Design Trends and Ideas For Kitchen Decor 2021

The kitchen has been recognized for decades as just a place meant for food preparation or cooking, and storage of food materials with functional appliances used in the process. However, with the advancement of interior kitchen design and the retainment of unlimited trends, it has become much more than that.

Designing a kitchen, although quite difficult, has been made easier because interior designers and homeowners have learned to pay more attention to details and have discovered how limitless the process can be, which is why the trend table is updated every year with some trends retaining popularity more than others. 

The Hottest And Latest Trends in Kitchen Design With Ideas That Remain Resilient Through Time

It’s the second half of the year, and in less than four months, we’ll be wrapping it all up, set for new adventures and new trends. When it comes to interior decor, the trend evolves every year, birthing new ideas and bringing back old ones in grand style. While we wait for more advanced kitchen design ideas in the coming year, let us have a review of the big things this year had for the walls, floors, and surfaces of the powerhouse of our homes- the kitchen.

This year offered interesting tendencies and a lot of new ideas have been introduced and initiated into the design of the kitchen, from the simple neutral blend to the mix match of bright colors. 

Kitchen Design Ideas and Current Trends

As earlier implied, a lot of antique, rustic, and classic trends have been renewed, especially this year. Most of these trends were considered old-fashioned and impractical until the modernization and readaptation of the simple and sophisticated elements that made each of those trends exactly what they were. 

Innovations and certain advancements in interior decoration have made both Interior designers and homeowners realize that nothing is too classic or too contemporary for homes and especially not a multi-functional space like the kitchen.

Here’s the list of the top twenty trends for this year;

Trend #1: Kitchen Design in Two Colors

Some homeowners are particularly scared of using colored patterns in their homes and especially in the kitchen because they fear the inability to but this year has proven to be one for colors. 

The use of colors isn’t particularly left to the paint of the walls, this trend is also easily achieved with the incorporation of colorful and contrasting materials like wood and tile, colorful flower vases, curtains, utensils, etc. To achieve this, you can use two colors on opposing color wheel sides for distinct color contrast.

Trend #2: Hidden Functional Facilities

In cases where so much conspicuousness is not preferred, this trend has made the simple and seamless look gain popularity. Achieving this look in the kitchen is not easy because it involves storing the functional facilities in the kitchen. Keeping refrigerators, ovens, and the like hidden in cabinets and other kinds of furniture for that purpose rids the kitchen of its stuffy feel. This decor has mostly been adopted in homes with an open floor concept where the dining room, living room, and kitchen share a connection.

Trend #3: Wood, Wood, and Even More Wood

Long gone are the days when using wood was too old. The latest kitchen design trends have provided room for the use of wood, even in modern interior designs. Interestingly, wood can easily blend in and connect with every other interior design pattern. It is adaptive, natural, and friendly to the environment. 

The wealth and quality look of dark wood makes it preferable amongst other variations of colors. 

Trend #4: Modern Kitchen Appliances and Shiny Surfaces

Homes with modern interior kitchen designs often opt out of the use of appliances with a sturdy matte look and go for shiner options. These appliances contribute to the seamless interior that some homeowners desire in their kitchens.

Trend #5: Solid Granite as a Modern Countertop

Do you know what else has transformed interiors aside from wood? Granite.

This natural stone enhances the interior design of the kitchen with an exquisite look. It is durable and fairly resistant to several damaging factors. The use of natural hard stone, particularly, is recommended.

Trend #6: Small Kitchen Cabinets

Still, in the case of achieving a less jam-packed and more seamless and clutter-free look in the kitchen, the use of fewer and smaller items and chic cabinets has been adopted by trend as the right solution and a lot of homeowners are beginning to adapt to the practice. 

Trend #7: Concealed Kitchen

The minimal space a kitchen has can be maximized by uniting the neighboring room which includes the dining. To achieve this, the cooking area is concealed and made as invisible as possible with furnishings like door panels that imitate the look of decorative finishings on the walls that blend with the decor of the kitchen so everything looks the same while the illusion of space is offered. This layout is flexible enough to extend to the living room from the dining room.

Trend #8: Sink Skirts

As you read earlier, the decor of this year has given antique designs a great comeback, and this is another big example. 

This once dowdy and outdated design is back in use in modern homes, providing a soft scheme to the kitchen and improving pattern and texture. The archetype of using sink skirts is based on the need to replace cabinet doors under the sink with something unusual.. 

