The Top 10 Kitchen Design Trends to Watch in 2019
You’ll still be seeing many of 2018’s big design statements like open shelving, wabi-sabi and colorful cabinetry in full effect. But design is always evolving, so here’s a preview of 2019’s most important emerging kitchen design trends.
Dark + Moody Black Kitchens
Black and deep tones like navy and charcoal have been making kitchen statements for a couple seasons, like in the lead image by Martyn Thompson. Dark hues add gravitas to the kitchen and make the space feel more intimate. In 2019, expect to see more kitchens going completely to the dark side with dramatic dark cabinets, counters and walls.
Unfitted Kitchens
So the official name for this kind of kitchen, where the oven and the refrigerator aren’t built into cabinets, is “unfitted.” But we’re starting a write-in campaign for “free range” kitchens (see what we did there?) Instead of ranges and refrigerators confined in a bank of cabinetry, kitchens are getting stripped down for a more flexible and modular approach, as in this Parisian-inspired kitchen from Coquo based in Montreal. It’s a perfect way to show off a colorful Molteni or a curvy pastel Smeg. You can shift pieces around as you like, so it feels more like a living space than strictly a kitchen.
Pastel Colors
Pretty much every kitchen design lover we know has this pink, green and blue kitchen from the deVol Kitchens showroom somewhere in their Insta feed. With cheery pink walls, paired vivid green tile, blue cabinetry and that antique chandelier, this kitchen says “I’m fearless.” And who doesn’t want their kitchen (the room that’s the window to your soul) to say just that? This year, they’re showing more muted pastel kitchens, like this mint green one on the right.
Nature +Antiquity
We’ve been loving all the ways of bringing some history into the kitchen, whether with vintage rugs or a flea market piece of art. Nature and antiquity will be stronger themes in kitchens this year, thanks to vintage pieces with naturally worn finishes, rustic touches and antiques. Ralph Waldo Emerson observed, “our admiration of the antique is not admiration of the old, but of the natural.”
Innovative Storage
The days when one style of kitchen works for everyone is over. Today’s kitchen is a multifunctional space where cooking, schoolwork, eating and entertaining happens. homeowners today are demanding custom cabinetry to keep the kitchen looking tidy and store away equipment and power for all these activities.
Kinfolk Kitchens
The Kinfolk movement is dedicated to slow living and simplicity in all aspects of life — if you’re curious, check out the magazine. For the home it translates into comfortable, minimal Bohemian/Scandinavian style with handmade pieces, soft natural color schemes and lots of plants. In the kitchen, it’s also expressed in highly specialized and detailed handcrafted cabinetry made from wood, metal and stone. This Epoch by ARTEIM kitchen sums it up perfectly, with its seamless mix of old and new with meticulously crafted marble drawers and brass mesh panel.
Modern Cottage
The cozy farmhouse kitchen movement is still going strong, but it’s evolving into a sleeker, cleaner version of itself. The modern or urban cottage kitchen still employs pieces like a vintage table as an island, a farmhouse sink, open shelves and decor like baskets and vintage scales. But the pieces are more streamlined and the color schemes are more muted.
Linear Lighting
Often the shifts in design are a reaction to what’s gone before. Chandeliers and exuberant light fixtures are now giving way to sleek suspended linear lighting. Thanks to advances in LED light technology, a very minimal bar light can illuminate an entire room.
Breakfast Bars
A breakfast bar isn’t just something you eat; it’s also a special kitchen place in the kitchen where you keep your coffee maker or espresso machine, blender, toaster and, bowls and all the things you need to prepare a breakfast. Sometimes the station is hidden behind a sliding panel as in this kitchen overlooking the Hudson River by Studio Dearborn. Others have a door that lifts with a hinge or rolls up like a little garage door. It’s part of the shift from the kitchen being a functional space to a carefully designed and decorated living space that reflects your personal style.
The Anglophile Kitchen
Over the last few seasons, thanks to their drool-worthy Instagram feed, we’ve all become fans of deVol Kitchens based in the UK. The British invasion includes designers like Humphrey Munson, Blakes London and influential paint maker Farrow & Ball. There’s not just one look, but common features include custom cabinetry with fine mill work details, warm white walls often paired with a soothing pale grey or blue color scheme, expanses of natural wood. In Anglo kitchens, upper cabinets are swapped for a clean simple picture rail, perfect for propping art or vintage finds. And the hardware is usually a classic shape, such as ovals or bin pulls done in brass or nickel.
We’ll be exploring each of these 2019 kitchen design trends in more depth in the coming weeks. Which one of these looks appeals to you most? Click to download Studio Dearborn’s free guide to creating these best kitchen designs of 2019.
