Home Design Trends: Part 2 & 3: Countertop Trends & Cabinet Trends

Welcome back! If you missed our post last week, you can find Part 1 on “Home Design Trends: Flooring Trends” on the post just before this one. Today we’ll get to read the final 2 parts of our post; Countertop Trends and Cabinet Trends. Find a comfy seat and cozy up to see what’s hot in countertops and cabinets!

Part 2: Countertop Trends

Did someone say quartz? If so, that would be a fantastic choice! Quartz is one of my favorite options out there for counters right now and based on what customers have been choosing the past few years, it just might be your favorite, too. We are seeing it used in virtually every room in the house; kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, mud rooms, you name it! Quartz is a man-made material and is considered nonporous. You know what that means, right? It means you don’t have to seal and reseal your countertops year after year. With all the craziness of regular life, less maintenance is always a victory in my book! Quartz countertops are also very scratch resistant. If you look up the hardness of quartz countertops online, many sites will indicate that quartz is as hard or harder than granite. You’ll likely find that the Mohs hardness of quartz will often be listed between a 7 and an 8. That’s pretty strong! To put that into perspective, granite countertops often land between a 6 and an 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, and marble often ranges from a 3 to a 5 on the Mohs hardness scale. Quartz, granite and marble can all still be dramatically beautiful options. We are still using all three materials in homes regularly, but quartz has taken the lead on our stats board. Just look at how clean it looks!

Another popular countertop trend I get asked about regularly is adding waterfall panel ends in kitchens. This is where we add a slab of your countertop material to the side of your cabinets. This is most commonly added at a kitchen island. Isn’t it stunning?! It’s quite a sleek detail that can bring the look of your kitchen to a whole new level!

Part 3: Cabinet Trends

There is so much I could say about cabinet trends. The amount of time I spend with customers on the cabinet details of their home has grown exponentially over the years. I think homeowners are more educated than they ever have been due to social media and various tv shows. This has allowed people across the globe to share ideas on aesthetics as well as figure out better ways to make their cabinets function for their wants and needs.

One of the simplest cabinet trends has been with adding cabinet hardware. If I look out my office door, I see a 6-foot-tall display full of hundreds of cabinet knobs and pulls of varying sizes and color finishes. This has become, in my opinion, the #1 jewelry accessory for cabinets in today’s market. It completes the room so well and reduces the amount that your hands touch the actual cabinet (thus reducing smudges). I give cabinet hardware an enthusiastic two thumbs up!

Painted cabinets would be one of the next cabinet trends that has taken over the cabinet market. In recent years I’ve heard white cabinets dubbed as “classic” and “timeless.” I’d have to agree to some degree. White cabinets are a color of cabinets that I saw in the 90’s and still see today. I will note that cabinet door styles have thankfully been updated since the 90’s, but the good old clean white tones are still thriving more than ever. There is also a plethora of greige (grey/beige) toned cabinet colors that are positively stunning. These greige tones have really allowed the clients who want a new look to have something updated and lighter without having to go super white or extremely gray with their cabinet color. I like to consider these more subtle greige tones as “chameleon” tones. They’re versatile. And lastly, we see accent colors on cabinets. Accent colors are ranging anywhere from charcoal black tones to blues (both dark and light) and even deep greens. These colors are splashed on wood hoods, kitchen islands, butler’s pantries, bathroom cabinets, mudroom cabinets, and laundry cabinets. There is one category of stained cabinets that, though not painted, are a large trend these days, as well. Light, neutral, natural looking stain has made its way into many homes across America. This neutral tone stain is seen in all the same places you’d see the above listed accent paint colors.

Some other cabinet trends that have taken over the Texas market are stacked upper cabinets, open shelving, and large kitchen islands. Stacked upper cabinets have a beautiful way of bringing your eyes up in the room and filling the empty space in a kitchen. They can provide extra storage for dishes you may only use a few times a year. They can also be done with glass doors for more decoration. Open shelving has a way of opening an area up that might otherwise feel cramped. You can put useful items like recipe books and classic dishes on these shelves. And, let’s not forget about oversized islands. Who doesn’t love a grand island to prep meals on, lay out your charcuterie board, have your kids eat breakfast at before school while you get lunches ready, tell stories and make memories with family and friends as you gather around and share your home with people you care about? It’s wonderful how homes have become so well thought through in recent years!

Summary

I think all these features bring beauty and function to a home. Many of these options even offer versatility. In turn, versatility can mean longevity. Don’t get me wrong, I do feel that most “trends” do have an expiration date. But, I love how some of these trends today seem to be extending the life of a trend. And, after you spend all this money on a home you love, it’d be nice if some of it can last you a while! You can find gorgeous options and selections in all different price points. So, have fun searching for the products that are right for you and your home! Cheers!