Trend #9: All Marble

The strong veining patterns of marble give high-end luxury a whole new level. The use of marbles in the interior kitchen design has extremely stormed style charts. The classic nature, durability, sustainability, and ability to stay in trend for years at a stretch have contributed to the incorporation of its use in the kitchen. The textural contrast with other elements like wood and metal makes it a statement piece that adds value.

Trend #10: Black Character

A lot of homeowners have considered tanned and bright colors but not so many have thought of black, most are not even aware of the possibility of the use of this daring shade. The color black has mostly only been put in use as an accent color or just a color to throw around in little proportion. Trend says otherwise. Black cabinets, black walls, dark hardwood floors, and black colors on the surfaces give your kitchen a dramatic character. This decor is new on the trend table and would most likely stretch for years. 

Trend #11: Handsfree Decor

This is one of the newest kitchen design ideas. It seeks the application of advanced technology to create a free-flowing environment with enough multitasking. Advances in push and pull doors have made the use of handles dispensable. The cabinets on the base and walls all have sleek streamlined designs while lacking handles for pushing and pulling. The recessed technology of these hands-free furnishings serves the same purpose with even more additional materials. 

Trend #12: Lights for Statement

This is quite common by the way. This decor demands the use of accent lighting over the countertops, peninsula, or island. Pendant lights are very famous for this use. This provides a visual demarcation, especially in open-concept plans.

Trend #13: Two Islands

This is very suitable for large kitchens in open-plan places, and since islands are essential, it won’t hurt to make it two if the space allows it. This trend suggests that a pair of island units is necessary for luxury.

Trend #14: Pantry Cupboards

This has been established as one important must-have kitchen item. Instead of the use of multiple cabinets, this serves as a single unit for the storage of food and improves free flow in the kitchen. This rids the kitchen of clutter and frees up extra space that can be used for the fixture or installation of decorative accessories or art.

Trend #15: Gold, Gold, and Glitter

Homeowners and interior designers are taking advantage of the availability of faucets and sinks in different finishings and colors. This has introduced the application of aesthetics even in wet areas. These variations include sinks and faucets with gold finishes which most have quickly adopted.

Trend #16: Curator’s Kitchen

Character Influence with the use of artwork, glazed cabinets, open shelves, cookery books, etc. This thoughtful and carefully styled kitchen design adds personality to the kitchen, making it more than just any place but also a character piece. It is an option for people who intend on surrounding themselves with personal treasure and tangible objects. This curation is the perfect blend of minimalist and maximalist interiors. This is contrary to the seamless trend that requires hiding away kitchen items in cabinets, instead, there is a display of these items on the racks, dressers, open shelves, and cabinets.

Trend #17: Kitchen with Auxiliary Spaces

These thoughtfully planned and designed ancillary rooms include mudrooms, pantries, utility, and larder rooms. Homes planned to contain these spaces afford to have clutter-free areas since most items and essentials are stored away in them.

Trend #18: Mix match Decor

A lot of contrast is employed in this decor. Different materials with varying textures are confidently combined to form a harmony; Steel, timber, marble, brass, and more. Different shades of wood and metals are usually perfect complementing options. 

Trend #19: White Wash

Back to this popular spray of bright neutral. This has been on the rise this year, gaining more popularity in the interior of homes, especially in the living rooms and kitchens. This color has a neat and calm feel, which enhances light and creates an illusion of space. It is the simplest option that still affords to give off the luxurious feel of other decors, probably the easiest to achieve as well.

Trend #20: Floating Shelves

This has been available for a while, going on and off the trend table but gained more popularity this year. The high open floating shelf serves as a spot for the display of attractive and decorative kitchen accessories and essentials. 

Must-have Kitchen Appliances

Whether you’re starting a family or moving into your first apartment, there are several essentials for your kitchen you should make available for a start. 

1. Gas cooker and oven

2. Refrigerator

3. Water heater

4. Blender

5. Microwave

6. Toaster

7. Electric Chimney

8. Juicer

9. Food processor

10. Pressure cooker

Gas Cooker and Oven

This tops the list as an essential appliance.

It produces an instantaneous flame that cooks food faster than other methods. The heat distributed in it is even and can be easily decreased or increased. It is not affected by power cuts, uses cleaner fuel,  conserves energy, and has cheaper operating costs. It is by far the most responsive and efficient cooking approach.

