With 2018 just around the corner, eieihome.com is taking a look at kitchen trends for the new year. Fear not, hot pink refrigerators and salad gardens growing from the middle of your island aren’t a trend just yet. However, you can look forward to colour and hints of nature in the kitchen.
We’ve enlisted the help of AyA Kitchens and Baths to give us an inside scoop on some of the details and designs that will be adding flavour to Canadian kitchens throughout the upcoming year. Amy Dillon –principal designer for AyA Kitchens and Baths sat down with our own Devon Gleed in a video series outlining three big kitchen design trends to watch in 2018. Take a look: http://bit.ly/2fS2Clo
Au Naturel
The first of these trends is the addition of natural elements to the kitchen. We’ve seen Canadian homeowners embracing natural materials like wood and stone in the kitchen for quite a while now. Thanks in part to the popularity of design-styles like Scandinavian, Farmhouse, and Coastal, there remains a strong desire to bring the outside in.
While natural stone has been a star in the kitchen for many years, we’ve really seen wood come into its own more recently. Wood details can feel grounding and warm. Wood not only speaks to a desire to have more of a relationship with nature, but it also harkens back to the intimacy of true craftsmanship and an authenticity that so many people crave.
There are several ways that you can add the natural warmth of wood to your kitchen in 2018. Some require a high level of commitment, while others hardly require any at all. Simply choose what works best for your household.
Here are some of our favourite ways to bring the natural warmth of wood into the kitchen:
Floating Shelving
Floating shelving has proven itself to be a viable alternative to the traditional kitchen cabinet. It’s also a great way to incorporate not only wood but airiness into your kitchen design. With cabinet boxes and doors removed from the space, it makes the kitchen feel lighter and larger, while also placing a focus on your wood shelves.
Islands
One particularly interesting way to add the natural texture of wood to your kitchen is by adding wood paneling to the back of the base of your kitchen island. It’s an accent that packs a big punch, but without the high commitment that something like a wood wall requires.
Of course, cladding isn’t the only way to add wood to an island. You can also go all in by installing butcher block countertops.
Wall Cladding
Wood walls are still going strong in Canadian interiors. Shiplap treatments and reclaimed or exotic wood details lend a rustic, homey feel to the space.
Furniture and Décor
If you love the idea of wood in the kitchen, but want more of an easy update than a full-scale renovation, try incorporating this natural detail in the form of furniture or accessories. A hefty farmhouse table, a collection of cutting boards, or wooden boxes can also infuse your kitchen with the natural warmth of wood.
Be sure to look for the next installment in our series on 2018 kitchen trends, where we’ll talk about two-toned kitchen cabinetry.
Explore eieihome.com, today, for more information and kitchen renovations inspiration or to connect with a kitchen renovation expert.
