Kitchen Design Trends 2018: The Big Picture

In our last kitchen design blog post, we talked about the kitchen colors that will trend in 2018. Before that, we took a look at some of the kitchen and bathroom details designers predict homeowners will want during the remodels of the new year. Now let’s see what the experts say about the bigger picture kitchen design trends for the upcoming year, those trends that involve more than a paint color or faucet choice.

  • Open layouts will continue to replace the closed-up kitchens of that past. Whether it means knocking down walls or re-orienting furniture, homeowners will have their open floor plans for their kitchens, as these rooms become true living rooms, with families gathering for all kinds of activities beyond simply food prep and eating.
  • Bigger and better islands will therefore be in demand, as homeowners make more room for eating spaces and gathering. Kitchen islands will become a focal point in the kitchen, as they get longer and wider, become multipurpose, and offer more storage.
  • And that storage is needed for streamlining, as homeowners do away with countertop clutter, window curtains and hanging pot racks in order to give their kitchens a streamlined, efficient appearance. Induction cooktops will eliminate the need for range hoods, for more streamlining in the kitchen.
  • Some homeowners will even choose to do away with upper cabinets and use open shelving instead, to achieve the more open, streamlined look. If they’re not doing away with wall cabinets, those semi custom cabinets will extend all the way to the ceiling, doing away with soffits.

These are all kitchen design trends to keep in mind when you’re in the early stages of planning, because these are design choices that will affect other design decisions such as where to install plumbing for a sink and what style semi custom cabinets will work on an oversized kitchen island. For other kitchen design advice, see:

Not all will change in the world of kitchen design in 2018, however. White will win many color debates. Quartz will stay the countertop material of choice. Hardwood floors will continue to dominate kitchen flooring choices. And semi custom cabinets will still be the best choice for many new kitchens.