Refrigerator

This serves as a cold room for food. It preserves and stores food and food items keeping them fresh and hydrated for long periods by slowing down bacteria activity, creating an unfavorable environment for them while extending the use and storage of food. Usually, it is maintained at the range of four to five degrees Celsius for use in homes. Aside from food preservation, refrigerators generally cool drinks and beverages for more enjoyable consumption.

Blender

Comes in two cup sections or containers, one for grinding dry food and ingredients and the other for grinding food ingredients into liquid. The grinding is done by using buttons or switches provided on the body to activate the metal blades situated in it. The switch usually has several speed options available in case you need to blend your ingredients smoothly or roughly.

Juicer

Fruits are very important for maintaining a healthy status, and that’s why juicers are manufactured to enhance your fruit intake and limit the excessive intake of soda and fizzy drinks. This essentially extracts healthy and delicious juice out of vegetables and fruits.

Microwave

This saves you the stress of having to heat your cold or refrigerated food on a stove. Interestingly, it is not made for this sole purpose, it can be used for popcorn, thawing frozen food, grilling, etc. The use reduces drastically, the risks of burns while cooking. A microwave heats food directly without heating itself. It is important to add that cooking vegetables with this is way healthier than using other heating methods, this is because the kind of heating emitted by a microwave retains the nutrients contained in vegetables, unlike other sources that tend to overheat and reduce the nutritive value.

Food Processor

Not every kind of food can be processed using a blender. Some hard foods could make the blades of a blender blunt or inactive. This is why food processors are made available. Some are powered manually and others electrically.

Water Heater

This makes hot water very accessible without the need to heat up in a kettle or on the stove. It is connected to the faucet so hot water can be gotten by just turning on the tap.

Toaster

Toasters make breakfast and brunch quick and easy. They are used to toast bread and make delicious homemade sandwiches.

Pressure Cooker

Hard meat parts and food are steamed and made tender easily with this. Pressure cookers use less water to cook food. Compared to conventional methods, It seals the vapor inside it enabling quick preparation of food.

Electric Chimney

The kitchen can be one stuffy smoke and vapor-filled place especially when a lot of cooking activities are going on and this could be bad for people who suffer from asthma. To make available a solution that would create a healthy cooking environment, electric chimneys or cooker hoods are manufactured to expel hot air and fumes that make the kitchen air-tight and uncomfortable.

    Best Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinets have been overlooked as just storage units, but they are way more than just that. They contribute heavily to the decor and aesthetics of the kitchen, and thus making the right choice is important. Cabinets that portray the style and possess ultimate function for homeowners are the most suitable choice.

Personal preferences, trends, and tastes determine a lot of choices, and cabinets are one of those. Fortunately, even high-end cabinetry is made just to fit preferences and budgets as well. However, when it comes to quality, the ability to perform a function or task should not be compromised. Here’s a list of Top cabinets by manufacturers loved by many homeowners;

1. Gramercy White

Within the last few years, this white cabinet style has gained so much popularity, and so many homeowners have grown to love the style. It provides the kitchen with high-end sophistication and comfort.

Features

• Dovetail draw borders

• Soft closing doors

• Full extension soft closing drawers

• Raised panel

2. K8 Mocha Rope Glazed Kitchen Cabinets

Real wood has been recognized for decades as the best material for cabinetry. Range goes from oak, pine, cherry, and maple, to so much more. These materials are finished accordingly. 

Features

• Hundred percent wood

• Door panels are ¾” thick

• Full overlay door panels

• Solid wood sidings

• Cabinet grade plywood about a half-inch thick lines base cabinets

• Dovetail drawers that are under-mount and have full extension.

• Metal bracket reinforcements

• Concealable steel drawers slides 

• Six-way adjustable European hidden metal hinges

3. Geneva Cabinets

Features of this masterpiece stand out a bit from the others with its big size. It has a combination of plywood frameless construction design and shelving.

Features

• A quarters-inch MDF backing with five pieces

• Raised panel doors are three-quarters inch MDF with thermo-foiled material

• Have Six-way clip-on adjustable hinges

• Side mounting is achieved with epoxy coating slides

• Facilitates combi-plywood adjustable shelving

• Wall cabinets have a depth of twelve and a half inches and are laminated white.

