Did you know that cabinets are projected to have a $21.7 billion demand by 2021? According to a study in 2018 done by The Freedonia Group, specifically, tall cabinets and base cabinets are both projected to grow by over 5% annually, with the overall demand of cabinets continually increasing. Although these numbers may not strike you as interesting or appealing, they help to describe a story that relates to your everyday life. This is because styles, like physical taste, change over time and never seem to reach a ‘stand-still.’ This applies to everything in life, even in housing, kitchen, and bath. Here are ways to prepare for trends to come and ways make your house more appealing for resale, investment, and overall personal aesthetic.

Kitchen Trends

            A kitchen remodel, development, or even subtle changes have the ability to transform and re-emphasize the heart of your home. Although not everyone feels the need to update home interiors yearly, it’s important to know the direction kitchens are headed for the purposes of resale and investment! Some of the most notable ‘game-changing’ developments that will start to transform kitchens, and ultimately cabinets, include:

·       3D printing

More oriented towards hardware and faucets, companies are creating prototypes using 3D printing methods in order to follow through with more artistic, personal, and unique designs. With that being said, homeowners now have even greater options to customize kitchens. The importance of this trend is not to scare the average homeowner by overwhelming them, but to maximize the everyday value that people receive from their homes, specifically their kitchens.

·       Voice Control Appliances

“Alexa, where can I get semi-custom cabinets to match my style and appliances?”

“I found a place in Tampa Bay called UR Cabinets, would you like directions?”

Ah yes, the AI revolution is finally coming around to kitchen appliances. Kitchen lovers and amateur chefs unite, because this is about to make life in the kitchen a little more enjoyable. With appliances being a major investment in a kitchen, having ‘smart’ appliances may well be…smart. This trend emphasizes the technological advances in kitchen development and is indicative of seemingly modern and contemporary styles embodying sleek, simple, and fluid feelings. It will be interesting to see how voice control appliances vary in style, finish, and if there will be more customizable options depending on price variations. (For example, finding a way to incorporate voice control appliances and establish a farmhouse or traditional style.)

·       New Looks

Although this goes without saying, new looks are always interesting and developing. Specialty finishes are on the rise in homes including finishes like matte black, Ombre, and rose gold in order to accentuate personal taste and extra detail in otherwise drab kitchens. This helps better understand the need and demands for semi-custom and custom cabinetry, due to both the increase in options for consumers and the persistent increase in consumer personalization.

To summarize kitchen trends and development in terms of appliances, finish, and faucets, the main concern for consumers is efficiency, simplicity, and customization. New manufacturing techniques are making it easier for the average person to be able to afford unique designs and smart appliances, but what about the bulk of the kitchen??

 Fitting Cabinets into 2019

According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), up to 50% of kitchen investment is spent on cabinets, the design process, and cabinet installation/servicing. Take a second to realize how much space cabinets actually occupy, and you won’t be surprised to find that it is relatively a lot! There’s a reason for this – for the homeowner, cabinets organize and maximize the potential of a room’s space and have the ability to bring together the essence of a room. As described in the previous week’s article, “Why Cabinets? 5 things to…,” cabinets not only hold homeowner and monetary value, but are a representation of who you are and how you express yourself. For example, eclectic and chic styles are more likely to embrace a transitional or shaker themed kitchen in order to maintain balance between traditional and modern elements found in the kitchen. So where are cabinets headed in 2019?

1.     The simplest answer is, well, UP! Homeowners are substantially maximizing space and storage by choosing to increase the amount of tall cabinets in the kitchen. A lot of people are choosing to extend cabinets up to the ceiling and with various cabinet options, it makes it possible to utilize spaces that may be considered ‘hard to reach’ or ‘inaccessible.’ In an effort to consolidate value in remodeling, investing in, or developing kitchens, homeowners are finding it more affordable and perceive tall cabinets as a seemingly more intelligent investment.

2.     Innovative storage and utility. According to NKBA, up to 23% of consumers have said their biggest mistake in kitchen development was ‘penny-pinching,’ and more specifically with cabinets. In a world where everyone seems to want things fast, easy, and cheap, it is crucial that you DO NOT treat your home that way. At UR Cabinets, we believe the kitchen is the heart of every home, but we also believe that UR the link between a house and a home. This means finding personal value in every element of your home and being able to express your own style. With new trends comes innovation and alternate ways to get the most value out of your money spent. Sometimes you are unable to change the floor layout in a kitchen, but that shouldn’t change your utility in the given space. Corner drawers, tall cabinets, Lazy-Susan’s, and multipurpose cabinetry are all viable options for creating the most value and utility in your kitchen. The ultimate goal of your kitchen should not revolve around just organization and style, but more importantly functionality in order to make time spent in the kitchen more effective and enjoyable.

3.     Style. Kitchen styles range from farmhouse and traditional, to transitional, and finally to modern or contemporary. This is dependent on your primary interests in the kitchen. Asking yourself what holds more value, the overall feel of the room or the want to work around your appliances and color scheme, is important in pre-determining where your inspiration is headed. Overall trends in 2019 according to NKBA rank Farmhouse as the most sought-after style, followed by transitional and contemporary.  This includes paint finishes being the most prevalent in kitchens, followed by wood and glass cabinet finishes. In terms of color, light and neutral colors such as white, grey, and lighter wood finishes continue to dominate the market (meaning it is a safe investment when looking to resell). With all this said, there is no ‘right’ style, which is why it is important to continue to be inspired by unique elements of which we can help incorporate into your everyday life.

The importance of Kitchen trends is epitomized by those looking to resell their homes and is embodied by the everyday homeowner. Being a homeowner comes with an over-whelming amount of control and responsibility, but we hope that by distinguishing these kitchen trends and future insight may ease the heart of your home and provide more inspiration when looking to develop, remodel, or simply service your kitchen. As much as we wished kitchens lasted forever, that is not the case, and every great kitchen deserves a ‘makeover’ every once in a while. As styles continue to develop and change in your life, we hope that we can help you not only recognize and address the change, but also help to inspire you to make the most of your next kitchen space.

Market Information courtesy of:

The Freedonia Group

National Kitchen & Bath Association