Here at Wellborn Forest Products, we tend to be all about those cabinets, because that’s what we do: We build beautiful semi custom cabinets for new kitchens and remodels. But we aren’t totally obsessed with cabinets! We are equally obsessed with all things kitchen, including cabinets.
So in keeping with a new year (and keeping up with kitchen trends), we took a look to see what’s going on in kitchen appliances these days, and whoa! A lot! Here’s a breakdown of what we discovered, divvied up into what we deem to be the big-picture categories: style, function, convenience.
Stylish kitchen appliance trends
You’re able to choose the perfect semi custom cabinets for your new kitchen because so many choices are available to you. So you should be able to choose the perfect style in appliances too, and in 2017, you can!
Poking around, we see that white appliances are making a comeback, updated with stainless steel trim so they don’t look out-of-place in your new kitchen. Industrial style appliances are a suggested trend, although we think that’s been said before so we’ll see.
Retro looking appliances have been around for a long while, but they might finally be getting popular! Along with that retro look, we’re seeing a surge in color in appliances—yes, color. Goodbye, white, black and stainless steel. Hello, teal, cantaloupe and sky blue! (Although not every manufacturer is so generous with their palette, BlueStar offers gas ranges in a choice of 190 colors!)
Still like things muted? Red ranges aren’t for everyone, that’s for sure! But the white/black/stainless options can be boring. So check out gray appliances—yes, gray. They aren’t stainless steel and metallic, but actually gray in color, usually with stainless steel trim. Sharp! And not a surprise given the continued popularity of gray kitchen cabinets.
Functional kitchen appliance trends
Pulling together a new kitchen or kitchen remodel isn’t only about the style, however, as the functional trends prove. We are seeing appliances that are designed for more precise food storage and to enable healthier cooking, but also appliances geared toward an aging population.
Ovens top this list as they now come with alternative door types. You’ll find French door ovens, with two smaller doors that open sideways (vs. the one pull-down door of before). These are handy in kitchens where space is an issue. Ovens with side-opening doors are also getting more popular as people age and mobility is affected. A side-opening door at counter height makes an oven usable once again for someone in a wheelchair!
Speaking of, smaller appliances are also a hot trend, as families install living areas for elderly parents or adult children. These smaller appliances include dishwashers only 18 inches wide, two-burner cooktops, and smaller refrigerators.
In line with this trend, we also see under-the-counter refrigerators that can be used to put chilled items closer to where you are cooking, like the stove, but we can also see this kind of refrigerator working for someone with limited mobility as well.
As far as the healthier cooking, steam ovens are a new rage, as is induction heat for cooktops. Both promise to enable more precise, healthier cooking. Food storage is right there too, with refrigerators now offering specialized storage zones that promise to keep food fresher longer.
Convenient kitchen appliance trends
In addition to style and function, convenience is ever a popular trend in our busy world, and technology is enabling convenient appliances in several ways. Internet-enabled ovens, for example, can be monitored from your phone, so you can preheat the oven when you leave the office. And automated appliances can “talk” to each other to ensure all dishes are done at the same time, whether cooked in the oven or the microwave.
These are just a few of the appliance trends we are seeing, proving that kitchens will continue to be the heart of the home with style, function and convenience of utmost importance. And semi custom cabinets will continue to enhance these rooms as well, when you choose exactly the kind of cabinet style and finish you want from Wellborn Forest Products!