• Base cabinets have a depth of eighteen inches and have a dust color

4. Downtown Dark Kitchen Cabinet

This portrays elegance and simplicity with its highly refined look and neat lines. It has subtle detailing, which is combined with classic and traditional designs. 

Features

• Full extension soft closing drawers

• Dovetail drawer boxes

• Soft closing doors

• Bold finish and designs

5. Crème Maple Kitchen Cabinets

This kind has two forms; one with Six-way adjustable hidden metal hinges and the other with four-way adjustable hidden metal hinges. Both kinds have optional soft close hinges.

Features

• Full overlay door panels with a thickness of about ¾” inches each

• Has a dovetail drawer design

• Undermounted concealable glides

• Wood sides are a half-inch thick

6. Galaxy Cobblestone Dark Gray Kitchen Cabinet

This kitchen cabinet was made in a transitional style – having a blend of both classic and contemporary features. The polished look suits every modern interior and is the right choice for minimalists. It possesses an exceptional construction that contributes to its great quality. 

Features

• Mortise and tenon construction

• Solid wood door frames

• MDF center panel is ⅜” inches

• Compact Blumotion 

• Concealed Six-way adjustable hinges

• Full overlay door

• Soft-close mechanism

7. Ile Shadow Dark Gray Cabinet

This gray cabinet has a simple and neat design and features three styles; Illume mist, Illume shadow, and  Illume luster. 

Other color shades include; classy gray and deep gray.

Features

• High-quality finishing

• Soft-close mechanism

8. Greystone Shaker Cabinets

This Kitchen cabinet provides a dramatic contemporary twist to the decor of your kitchen.

Features

• Waterborne UV finish

• Low VOCs

• Scratch-resistant

9. Milan Shale Dark Gray Kitchen Cabinet

A combination of wood texture and tones is an awesome choice for kitchens with rustic and traditional settings. The natural materials and extreme lustrous finish will be the right blend for light-colored decorations.

Features

• Door frame

• ¼” solid wood edge

• Drawer front Vertically stripped hardwood veneer

• ¾” MDF slab

• Concealed Six-way adjustable hinges with soft-close feature

• Under-mount tracks with full extension soft-close

• The drawer box is ⅝” 

• Dovetail solid wood drawer box

10. Galaxy Horizon Light Gray Cabinet

This cabinet has a bright gray hue that is neatly stained. It provides an atmosphere that is gentle, crisp, bright, and fresh.

It possesses a timeless design for the kitchen and gives the interior a modern edgy vibe. The interior is finished with natural wood veneer.

Features

• Full overlay door which has a mortise and tenon construction.

• The solid wood door frames which measure about ⅜” have an MDF center panel and a compact Blumotion soft-close mechanism.

• The drawers have Five-piece recessed panel drawer fronts.

• ⅝” solid birch drawer box has dovetail construction

• The boxes have dovetail construction ½” 

• The adjustable shelves are ¾” and are banded in the wood veneer

• Deep shelves of about eighteen inches are contained in the base cabinet 

How to make the right cabinet choice for your home

• Quality: first things first, find quality. Cabinets with solid frames, drawer fronts, door fronts, reinforced corners, closed backs, and top-quality construction should be put on top of the list. Quality cabinets have a high resale value and would provide the elegance you desire in your kitchen.

• Door style: all styles which include traditional, transitional, and contemporary are finite. In this case, it is best to choose the style that would fit your preferences. It does not have to be a trendy option.

• Finishing and hardware: wood cabinets especially are finished in numerous ways by manufacturers; distressed, painted, glazed, stained, and rustic. The right choice here is not only determined by your preferences but most especially by the interior design, you intend on giving your kitchen. If your kitchen has a modern interior design, the painted cabinets are more suitable. If it has a traditional interior, the antique or rustic finished cabinets will fit just right.

• Cabinet color: if your kitchen does not let in a good flow of natural light, it is best to stick with light colors that would brighten up the space and provide an illusion of space. Light-colored wood like oak and maple are good options to choose from. On the other hand, if your kitchen has a high in-flow of natural light, darker shades like mahogany and cherry wood would be suitable.

• Cabinet boxes: this is an important part of a cabinet, and it deserves some extra attention and investment. This is because, unlike every other feature you can change or repair, the boxes are irreplaceable, and the ones with high quality are timeless. The right options include drawer boxes that have dovetail joints, plywood with corner braces, and high-quality joints.

