Kitchen Design Trends 2017: A Mixed Bag of Delights

The Kitchen Master

New colors and a mix of styles and materials will influence the kitchen trends to watch for 2017. Go with your favorites!

For 2017, you can go “back to the future” or embrace the best of the past — either way, you’ll be right in tune with the trends and capture the right vibe for modish kitchens.

It’s a mixed bag that has captured the attention of savvy kitchen designers, pointing the way to some spectacular interpretations for new and stylish “heart of the home” design in the coming year. It’s likely to be a colorful year, and you’ll want to be “smart,” not only with your choices of materials, but also with the appliances that will make your life easier, more efficient, more fun and more satisfying.

2017 Kitchen Trends to Watch

Expect the lines between kitchen work spaces and adjacent living spaces to become even more blurred this coming year. Isolation is so not the choice of today’s cooks, and family togetherness extends into the kitchen for good reason. That means that cabinets will often look more like furniture, and appliances may be hidden or will be nicely integrated with the decor. There is likely to be some seating, and will often take the form of stools pulled up to a serving counter that can double as a snack bar or homework station.

Shiny stainless appliances may not disappear, but alternative finishes include darker colors and matte finishes. Don’t expect a return to mid-century enameled finishes for appliances, but do check out colored stainless. It’s the finish “du jour,” and blends nicely with other metal accents in the kitchen. If you want to be bold, choose a dramatic color for a single appliance — maybe cobalt blue for a pro-style range, red or turquoise for a retro-style refrigerator, or hammered copper for the exhaust hood.

Mix Colors and Materials for a Custom Look

Dark wood accent cabinets are likely to give way to more colorful, furniture-styled pieces, and mismatched finishes are all the rage for kitchen renovations. Check out the look of “Tuxedo cabinets” and become a style-setter in your neighborhood! Incorporate Grandma’s china cabinet into your modern kitchen or go the other direction and place a stainless steel pot rack over a traditional island.