KITCHEN DESIGN TRENDS IN 2022

During the pandemic, people were forced to stay home more and many spent more time in their kitchens than ever before, and human nature being what it is, there was a natural inclination to make the kitchen feel more personal.  Designers expect to see people having a lot more fun with kitchen design in the coming year.

Pops of Color

Safe is becoming boring, and while white kitchens will always be in style, color will make a comeback in the kitchen.  68 percent of surveyed designers from the American Society of Interior Designers, the New York Design Center, the Female Design Council and others predict bold colors will cover cabinets and décor.  

Colorful Cabinet Colors

Designer Julia Miller predicts that fresh cabinetry colors will be making waves in 2022.  “Neutral kitchens will always have a place, but colorful spaces are certainly coming our way,” she says.  “We will be seeing colors that are saturated so they can still be paired with natural wood or a neutral color.”

Natural Light

“Expansive windows along the counter space or extra-large skylights over the island or stove” will be the trend of 2022, proclaims David Thompson of Design Principle Assembledge+.  “The idea is to welcome in nature and let sunlight fall across a range of material grains – wood grain, marble, glazed tile…  This is a time for both warmth and spaciousness.”

Countertops

According to Houzz, white countertops for homeowners who are renovating their kitchens is the number 1 choice (39%), followed by multicolored (24%).  Gray seems to be falling out of favor with only 12% opting for it, down from 15% in 2020.

Cottage Style

Shawn Precival of Styleberry Creative Interiors says cottage kitchens are making a comeback, proving “how smart a small space can be.  Built in storage, making use of every nook and cranny, is what a cottage kitchen does best.  Well, that and offering a cozy, lived in feel that makes you want to stay home – by choice!”

Slab Backsplashes

Anthony Carrina, VP of Design at Welcome Homes (and star of the HGTV show Kitchen Cousins), says slab backsplashes will be thriving in 2022.  “This is a very clean, modern look.  It gives you the ability to book match your veining and turn it up the wall. And it removes all the grout lines that can make for a busy backsplash.  

Marble-inspired quartz countertops will become a newly beloved backsplash option.

Statement Hoods

“Architectural statement hoods will be big – and I mean literally!” predicts Dress Homes Design Center’s director, Alexa Drees Walker. 

Just because they are functional doesn’t mean they can’t be beautiful too!

More and more homeowners are using the kitchen range hood as a unique statement piece in their kitchen remodel.

Natural Materials

“As we all spend more time at home there is also a renewed sense of wanting to bring the outdoors in, with natural materials such as wood being particular popular,” says Daniel Bowler, Director of Eggersmann UK.  “This mixes particularly well with other on-trend materials such as metal and stone to create a space that is light, bright and airy and offers something of a blank canvas to inject color and personality.”

Shades of Green

Considering how many paint brands deemed shades of green as the color of the year for 2022, George Forsyth, the director of Drew Forsyth and Co, is deeming the color a major kitchen trend in the coming year. “This is a shade the embodies renewal, rejuvenation, and energy, so it isn’t surprising that homeowners can’t get enough of it right now.”

Kitchens as Living Areas

According to designer Molly Machmer-Wessels, “We have seen kitchens evolve into a true extension of the living areas of the home.”  “We are treating it more like a family room than just a place to make food.”  “We all know everyone gathers in the kitchen…we have been specifying more dining sofas for eating, table lamps for counters, and living finishes.”