Paul Dyer
Open and dynamic kitchens that seamlessly blend with the rest of the home are at the top of home owners' wish lists for 2016, according to the latest Zillow Digs Home Trend forecast, released today.The analysis of popular photos on the real estate listing website and opinions of interior design experts revealed tuxedo or two-toned painted cabinets in complementary colors, hidden appliances, mixed hardware finishes, and wood paneling, like shiplap, are the biggest kitchen trends for 2016.Home owners are starting to take bigger risks in kitchen design. The first trend to go? Matching cabinetry and hardware finishes. Owners now have their sights set on tuxedo cabinets, or two-toned painted cabinets where the top and bottom doors are painted in complimentary colors (such as navy blue and soft gray). Homeowners are also opting to mix hardware finishes for a more eclectic look in the kitchen. Mixed and matched beautiful hardware accents "look like jewelry for the kitchen," said design expert, Jamie Beckwith of Beckwith Interiors in a news release.
Hidden appliances are also on the rise. Stainless steel is still popular, but for a less industrial and more streamlined look owners will choose to hide microwaves and refrigerators behind cabinet finishes. Wood paneling will also be in style as the popularity of the farmhouse kitchen style grows.
As quickly as these trends have picked up, three other design aesthetics have gone out of style. Homeowners will be trading in their speckled granite, short cabinets, and dark wood and paint colors for the styles above. Granite can stain and be hard to keep up with, and the speckled look is no longer popular. Instead, quartz, marble and even butcher block are rising in popularity. Tall cabinetry also gives kitchens the illusion of being bigger and brighter, so homeowners will replace shorter top row cabinets with ones that are flush with the ceiling and will choose light and bright paint colors over dark finishes to expand the open feel.