2020 Kitchen Trends

For the past several years white shaker cabinets have been all the rage. In 2019 we did see a lot of white mixed with medium and dark grays mostly on islands. Black and navy-blue kitchens have been popular requests by more adventurous clientele. Heading into 2020 we will see a mixture of three elements in kitchens. Painted wall cabinets, stained or natural wood bases and islands that give the pop of color clients are asking for.

Benjamin Moore has released their 2020 color trends and at the top of the list is First Light (2102-70) a soft rosy hue. Do I expect a client to request a ‘pink’ kitchen? Probably not, but if they do, we can deliver! Many cabinet lines offer to match Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams colors. What do I hope to see as a pop of color, navy is still my favorite but teal, hunter green and red would be fun to work with.

The simple lines of the Shaker door are still very popular but other flat paneled doors not as austere are being ordered. Keeping the door simple and adding wood grain texture, metal or color is what seems most popular.

Appliance manufacturers are now offering exciting finish options as well. Miele’s truffle brown finish is new and Viking has come out with graphite gray. GE’s slate is a smudge proof finish, a much welcomed relief from the maintenance stainless requires. Another smudge proof finish is black stainless, and AGA offers a matte black. For those who want to really make a statement, Bluestar appliances can completely customize your appliances offering a variety of metals and 750+ colors that you can combine.

Engineered quartz has been a very popular alternative to granite counter tops but it isn’t as perfect as it advertises. There are many different manufacturers of quartz and the quality varies. I’ve seen quartz discolor once exposed to UV rays and up close on some poor-quality brands, you can see it’s a digital print. I do think quartz has its place in the kitchen especially when you are going for a marble look, but you should stick with the name brands such as Cambria, LG and Ceasarstone. Personally, I like the depth granite has and even though it’s a porous material, I don’t find the maintenance to be so challenging that I wouldn’t promote its use.

Workstation sinks should seriously be considered in any size kitchen but especially a small kitchen. It’s not only a clean up sink, but with cutting board inserts, it becomes an extension of the counter top. Given its many accessories, a homeowner can perform a variety of tasks while using the carving board, condiment serving station, beverage station, drying rack and colander.

Personally, I’m excited to see what combinations we can put together for our clients in 2020. After a long period of painted white cabinets, white quartz counter tops and white subway tiles, I’m ready for the WOW!