2024 Design and Color Trends

Nicole Smith

Nicole is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design. She has 20 plus years of experience in the kitchen & bath cabinet industry/and loves assisting people in finding the perfect solution to their remodeling projects. Nicole and her husband reside in Brownstown and Cockapoo “Aero Smith”. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family, camping on the west side of Michigan and spending time with friends.

Trends come and go, some we are happy to see come, others we are happy to see go! When it comes to your home, you want it to reflect your style and lifestyle, yet it’s always fun to incorporate some new trends. You can freshen up a room with small changes, layering in new items or textures, it doesn’t have to be a huge renovation or overhaul.

The kitchen has long since been referred to as the heart of the home. It sets the tone for the home, it is often a place where the family comes all together to catch up, share a meal, play a game, or host a get together. We want this space to be functional to meet the needs of our lifestyle, yet be comfortable and inviting. There are a variety of ways to achieve that in your home, let’s take a look at the trends for this year. This is a time to gather information, reflect, and determine what speaks to you and will work for your home.

Design Trends

Whether you are browsing Pinterest, Home Decor magazines, or wandering the aisles at your local home decor store, it is easy to spot the current trends. One of the best ways to determine the right design for your home is to start an inspiration board. You can use an app like Pinterest or go the old school route of cutting up magazines and starting a bulletin board. You’ll quickly see the styles you are drawn to. Many of 2023’s trends will be sticking around this year. Expect to continue seeing sustainable materials and earthy aesthetics. We will also continue to see vintage looks, mixed materials and metals, as well as color – just perhaps deeper tones than the bright colors of last year.

Just like everything else around us, the kitchen is going “smart” with some impressive technology trends.

The kitchen isn’t a space to just be used, or just looked at, it needs to do both – functional and beautiful.

Minimalist Design

Minimalist design focuses on improving lifestyle through simplification. Utilizing the bare essentials to create an uncluttered, simple space. The kitchen is not only the heart of the home, it is often the drop zone for mail, school supplies, wallets, keys, and more. The tendency for this room to become cluttered easily just gives us all the more reason to start with a beautiful yet simple design meant to keep surfaces organized and clutter free. When your space is uncluttered, it is easier to work in and enjoy.

Natural Materials

We are seeing the use of natural materials – wood, stone, linen, rattan – at the design shows and in the magazines. The desire for sustainable materials that have a smaller environmental impact is key for homeowners today. Imagine reclaimed timber, bamboo, cork, recycled glass or plastic. You can use these surfaces for a variety of items from statement countertops to unique backsplashes or even flooring. The key to balancing luxurious and liveable is mastering the mix of timeless elegance and modern simplicity. A space that is sophisticated and welcoming.

Expansive Windows

We can expect to see kitchens having large windows or window walls that slide open to a beautiful outdoor space, finding creative ways to bring the “outside” in. These window banks add more natural light to the home and create a sense of openness. We all know the benefits of sunlight, it’s proven that natural light exposure is mood-boosting, energy enhancing, and helps to harmonize our circadian rhythm.

Having a bank of sliding glass or accordion doors also helps to extend your home to the outside, continuing the popularity of outdoor entertaining. We think of this outdoor entertaining space as an extension of the kitchen, a second room to be used as an open concept entertaining area.

Mixing Old and New materials

We are seeing vintage sticking around this year. Hand in hand with the desire for sustainable material, this trend continues to make sense. From shopping at a local antique dealer, to finding ways to repurpose your own older materials, mixing old with new is hotter than ever. This trend gives the opportunity to add a family heirloom or personal touch creating a warm, lived-in feel to your design. The kitchen and adjacent spaces especially become the perfect backdrop for vintage and hand-me-down pieces. This trend gives us the opportunity to bring touches of traditional style into even more contemporary homes. Some ways you can incorporate vintage items into your design are:

Refinishing an old family table to be used as an island
Adding a Farmhouse table to your design
Utilizing an antique dresser as a buffet or china cabinet
Adding antique or period style lighting or accents to pull your design together

Color Trends

The last few years, bold color was all the rage. In 2023, we saw tones taking on a rich, luxurious trend with soothing greens, timeless blues and the like. This year, we see color trends muting just a bit, but not necessarily going back to the grays and whites of past years. Imagine warm, saturated hues paired with understated neutrals, tones that exude serenity while not being stark. In the latest NKBA survey, the most favored colors for kitchen cabinets and accessories are green (45%) and blue (37%).