Best Blenders

Vitamix Costco E320 Blender

Sixty-four-ounce container blends are medium to large batches. The cups, which are about twenty-five ounces, are very retainable and avoid spills and food waste.

Features

• Dimensions: 11 × 8 ×8 in / 28× 20 × 46cm

• Weighs about 10.5 lbs

• Low-profile 64-ounce BPA-free container

• 2.2 HP High-performance motor

• Ten variable speeds and pulse 

• Accessories include; a motor base, cookbook, low-profile tamper, starting guide, personal cup adapter, two 20-ounce cups, and two lids.

• Warranty: seven full years

• Container material: plastic

• Capacity: 60 fl. oz.

• Cord length: 54 inches

• Number of attachments: two

Koios 850W Blender

This powerful personal blender has a copper motor with pulse technology which allows an expansion of creative activities in the kitchen; grinding, blending, mixing, grating, and pureeing. Versatility is unlimited. It has a juice blender and bullet smoothie maker with a flat two-leaf blades design and a six-leaf cross. The toughest foods and ingredients are properly blended in about ten seconds. This blender has a compact design which makes it easy to store. 

Features

• Dimensions: 9.45 × 4.92 × 11.42 inches in length, width, and height respectively.

• Voltage: 120V, 60Hz

• Upgraded 304 stainless steel

• Operating time is less than a minute

• Power: 850W

• RPM: 22000

• Accessories include; 1 × motor base, 1 × flat-top lid, 2 × 17oz tall cup, 1 × 10oz cup, 1× cross blade unit, 1× flat blade unit, 2 × spout lid, 1 × sieve lid, 1× cleaning brush, 1 × user manual. 

• Materials include; stainless steel and plastic

• Dual-circuit protection prevents overheating and overloading.

• Has an enhanced version 6830 pure copper motor

• Lids and cups are made of food-grade BPA-free plastic

Blendtec Classic Original Blender

This high-quality blender is used amongst the largest smoothie shops. Uses include making smoothies, soups, margaritas, cocktail drinks, crushed ice, ice cream, etc. It is self-cleaning and has a thick stainless steel body. 

Features

• Dimensions: 7 × 8 × 15.5 inches in length, width, and height respectively

• 70-ounce BPA-free four-sided jar

• Blending capacity is 32 ounces for both wet and dry foods.

• Voltage: 120W, 1560 Hz

• Color: Black

Oster Blender Pro 1200

Extra blending power is provided by dual-direction blade technology. The Blade system allows fast, free-flowing, and smooth blending. 

Features

• Dimensions: 14.25 × 7.25 × 8 inches in length, width, and height respectively

• Voltage: 1200W

• The cord is about sixteen inches long

• The smoothie cup is 24 ounces with extra capacity

• Smart setting technology: seven speeds

• Pulse feature enhances precision and control

• Material: Plastic

• Six-cup Boroclass glass jar

• Weight: seven pounds

Ninja BL660 Professional Countertop Blender

Dishwasher safe and has BPA-free parts, three speeds, single-serve functions, and pulse.

Features

• Dimensions: 8 × 6 × 17 inches in length, width, and height respectively.

• Voltage: 1100W, 120V

• Material: Plastic

• The total crushing pitcher is 72 ounces

• Two Ninja cups are 16 ounces each

• Color: gray

How to Organize your Kitchen

• Eliminate dead spaces in the kitchen.

• Store knives and other sharp objects out of the reach of children.

• For foods that do not need constant storage in the refrigerator, create a safe storage space or rack to store them.

• Always declutter. Do not leave items and utensils carelessly on surfaces or countertops. After use stores everything away.

• Use the back of the cabinet doors as a spot to hang light items like pot lids, measuring cups, and cutting boards. You can also utilize the space as a spot assigned for just your knives.

• Make use of tension rods to store cleaning materials like towels, or create extra space for storing spices.

• Arrange items in the fridge in a neat and aligned manner. Avoid just stuffing the refrigerator. For instance, fruits and dairies should be kept in the respective areas assigned to them.

• Make use of food storage containers, especially transparent ones.

• Create work zones for different activities and tasks.

Interior decoration has expanded from just living rooms to more areas in the house, with a little more attention given to the kitchen. 

In an era firmly driven by technology, interior designing and redesigning of kitchens has adjusted to serve various decorative needs of homeowners who seek a unique appeal and a soul-satisfying convenience in their kitchen.