy way than traditional styles can sometimes feel.
The humble beauty of farmhouse kitchens can be a great inspiration for homes of any size or budget, so expect to see more and more of this style in 2018 and beyond.
3. Apron-front sinks. Speaking of farmhouse style, kitchens all over are embracing the beauty of apron-front sinks. This farmhouse essential works with a variety of styles, especially since it can look great in softly rounded porcelain, sleek stainless steel (possibly the top choice) or other metals and materials to create a variety of looks.
This style of sink requires a different cabinet than a typical drop-in or undermount sink, so if you too are planning to add one to your kitchen, make sure to design with it in mind from the start.
4. Single-lever faucets. A great complement to an apron-front sink, or practically any style of sink really, is the beautifully simple single-lever faucet. The simple silhouette of this style of faucet suits a contemporary kitchen but also provides a smart modern counterpoint to traditional elements to achieve a transitional look.
Look for models with a subtle pull-down hand spray to get multifunctionality while still preserving the sleek and simple look.
5. Undermount sinks. Not charmed by the apron-front style? Another one of my personal favorites, and a popular choice at seemingly every trade show, is a crisply rectangular stainless steel undermount sink.
The practicality of this style is high because the undercounter style avoids seams above the counter that can catch crumbs and debris. Stylewise, the look is understated, letting the bold features of the kitchen be the star but giving a subtly clean and modern look that says you have an eye for details.
6. Painted cabinets. Regardless of the kitchen style, an undeniable trend in cabinets is a painted finish. While wood will always have its proponents, painted cabinets are a very visible trend with a range of colors being spotted besides classic white.
Blue is an especially popular choice for kitchens going into 2018, either as an all-over cabinet hue or as an accent to a more neutral scheme. It’s technically a cool hue, but it’s a cheerful color that is many people’s favorite, so it’s a natural choice for those who want to try a less-neutral painted finish without taking a wild color risk they might regret.
Sometimes, to create a beautiful kitchen you don’t need a pop of color at all. More and more designers are proving this by creating beautiful kitchens with a simple white-and-gray color scheme, often using a bit of wood and some gleaming metallics for interest, but no other accent hues.
For those who find all-white kitchens too stark, welcome gray as “the new black” in kitchen design to add sophistication and develop creative two-tone looks.
7. Wood floors. Designers have been encouraging clients to use wood flooring in both the living areas and the kitchen for years because it gives a home a beautiful sense of consistency.
Yes, it is true that a wood floor will not handle major water spills or leaks in the same way as hard tile, but with a little care and upkeep, the beautiful, inviting look (and subtle softness underfoot) is more than worth it, so you can expect this trend to last and last.
8. Quartz countertops. Speaking of surfaces, where you really need a hard-wearing material is on your counters, and for that reason engineered quartz has definitely solidified its spot as the top counter material (as confirmed by Houzz’s latest kitchen trends study).
As a manufactured but natural stone-based material, quartz has the ability to mimic marble, slate or other stones, or create a solid-hued modern look, meaning it can truly suit any kitchen. This is probably why we’re seeing it so often, and why it won’t go away any time soon. The look may change, but the hard-wearing practicality won’t.
9. Appliance columns. In today’s market, people expect to be able to customize their product purchases, and individual fridge and freezer columns allow you to include the exact size of refrigerator or freezer you need, in whatever combination and placement best suits your needs.
Compared to a traditional fridge-freezer combo with fixed proportions, the choices feel a lot less limited, so you can expect more homeowners to pursue this option in 2018 and beyond.
10. French door fridges. Another strong option for refrigerators is the French door style, which includes side-by-side compartments, or two doors for the main fridge compartment. The practical advantage here is that the multiple doors need less swing space to open, which can help your kitchen feel less cramped, compared with a single door that swings out twice as far.
11. Functional lighting. Designers have been attesting to the importance of good lighting for ages, but with technology ever improving and the kitchen being such a central fixture of the home, people are embracing layered lighting in kitchens in a big way.
LED undercabinet lighting and sleek recessed ceiling lights provide an even wash of light over your counters that makes the space feel larger while helping with delicate tasks like chopping. Add a few pendant lights for ambience and you’ve got a great three-point lighting scheme for a kitchen of any decor.
At Peebles Homes, we pride ourselves on offering the families of Dayton trendsetting homes that feature the latest in home designs and features. See these trends and more at our Wildwood model home in Prugh Woods, just minutes from the Greene Town Center in Kettering, Ohio.
