During these years, the emergence of modern farmhouse and industrial themes took the kitchen space in a contemporary direction — but neutral tones endured.
By Donna Heiderstadt
As NKBA celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2023, we’re taking a retrospective look back at major kitchen and bath design trends over the seven decades since our founding. This week, we’re revisiting what happened in kitchen design in the second half of the previous decade — 2019-2015 — as we continue to work backward a half-decade at a time until we highlight the top trends in the kitchen and bath spaces in the early 1960s.
Transitional Inspired Two Popular Trends
Although the transitional design trend of the early 2010s remained popular in the second half of the decade, a move toward a more contemporary kitchen space also emerged. According to NKBA’s 2016 Design Trends Survey, homeowners began showing an increased interest in the modern farmhouse and industrial style. In fact, 44 percent of designers reported receiving requests for modern farmhouse styles, while 19 percent reported requests for industrial. Seemingly overnight, farmhouse sinks and Edison bulbs were everywhere. While mid-century modern also had its moment, it was more prominent in living and dining spaces. In the kitchen, the whites, grays and blacks of farmhouse chic reigned supreme, giving it new relevance as a lifestyle space.
Neutrals Endure — Even as Two-Tone Mixing Emerged
Gray, white and off-white kitchen cabinets were in high demand as homeowners ditched dark wood cabinets of the past to create lighter spaces that felt more spacious and modern. Two-tone cabinetry became popular as well, often with darker lowers in gray (and later in shades of blue and green) paired with uppers in white, off-white or light wood. Some clients opted for judicious use of color as an accent in paint or tile. Cabinet design also evolved as manufacturers added new storage features, like pull-outs, tilt-outs and tilt-ins for easy storage, and open shelving gained momentum.
Quartz and Granite Countertops Remained Popular
Homeowners continued their affinity for quartz and granite countertops, but NKBA’s 2016 Trends Report revealed that two-tone mixing extended beyond cabinets. Many designers said they were using a different countertop material for the island versus the perimeter, resulting in a mixed palate that sometimes incorporated both stone and wood, such as butcher block.
Homeowners Requested Built-ins to Match Their Lifestyle
Designers received an increasing number of requests for features and amenities tailored to a client’s specific lifestyle, including coffee stations, wet bars, under-counter wine fridges or pet-feeding spaces. Additionally, integrated technology and convenient charging stations for devices were also in high demand.
Demand for Outdoor Kitchens Grew
Outdoor entertainment areas, complete with chic and functional kitchens, increased in popularity beyond their initial emergence in the Southeastern and Southwestern U.S. Almost 50 percent of designers reported an outdoor kitchen in their projects in 2015 and 2016. By 2019, demand had sky-rocketed, and these outdoor spaces proved to be a practical solution for pandemic-era gatherings.