Ask designers Rhonda Knoche and Anne De Wolf about kitchen trends, and you’ll get at least a moment’s hesitation before they reply.
That almost imperceptible moment of silence has nothing to do with their knowledge. Both can readily answer questions about kitchens from floor to ceiling, including historic design, structure, appliance features, efficiency, and ecology, but trends — well, both prefer to make things a bit more personal.
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This open kitchen and family room shows one family’s focus on the personal. Lit cubbies spotlight collectables. |
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This 1899 Queen Ann Victorian reflects the open family country kitchen that the homeowners wanted after a fire devastated the space. |
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This kitchen focuses on lower level accessible storage with minimal amount of upper cabinets. Photo courtesy of Kohler® |
Knoche, a certified kitchen designer at Neil Kelly, is likely to put off design discussions until you answer some basic questions that have little to do with your kitchen. How many generations live in your home? How many cook? Do you have pets? How committed are you to sustainability? What is a typical day like? What are your personal goals?
“If there’s any trend I get excited about it’s the trend toward personalizing space. Kitchens are more casual now, and people are demanding space that fits their lifestyle and personal taste,” says Knoche.
She recalls a client who timidly asked, “Do I have to use stainless steel?”
“I told her to wash her mouth out with soap. If she hated stainless steel, why even consider it? There are plenty of other options.”
De Wolf, co-owner of Arciform LLC, typically works with clients who want to preserve the historic elements of their homes. She also encourages personalization. One way to do this, she says, is with appliances. “Leave the architectural integrity in place, and bring in your personality with the items that have a shorter lifespan. Stainless steel isn’t a natural fit with a Craftsman home, but if that’s what you like, go with it. Appliances are like jewelry. Think of them as accessories that can be used to change a look, to keep up with trends, and leave the foundations in place.”
In addition to personal taste, Knoche believes a kitchen must suit the people who use it. “We’re seeing more and more three-generation families, and it’s important to take everyone’s needs into consideration,” she reports.
With both parents often pursuing demanding careers, preparing meals with kids is an ideal way to work quality time into a hectic schedule. “While the kids are helping you chop and mix, you can also talk about school, sports, music lessons,” Knoche says. She’s seen countertops dropped down from the traditional 36-inch height to 30 inches. Not only is this a more practical height for kids, but the lower cabinets [drawers] are also frequently used for dishes, something unheard of 10 years ago.
Lower cabinets also fit in with seniors opting to stay at home rather than moving into assisted living situations. For those in wheel chairs or who have trouble stretching to reach high shelves, low cabinets are ergonomically sound.
De Wolf points out that when making decisions about remodeling, one of the things home owners need to consider is how long they will live in their homes. “If you will be there for a long time, then clearly resale value doesn’t factor in as much as it does if you intend to move in the near future. And if resale value matters, then you will do less personalization than you would otherwise.”
Kitchens are still the hub of a household, and Knoche says with kitchens often serving more than one purpose, efficiency is key. Message centers are popular. They eliminate clutter gathering on the kitchen island, and many homeowners like to integrate small-screened wireless computers into the message center. Flat-screen televisions with adjustable arms are also popular.
In a recent remodel, Knoche used the space below the message center as a place for the family dog’s bed. “That way he gets to be in the room with the family, but he’s not out in the middle of the room getting in the way.”
In fact, Knoche considers it important to include family pets in her designs. Two practical features are pull-out bins for storing pet food and feeding bowls raised from the floor both for ease of cleaning and to help older pets eat.
Sustainability, too, factors into many kitchen remodels. For example, more and more homeowners opt for sustainable materials like Lyptus®, a wood made from eucalyptus trees. The trees grow fast, and the durable wood has a rich mahogany tone.
Clients also look for energy-efficient appliances and low water-consumption dishwashers. Induction stoves are also growing in popularity. These heat and cool down quickly, are more energy efficient than gas, and research shows that temperature control is equivalent to that of gas stoves.
Just as people are caring more for the planet’s well-being, many consumers are also very health conscious. This can translate into smaller refrigerators. “People buy fresh food, so there’s no need to store a couple of weeks worth of groceries any more,” says Knoche.
Lighting also comes into play for the environmentally conscious, and some homeowners are adding windows to their kitchens. This not only makes use of available light, it also reduces the use of light over countertops.
Adding windows, while aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound, does eliminate valuable upper cabinet space, so homeowners must be creative with storage. “We’re seeing more free-standing units like armoires and cabinets you don’t traditionally associate with kitchens,” Knoche says.
De Wolf sees storage space as a perfect opportunity for homeowners to bring their personality into a space. “Cabinets are one of the most expensive features of a kitchen. I sometimes advise clients to keep their cabinets to a bare minimum, then save up for antiques like “hoosier” cabinets or ice boxes to fill in the rest of the space. It’s personal, it’s unique, and you can take the pieces with you when you move. You can also find pieces that reflect the period in which your house was built.”
De Wolf muses that one of the draws of trends is that people don’t trust their instincts. “Trends help people make decisions, so trends do have a function, but if people would trust their taste a little more they could develop something truly special for themselves.”
She recommends homeowners planning to remodel go into other spaces and jot down notes. “Keep track of what you love or don’t like about a space, and incorporate those ideas.” That said, she advises caution if what you like is on the trendy side. “I appreciate trends and do get inspired by them, but be careful when using trends in older homes. Be respectful of your home and its architecture. If you want an ‘80s kitchen, then buy an ‘80s home. An ‘80s kitchen really won’t ever look right in a Craftsman home.”
Knoche advises remodelers to know their life priorities, figure out their price, and work with a designer who understands their needs. “Then build a kitchen that suits you.” Be prepared to compromise, though, De Wolf advises, if one of your intentions is to stay true to the era in which your home was built. “I encourage clients to keep a diary of how they live and use their kitchen, what they like and don’t like. Then I ask them to rank the features they want. When you’re dealing with older houses, there’s always compromise of some sort. But if you know your priorities, they are quite manageable.”
