Now that we’re firmly in 2024, and summer is passing us by, a lot of us are thinking about finishing up any interior design projects that we had on the backburner. For a lot of us out there, that means that it’s time to give our kitchens some much-needed attention. If that’s what you’ve been considering this year, then you’ve come to the right place!
Whether you’re looking to replace your kitchen faucets, cabinets, appliances, or anything else, you’re in luck! We’ll be explaining some of the top ten trends that we’ve noticed so far this year – and don’t forget that they’ll probably last into 2025 as well!
One: Green is Everywhere
Every year, it seems like there’s a new “it” color that takes the world by storm. In 2024, the answer seems to be green! You can find just about anything you want in green, whether you’re aiming to add just a small pop of color, or you want to make a true statement.
For a more subdued option, you could get towelettes that are green (or have a pattern with the color on them), a small appliance like a toaster, or even something like a kitchen faucet. With all the shades to choose from, too, it’s not hard to make green work.
Two: Stained Wood Cabinets
For a while, folks were painting their cabinets all sorts of colors. However, this year, it seems like we’ve returned to a more “traditional” style in the kitchen. Stained wood is currently the most popular trend for cabinets, and they can pair nicely with just about any adornments or additional touches we want to add to the room. It’s not hard to see why they’re popular!
Three: Efficient Sinks
While this may sound a bit strange, a lot of people want sinks that will “do more” for them right now. You can get an idea of what that means here: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=418551, but for the most part, it’s a matter of getting a sink and faucet that have more features.
This could be something like a pull-down faucet for more flexibility, a no-touch faucet for convenience, or a filter-faucet to eliminate the need for another external kitchen appliance or accessory. These days, most of us want to downsize, or at least eliminate some extraneous clutter, so combining those features is quite handy!
Four: Pull-Out Appliances
This goes nicely with our previous point – it’s not hard to see how many homeowners are making their spaces sleeker and less cluttered, and pull-out appliances are a prime example of this. Fridge drawers are one example of this, or a microwave-cabinet – there are a ton to choose from for anyone who likes this idea.
Five: Minimal Backsplashes
For a long time, we were seeing very colorful or vibrant backsplashes in kitchens. Right now, though, most designers favor a more subdued appearance for these. Whether that’s a simple white marble, or light-colored tiles, that seems to be the current most popular option.
Of course, if you have a vibrant one, don’t feel like you need to change it! Trends only need to matter when you want to follow them – or if you’re currently renovating a kitchen in a property that you intend to sell.
Six: Moving Away From Marble
Although marble was a huge crazy in the early 2020s as far as kitchen design goes, these days we’re starting to see people pivot away from that when they’re designing their spaces. Granite is surging in popularity again, along with less expensive materials. That’s worth keeping in mind, especially considering that marble can make installing anything like a sink or a new faucet a bit of a challenge.
Seven: Smart Appliances
We briefly touched on these earlier, but by and large, one of the most popular trends is the addition of smart appliances. Ovens are a huge one, as you can read about in this article. Fridges are another fairly popular option, especially when they come with a water filter or ice dispenser.
Something you may not often think about, though, are smart faucets – these are actually an option now! From ones that don’t require touch to turn on to those that automatically dispense water at the temperature you need, there are even “smart” faucets these days.
Eight: Functional Islands
Many people ended up adding islands to their kitchens in the past few decades, but not all of them were very “practical” or “functional.” Right now, a pretty big trend is to add features to islands that make them more functional, such as adding a sink and a faucet, a stovetop, or even a dishwasher – anything that can make better use of the additional counter space.
Nine: Built-in or Hidden Tools
Minimalism is definitely a huge theme this year, as you can probably already tell. This is another trend that points towards that. Right now, something that a lot of homeowners are doing is to create specific storage spaces or nooks for appliances and kitchen tools, rather than having them on display.
Whether it’s a cabinet, a drawer, or something else entirely, the blender, mixer, and food processor probably aren’t going to be right in the middle of the counter anymore in those popular blogs and TV shows! It’s an efficient use of space, for sure.
Ten: Layered Lighting
Finally, a lot of houses are now being renovated or built with “layered” lighting throughout the property. It’s particularly effective in kitchens with natural lighting, too. The idea is that there are multiple sources of light that can be turned on and off, so we don’t have to use all of them at once.
In some cases, you may even see lights embedded in the sink or faucet in a kitchen, as a sort of “nightlight” for some people – or to aid general visibility while washing vegetables, fruits, hands, or even a small pet or a baby! Sinks or faucets are an innovative and inventive place to put a light, for certain.
