If you follow interior design, you know that trends seem to come and go with the seasons, and this new year is no different. As has been the case over the past few years, there is a huge focus on keeping an eye towards the future.

Kitchen designs for this year and the years to come will reflect an interaction between technological innovation and artistic expression. Timeless design styles are being updated and personalized via eye-catching designer pieces, more color and material combinations and other unique adornments. At the same time, cooking is becoming faster and more efficient with smartphone and tablet apps.

In 2017 and the years that will follow, the kitchen will become an increasingly more efficient, convenient space, but don’t let that fool you. Attention to aesthetics and details will still matter, and will reflect more individualized styles and preferences.

Two-Tone Kitchens

Our Gramercy Midnight & Gramercy White kitchen cabinets are perfect for creating your two-tone kitchen!

Why choose one cabinet style when you can mix & match? For the eclectic and traditional alike, two-tone kitchens are sure to make a splash in 2017. Though it was once the domain of the expensive, fancy kitchens that grace the pages of interior design magazines, everyday homeowners are embracing the concept and trying it for themselves.

One popular version of the two-tone kitchen design is the “tuxedo” kitchen, where the top cabinets are white while the base cabinets are a darker hue, usually grey, dark brown, or black. You can also choose to make the island cabinets an opposite color or design style from the cabinets along the wall.

The beauty of this design concept is that it allows you to be more creative and leave your own mark on your kitchen design. Find small details such as beautiful metallic cabinet hardware, or an eye-catching countertop & backsplash combination, to tie the two opposite cabinet colors together.

Smart Appliances

If you follow home technology news, you’ve probably heard “the kitchen of tomorrow” referenced a number of times. The idea is that our future kitchens will be filled with high-tech conveniences that truly change the way we live our day-to-day lives. Well, that future just may be a lot closer than you think.

Increasingly more impressive kitchen technologies have popped up on the market in the past few years, and they’re sure to start appearing in more and more homes across America in the coming year and those to follow.

One common thread among many of these high-tech appliances is the ability to control an appliance without even being in the kitchen. Our smartphones and tablets are becoming virtual hubs for operating just about everything in our home, including precision cookers, gas grills, and multi-function smart cookers.

Though they aren’t new, automated hands-free faucets are now more common than ever. This hygienic technology is a perfect way for home cooks and their kids to work efficiently in the kitchen without spreading nasty, illness-causing germs.

White Kitchen Cabinets

All-white kitchens have long been a favorite of homeowners and kitchen designers, as they provide a reliably versatile foundation for an endless array of kitchen design styles. In 2017, this trend shows no sign of stopping, as white kitchen cabinets continue to reign supreme as the most popular choice.

Classic white kitchens, featuring a simple, geometric Shaker cabinet style, a natural stone countertop such as marble or granite, and monochromatic hues, are popular among those who prefer an easy, no-frills kitchen design. The Ice White Shaker kitchen cabinet is perfect for classic, modern, contemporary, and eclectic kitchen designs.

White cabinets with detailed raised center panels, such as the Signature Pearl kitchen cabinet style, are great for traditional kitchens that are adorned with crown moldings, corbels, and other detailed accessories.

Since white kitchen cabinets provide a neutral foundation, the design possibilities are endless. The white kitchens of 2017 and the years to follow will surely feature new and interesting takes on an old classic.

Designer Cabinet Hardware

When designing a kitchen, the small details matter. The right accessories and adornments can enhance the entire look of what would be an otherwise simple-looking kitchen. Also referred to as pulls and knobs, cabinet hardware is getting some much deserved attention as a subtle yet effective way to add a touch of luxury to your kitchen.

Gone are the days of choosing between basic hardware materials and styles. Intricate designer pulls and knobs in all kinds of eye-catching designs are a great way to individualize common stock cabinetry. With all kinds of contemporary geometric shapes, unique material combinations, and even pieces reminiscent of small museum sculptures, we’re bound to see more and more homeowners turning their kitchen cabinets into works of art.

Engineered Countertops

Natural stone countertops, mainly granite and marble, have long been the popular choice for homeowners, especially for traditional kitchens. However, as kitchen designs advance along in the technological age, virtues such as innovation and conservation are being prized above sticking to the familiar and traditional.

This particular design environment has allowed the engineered countertop industry to thrive. Rather than being sourced from the earth’s crust, engineered countertops are man-made, often using repurposed materials such as recycled glass or paper composites. This makes engineered countertops a great option for our increasingly more environmentally-conscious world.

In addition, while the styles and colors of stone countertops tend to be limited, engineered countertops can be created with an almost endless number of colors and styles. If you absolutely love the natural look of stone countertops, don’t worry. Many manufacturers produce countertops that quite accurately mimic the hues and random veining of popular granite and marble styles.

Patterned Backsplash Tile

An eye-catching backsplash can take your kitchen design to a whole new level. But kitchen designs always seem to feature the same repeat offenders – basic subway tiles or simple square tiles in any number of sizes. While these options may be considered timeless, they can be a bit boring.

As with the designer cabinet hardware trend, more homeowners are seeking out unique tiles to pair with their cabinetry and countertops, and in 2017, we’re sure to see them become a more permanent fixture in kitchen design. Otherwise basic cabinetry will be enhanced by hand-painted tiles, computer printed tiles, mosaics, and other beautiful styles.