Top Kitchen and Bath Design Trends for 2021
/If 2021 is your year to kick start your kitchen and bathroom remodeling plans, let this year’s top design trends inspire you. Kitchen and bath design is an investment in your home living spaces, so you want to be certain your chosen style will fit your lifestyle, personality, and style needs for years to come.
Many elements of kitchen and bath design stay the same and styles can be very slow to change. This makes sense since the basic purpose of kitchens remain the same, and most people do not change their kitchen style from one year to the next. When remodeling a kitchen, you should typically plan on it lasting approximately 20 years though this can vary depending on your lifestyle and how highly trafficked your kitchen design will be during its lifespan.
If kitchen and bath design trends do not vary widely from year to year, is it still worth reviewing annual design trends? Even though the core principles remain the same, advances in technology, materials, and lifestyles, as well as shifts in popular color schemes influence some changes in kitchen and bath design trends.
What is in store for 2021? This year, a renewed appreciation for home living spaces, working from home, storage, and hygiene influenced the latest innovations for these key rooms at the center of home life. Here are 10 top kitchen and bath design trends to inspire your remodeling plans this year.
1.Keep it simple and easy to clean.
Hygiene has become more important than ever in our homes, and you can see this in the latest trends and advances for kitchen and bath design.
Quartz is even more popular for kitchen and bath design, as the perfect marriage of style and functionality. This easy to clean material is virtually nonporous and antibacterial, meaning it does not need to be resealed, is stain-resistant, and hygienic.
Touchless faucets that are either motion or voice activated, or even touch tap faucets, have become a top request in kitchen and bath design this year. They have the obvious benefit of allowing you to wash your hands without coming into contact with your faucet, and therefore passing on germs. They also simplify cooking and clean up, as you can turn your faucet on and off while carrying raw meat or heavy pots and pans.
Smart toilets have moved into the mainstream, with features like automatic cleaning, flushing, and closing, as well as a sleek exterior that is simple to clean.
2. Maximize your storage space.
Storage is key to any kitchen or bath design, with today’s spaces seeing a combination of open and closed storage in the form of cabinetry, custom storage accessories, floating shelves, pantries, and more.
If you spent more time at home last year, you may have become keenly aware of the importance of storage to keep your kitchen and bathrooms clutter free. Storage that is personalized to meet your needs ensures that everything has a designated place, countertops and floors are clear, and drawers and corner cabinets are not a disorganized abyss.
Large pantries are key to this year’s kitchen storage solutions, with plenty of room for food supplies and all your specialized cooking gadgets and small appliances from instant pots to ice cream makers. While you are at it, include a large freezer to make advanced meal planning easier and take the stress out of weekday dinners.
3. Make the most of your kitchen island.
The island is the heart of the kitchen, where everything from meal preparation to dining, coffee dates, and homework happen. It also tends to be the gathering point for guests in your home, where everyone gravitates to find food and talk to the host.
If space allows in your kitchen design, go big with your island. Turn it into a multi-functional space that can easily transform from a home office by day to a cooking and casual dining space by night.
Include angled powerstrips and a charging station to allow you to easily use devices while sitting at the island.
The island offers another prime location for storage, in cabinetry, drawers, and open shelves that fit neatly at the end of the island.
An overhanging countertop creates space to sit, combined with stylish and comfortable barstools or chairs.
In a large kitchen design consider an L- or T-shaped island where one end serves as a dining table, perhaps in a contrasting countertop material.
Include a Galley Workstation to really transform your island into a multi-functional space. This revolutionary kitchen tool changes the way you work in your kitchen, allowing you to do everything from food prep to entertaining to clean up in one place.
4. Let your vanity float.
Cabinetry is key to bathroom storage and workspace, but it also doubles as a style statement in your bath design. Floating vanities are a top choice this year as they check every box you need for your remodeled space.
From providing essential storage to being aesthetically pleasing floating vanities are more popular than ever.
They also make your bathroom feel more open and your floor more accessible and easier to clean.
Wall-hung vanities are ideal for the popular spa-style bath design, as they give your room a more open, airy feel.
Pair them with floating shelves on the walls to complete your at-home spa with candles, plants, or an aromatherapy diffuser.
5. Go big with tile choices.
Larger format tiles feature heavily in bath design trends for 2021, with natural stone or stone-look materials bringing a calming element of nature into your home.
Large tiles not only give your bathroom a sleek style, but they are also easier to maintain with fewer grout lines.
Add a contrasting pebble tile shower floor, a linear mosaic border, or a tiled storage niche to create visual interest in your bathroom design.
6. Small tub, big shower.
Large showers have been growing in popularity, and in some cases, this means foregoing a bathtub to allow space for the luxury shower enclosure.
An alternative solution is to install a smaller, soaking tub that takes up less space in your bathroom footprint.
This sleek freestanding tub rests on the floor and can fit neatly into most bathroom designs, allowing more space for a larger shower design.
Include extras like a built-in shower bench, recessed storage niche, and multiple showerheads to complete your soothing shower design.
Now you have your choice of where to de-stress after a busy week!
7. Take comfort in your color schemes.
White and gray are still staples in kitchen and bath design color schemes, as are warmer neutrals like beige. If you want to mix up your color palette and add a comfortable, welcoming tone to your space try adding in this year’s popular color tones. Stay small by adding colorful accessories or go big by changing up your wall or cabinet colors.
Mediterranean colors are popular this year, with shades like aqua and orange bringing warmth to your home living spaces.
Bring the warmth of wood tones into your kitchen design, which goes with everything from blue to white, gray, metallic accents, and more.
Or take inspiration from the Pantone Color of the Year for 2021, which combines the optimism of the sunny yellow shade Illumination with the calming influence of the neutral Ultimate Gray.
With the latest advances in durable paint choices, you can find a shade to suit your style and personality that can withstand cleaning and last for years.
8. Add organic elements to your home.
Organic materials, textures, and color tones enhance any home living space. In kitchens and bathrooms, they create a welcoming environment that soothes the senses.
Focus on comfort and surround yourself with natural materials, soft textiles, wood, and nature-inspired neutral colors.
Keep your space clutter free to allow your natural materials to shine through.
Include contrasting textures for a more appealing design that stimulates all the senses, like the Yardley bath design pictured above that pairs teak and pebble tile on the same wall.
Where practical install natural wood flooring or go for a wood-look tile alternative if you want a more durable, low maintenance surface. If you install tile, include radiant underfloor heating to create a cozy, stylish, and practical surface.
9. Make room for specialty cooking.
Embrace your inner chef and follow the trend to install specialty ovens that allow you to do more within the same cooking space.
Try a convection speed oven to offer flexible cooking options in one place, like baking, broiling, and microwaving.
A steam oven offers healthier options through steam cooking that locks in moisture without requiring extra oil or fat.
10. Up your bathroom lighting game with backlighting.
Lighting is an essential component of any bathroom design, from recessed lights to sconces to pendants and more. One area that requires careful consideration is how to light your vanity area, specifically around your mirror. Not enough light and you can’t see. Too much light or poorly positioned lights and you get a glare.
A mirror with backlighting is a highly functional and stylish addition to a vanity set up.
Backlighting provides task lighting without glare and also offers ambient light that doubles as a nightlight.
It also gives the illusion of floating and accents your wall tile or paint color.
Now is the perfect time to start planning your 2021 kitchen or bathroom design. Get inspired by the latest design trends and check out more ideas in our kitchen design and bathroom remodeling galleries. Ready to get started? Contact us today or schedule a design consultation to discuss your remodeling requirements.