Trends to keep your eyes on for 2024 include:

Cozy, inviting tones of greens, rich browns, smokey blues, soft reds, and purples.
Burgundy and shades of orange, such as terracotta
Warmer colors in general, even whites and grays will take on a creamy, warm tone, paired with natural woods.
Warm pink, which is energy stimulating without being overwhelming.
Beige is the new neutral in interior design overall, exuding warmth and elegance.
Tones of blue that mimic the various blues you might find in the Caribbean or Mediterranean.
Blues & Greens ranging from coastal sage to midnight blue
Organic look of earthenware and artisanal pottery to dress up your kitchen, adding color and dimension

Benjamin Moore’s Color of the year in 2024 is Blue Nova, an elevated hue of violet and blue. Benjamin Moore describes this color as an “alluring mid-tone featuring an enchanting duality, capturing the spotlight with endlessly classic appeal.

You can embrace these color trends in small bites with decor and accents that are easily switched out, or go bolder with paint, cabinets, art pieces, or rugs.

Function Meets Design: Multipurpose Rooms

The heart of the home goes much beyond cooking and eating. Whether it is because we were all spending more time at home, the transition to more flexible work schedules, or just wanting to make our space work for us, we are seeing the need for the kitchen to function as much more.

Primarily we need to have a well appointed kitchen to make meals, store our necessities, and have a place to enjoy a meal. Last year, designers predicted we would start to see inventive ways to make this room function for a variety of needs from working at home, schoolwork, long chats or family game night, our renewed love for cooking & baking, and of course serving meals.

Even as our lives have returned to the hustle and bustle we were used to, I think many of us love the idea of our home being a retreat, a place of zen. Some ways to incorporate this into your home are

Incorporating warm woods and breezy linen curtains
Embracing the trend of sumptuous sink-in furniture
Gather favorite objects from your travels for decorating

Scullery

While the kitchen is the heart of the home, and the gathering place, sometimes we want to extend that, or create a space where prep can be done in a separate location. A scullery is a smaller scale kitchen, directly off or adjacent to your main kitchen, offering more cabinetry, appliances and prep space. This could be as elaborate as a second kitchen to allow the chef to prep food and wash dishes behind the scenes keeping the kitchen clean for guests. Or a scullery could be a large walk-in pantry with countertops and cabinets to house appliances out of sight.

Smart Technology

As technology continues to advance, the use of smart technology in the kitchen is expected to increase. Technology to control your appliances remotely is here, you can start your stove, change temperatures and more just from an app on your smartphone. Voice- controlled lighting and touchless faucets are also on the rise in 2024.

Storage and Organization

While the kitchen is definitely a multipurpose room, it’s also nice to have a place for everything and have everything in its place. When thinking about your kitchen design – whether you are embarking on a remodel, building a new home, or just daydreaming, it’s important to take stock of how you use your kitchen today, what you love, and what features you would like in your ideal kitchen. Storage and organization are typically a top priority in the kitchen.

