Kitchen Design Partners has always been passionate about staying on top of industry innovations through continuing education and training. Sometimes, that mission is just plain fun! The annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) was held in Orlando this year, and this Kitchen Designer immersed herself in three days of action-packed eye candy to bring you the latest kitchen ideas, trends and technology in kitchen and bath design. Take a peak at what’s new in luxury home design:
Cabinetry Trends
Custom and semi-custom cabinets offer thousands of customized storage solutions that help you personalize your kitchen for your family and lifestyle. From full-extension drawer storage and push-to-open features, to led lighting inside and out, there are now boundless customizable options for beautiful and functional cabinetry. Furniture-style kitchens, floating bathroom vanities, white oak and walnut wood species, more open shelving and less wall cabinets are all popular trends. Cleaner lines and contemporary design aesthetic continue to be favorite design styles. White cabinets are still very popular and are often mixed with other deeper toned finishes, such as Walnut. Frameless cabinets have gained popularity because they provide 6% more storage in an average kitchen and they have a fresh appearance that homeowners love. We invite you to have a look at a few on-trend cabinetry styles that KDP offers:
Appliance Trends
Luxury appliances are pushing the envelope with new capabilities that make the cooking experience more enjoyable and personal. How? Introducing wifi-enabled devices! Imagine wanting to cook a lovely dinner, but having to rush to the store first for a few ingredients. Now you can see what is inside your refrigerator from your smart phone and use it to create your shopping list. You can pre-heat your oven before you come home, saving critical time. Additionally, you can ask Siri or Alexa for your favorite recipe. You can customize your cold food storage with separate refrigerator and freezer units to fit into your kitchen layout. The trend towards healthy lifestyles and buying local, means that many homeowners want refrigerators with specific fresh food storage for fruits and vegetables. In many cases, the freezer becomes less important and can be placed further out of the way. Combination ovens such as steam/convection ovens provide a healthy and delicious cooking environment for your food and save you time as well.
Above: Modernist Four Door French Refrigerator by Dacor
Kitchen Sink and Faucet Trends
“The most used appliance in the kitchen is actually the faucet/sink combination,” said Greg Rohl. “A family of four uses their water appliance 20-30 times a day.” Touch-free or simple touch faucets allow you to wave your hand or touch anywhere on the faucet to turn it on and off. Imagine your hands are a mess, how nice that you can wave to turn on your faucet to wash them! Sinks offer tremendous functionality with accessories that allow you to customize your kitchen sink. The Galley is an excellent product that transforms your kitchen sink to a multi-function kitchen appliance.
Above: The Galley Kitchen Workstation
The Kitchen Evolution
Kitchens have undergone a dramatic transformation in the past 50 years. They have become an essential hub of the home and the most important feature in home buyers’ decisions. With open floor plans and casual lifestyles, many homeowners have let go of dining rooms to enlarge their kitchens and add kitchen islands. Christopher Peacock, a high-end cabinetry designer in Norwalk, CT expressed the evolution of the modern kitchen best on Realtor.com: “It’s almost not worth calling it a kitchen anymore—it’s a living room that you can cook in.”
Whew! The expo was a whirlwind of amazing and gorgeous new options available now. KDP is happy to have new kitchen ideas and design choices, both practical and luxurious, to offer our clients. Give us a call at 847-564-9780 or visit our Contact Us page to schedule an appointment with us. Begin an exciting journey to the home of your dreams! Scroll down for a video slideshow of some of the amazing new products we saw at KBIS 2018.
