What does your dream kitchen look like? Colorful cabinets, farmhouse sink, island? Kitchen trends come and go, and we’re excited about what 2020 has in store for one of the most popular rooms in the house. Houzz recently released its 2020 Kitchen Trends Study; read on to learn more about what’s in and out for the coming year!

The Island Life

Islands continue to be popular fixtures in kitchen remodels. According to Houzz, half of all homeowners choose to add an island when renovating their kitchens, giving them added storage space, the opportunity for overhead lighting (both recessed and pendant), and a home for appliances like dishwashers and microwaves. L-shaped islands are most popular, coming in at 40 percent of all upgrades, followed by U-shaped at 30 percent.

Mixing Blues and Grays

Blue walls, hardwood floors and engineered quartz countertops are growing in popularity. But far more popular are white cabinets, which account for 45 percent of remodeled kitchens, Houzz reports. Two in five homeowners choose colorful island cabinets to complement the rest of the room, with gray and blue being the two most popular colors for island cabinetry.

Farmhouse Style Fades

Transitional and contemporary style kitchens account for 21 percent and 16 percent of upgrades, respectively. Farmhouse style has dropped to fourth place, with only 11 percent of remodelers opting for a rustic look. Neutral color palettes are still king, with many homeowners opting for gray, white and beige walls; hardwood and vinyl, wood-toned flooring; and stainless-steel appliances (why stop a good thing?). But risk-takers are adding a little personality to their kitchens with blue walls, beige floors and black appliances.

Upgraded Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets account for 94 percent of all kitchen upgrades, with Shaker-style reigning supreme. Though most people choose to completely replace old cabinetry, one in four homeowners opts for a partial upgrade, like refinishing or repainting existing cabinets. While they’re at it, many homeowners are putting in a full-wall backsplash from countertop to ceiling. Ceramic and porcelain continue to dominate for backsplash materials, with marble following in third.

Resources Drive Decisions

Spending on kitchen remodels continues to increase, with most homeowners reporting their primary reason for undertaking a remodel is that they finally have the means to do so. That said, remodels themselves are smaller in scope, with homeowners scaling back the breadth of their upgrades, according to Houzz, and opting against full gut-jobs. Instead, kitchens are being made more open with views to other rooms, with current layouts and sizes staying relatively the same.

Bestselling Kitchen Accents

Houzz reports that the top five categories for kitchen finishes are:

• Kitchen faucets

• Range hoods

• Pendant lights

• Kitchen sinks

• Barstools

Whether you’re planning a full remodel or just sprucing up your space, we recommend keeping Houzz’s study in mind. The good news is that clean, classic looks with a touch of personality are in, which means your kitchen remodel is sure to stand the test of time.

With Thanksgiving feast fast approaching, which kitchen appliances are you

most thankful for? Here are a few luxuries which would make any cook

happy.

1. Warming Drawer – With oven space at a premium, what better solution

for keeping our favorite recipes deliciously fresh and warm?

2. Wine Refrigerator – This saves me from running down to the basement

every time we need to open a new bottle.

3. Task Lighting – When guests arrive and naturally want to congregate

in the kitchen, I can dim overhead fixtures and pendants while still having

light to work.

4. Glass Washer Drawer – A true convenience eliminating long nights spent

hand washing delicate stemware.

5. Recycle Cabinets – The easiest way to separate waste from recyclables.

What’s on your wish list for best kitchen appliance?

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

-Janet

Luxury kitchen design and amenities can be the true selling points of a home. For deeper insights, we talked with Chuck Schagrin, a luxury kitchen design professional and founder of Amherst Corporation, to take a look at the latest design trends and important elements for kitchens in today’s luxury market.

Can you give us a quick one-minute bio about yourself and what you do?

I’m Chuck Schagrin, and I have an masters in architecture. I don’t practice as an architect, but I apply the design skill from my masters and renovate numerous kitchens and custom projects driven by clients.

How many kitchen renovations do you do in one year?

Many of my kitchen projects are either kitchens for newly-built houses or remodels to existing homes, and I work on about four to six of these custom kitchens per year.

What defines a luxury kitchen?

Luxury is in the eye of the beholder. Typically, it involves high-end appliances and materials such as granites, marbles and even some of the new synthetic quartz materials. Luxury also includes valves, sinks and how the lighting is distributed. For example, there is a new home on Clayton Road with a beautiful luxury kitchen that has custom cabinets handmade by a carpenter and finished with a custom glaze.

How important is hiring a designer for a luxury kitchen?

I’m a firm believer that hiring a designer for a luxury kitchen truly pays off for homeowners, in multiple ways. First, the designer is in a position to take the thoughts and ideas of a client and lead that client to review options and make a final choice. Further, an interior designer or design professional is able to work with other materials and designs in the home and tie those into the kitchen so that it all comes together in a cohesive way. There is a world of choices and opportunities that the homeowner alone could never have access to—so having a designer will help immensely.

Why would someone choose to redo their kitchen?

My work is a mixture. One type that’s not in this mix is someone who wants to update their kitchen in order to sell their house. Instead, a number of my kitchens are in newly-purchased homes/condos. The other type I’ve worked on are with owners who have lived in their houses for 12+ years and want to update their kitchens because their appliances are outdated. Lastly, I do projects in new houses that are still being built.

How important is the layout in a kitchen?

The layout is critically important for several reasons. It needs to be user-friendly—both for someone who does a high-volume of cooking and someone who is a more casual kitchen user. A layout is also important because of the flow of guests and how you want to interact with them while you’re in the kitchen. Finally, it’s important to the design style. You can’t have a kitchen where the layout doesn’t complement what you’re trying to accomplish.

How do you help customers balance what is trending now vs. a more timeless look?

It comes down to the client’s personal preference—but again, a design professional is extremely important to understanding what a client wants and how to accomplish it.

What is the most common issue with kitchens in older homes?

Kitchens in older homes often have more structural restrictions. Whether it be with the lines, plumbing, etc., all of these issues can obviously be addressed, it just comes with more of a price.

What is your favorite part of designing kitchens?

Personally, my favorite part of designing is when a client comes in with a shopping list of ideas for their kitchen, and at the completion of the process, the client says: “That is exactly what I wanted.” Part of this process is giving them the information they need to understand the choices that are being made, then watching them have that ‘aha’ moment and seeing that this is exactly what they wanted.

Are you looking to buy or sell a luxury home? At, Janet McAfee our real estate agents are seasoned experts in the ins and outs of selling a luxury home. From advertising and marketing your home to staging, our luxury clients truly reap the rewards of working with a Janet McAfee agent—and you can, too!