There never seems to be enough storage space in our kitchens. Over the last couple of years many of us acquired new kitchen appliances from bread makers to air fryers, instant pots, or espresso machines. No one likes a cluttered counter, so having appliance garages, coffee stations, or other unique ways to house these small appliances is key. Pantries have been desired in kitchens for years. Many homeowners would consider a pantry a “must have”, and there are more ways than ever to get that extra space. To make the most out of the space you have, first take stock of what you’d like to store in the pantry and the design from there. A hidden pantry where you can house your bread maker, mixer, and all of your cooking essentials may be the right fit for you. Incorporating paneled appliances fits right in with this trend, hiding boxy stainless steel appliances. There are some really innovative ways to clear countertop clutter we are loving right now. From under counter stand mixer lifts to toaster cupboards and more, you can organize to your heart’s content.

If you are a coffee lover, perhaps having a dedicated coffee station in a butlers pantry or larder is perfect for you.

If you are someone who loves to entertain or just has a house full of people who like different beverages, a dedicated beverage fridge can help keep your refrigerator dedicated to food, and make grabbing a favorite beverage a snap.

Working from home? A charging station or tower is the perfect way to keep your gadgets charged without unsightly cords draped all over. These can be integrated into your kitchen design, or you can purchase tabletop versions to clean up the cord chaos.

Island Dreams

Over the last few years, we saw an emerging trend of double islands in the kitchen. Islands are typically multipurpose, serving as prep spaces, eating counters, sometimes housing the cooktop or sink. For busy families, they often serve as desks or afterschool snack areas. If you are working from home, your island may be your workspace. With this much versatility it’s no wonder that we were craving more island space. Having double islands means you can dedicate one part to prep space with a sink or cooktop and keep the other solid for dining or work space. This trend does require extra space, but in return gives much functionality to your kitchen design. If space is a limiting factor for you, perhaps you consider one large island with dedicated dining space. Gathering around the island is a great way to casually enjoy a family meal together. For a busy family, this expansive space serves a functional purpose – packing lunches, doing homework, eating breakfast, and more. In an open concept home, the island could face the living room, providing for open movement of guests throughout the house, visibility to the TV, ability to supervise the kids playing in the living room, all while preparing dinner. In 2024, an emerging trend is multifunctional kitchen islands. Think adjustable height islands, built-in charging stations, and even retractable workspaces to accommodate a variety of tasks from working at home to hosting gatherings. Especially with window banks or walls on the rise, the kitchen island may need to serve more purposes with storage. Without upper cabinets in favor of windows or even shallow open shelves, we are seeing islands provide all sorts of functions, some may include:

Extra outlets
Towel rack
Trash bin pull out
Space for extra seating
Space for a dishwasher
Toe kick drawer for pet food
Sliding compact spice rack
Easily accessible cookware shelving
Storage for a microwave
Beverage & wine fridge

Eat-in Kitchens

Believe it or not, the humble kitchen table has become a design trend. Families are increasingly centering activities in the kitchen, lounging as much as they are cooking. People want kitchen layouts that are inviting their children to stay in the main part of the house, or guests to come and linger awhile. Another reason we see the trend of large islands continue, especially with comfortable counter stools. Even better though is the integration of a kitchen table within the space, where you can sit across the table from your friends and families and connect over food and conversation.

Flooring

Using the same wood flooring in your kitchen as the rest of your first floor achieves a high end and cohesive look without sacrificing maintenance. Engineered wood flooring and luxury vinyl plank flooring have come a long way in recent years, they are water and heat resistant, while giving that luxurious look and feel of wood.

Countertop Trends: Natural Materials

Natural stone finishes had a big moment in 2023. Natural elements in general are continuing to be celebrated as we enter 2024. This ties into treating your home as a retreat, a place to feel calm, relaxed, and comfortable. Some of the popular stone elements include granite, marble, quartzite, soapstone, and more. It is easy to incorporate these elements in the way of countertops, but that isn’t the only way. Natural stone is suited for backsplashes, waterfall islands, flooring, and coffee tables. You can also incorporate this element with handcrafted ceramics and pottery, stoneware, and dinnerware. In 2024, unique seems to be the way to go. Unique stone offers unmatched beauty, along with durability and heat resistance. Marble seems to be making a real statement this coming year. In the past this natural stone was deemed a risky choice for countertops due to the susceptibility to stains, etching, and chips. But we are seeing homeowners take the risk for the sake of natural veining and movement. You can embrace the “imperfections” that come with day after day use, allowing the surface to show its “life stories”.

While quartz will stick around, and remain a go-to for many, designers are predicting a growth in the use of beautiful marbles and quartzites with color and pattern. Quartzite, with its earthly undertones and vibrant veining, is becoming more popular. While you want to maintain your natural stone, remember there is a certain charm that comes with the use of natural stone surfaces. When your stone patinas, or even ends up with scratches or stains, those all tell a story of that fabulous meal shared with friends and family, the kids helping with dinner, or a family craft. Embrace the loved, lived-in feel that comes with enjoying your home. Some people still may not want the maintenance and imperfections of marble, but still want that look. Quartz continues to come a long way with stone look-alike varieties from companies such as Silestone, Dekton, and Cambria.

Marble Countertops

This elegant, natural made beauty is making a strong comeback. Specifically we are seeing strongly veined marble signifying a high-end luxury look. This sustainable stone is durable, immune to trends, and a great investment for kitchen and bath countertops, as well as flooring or accents.

Classic marble countertops like Carrera and Calacatta marble will always be classic and widely popular. We are also seeing bolder, richer colors of marble being on trend this year. When paired with a light wood tone or other shades of the deeper colors for your cabinets, you create a nice tonal effect that speaks of luxury and timelessness.

Porcelain Countertops

Porcelain may be new to the homeowner scene, but it’s been a long favorite for restaurants and other commercial spaces. You get the look of marble or natural stone, without the maintenance. Porcelain is stain resistant, easy to clean, and comes in a variety of patterns and finishes.

Quartzite Countertops

Quartzite is a natural stone, composed almost entirely of natural quartz. When quartz-rich sandstone has been exposed to high pressures and temperatures, the quartz grains fuse together to form a dense, hard rock. Typically, quartzite is usually white to gray in color with some variations from differing mineral content in the rock.

Quartzite has a similar look to many marble stones, with the natural beauty, veining and pattern in the stone. Because quartzite is a natural stone, no two slabs will be the same. With durability that is closer to that of granite this stone can stand up to heat, resist stains and scratches, and withstand normal wear and tear. It is a versatile stone for kitchen countertops.

Full Height Backsplashes

Rather than utilizing another material such as a coordinating tile for your backsplash, an upcoming trend is extending your countertop material up the wall. Full Height Backsplashes give a clean, modern look to your design. You can bookmatch your veining and turn up the wall, making this trend not only functional but beautiful. This also removes all the grout lines that would typically come along with tile, making clean up a snap for a busy kitchen backsplash.

If you want to update your backsplash but don’t like the dramatic look of extending your countertop stone, tile is still a great choice. We are seeing more interesting shaped tiles in 2024, with subway tile on its way out. Zellige tiles, originating from Morocco where handcrafted tiles were made from a special blend of local clay and then glazed and fired, resulting in a surface with various irregularities that give each tile a unique look, are a really popular choice. Softer shapes are also really nice in a kitchen where there are a lot of angles with the cabinets, island and appliances.

Money Saving Options

In a renovation project, we often see painted cabinets and an upgraded countertop really freshen up a space. In fact, a countertop upgrade has been ranked as the most popular feature in a kitchen remodel. Many countertop fabricators have relationships with companies equipped to professionally paint cabinets. Add new trendy hardware to your painted cabinets, along with a new countertop and updated lighting and you will feel like you replaced your entire kitchen, without breaking the bank. According to a recent Kitchen Trends Study, homeowners opt to upgrade their countertops 91% of the time in a kitchen renovation project.

Cabinet Trends

Simple Cabinet Doors

These last few years, we’ve seen Shaker cabinets everywhere. We are starting to see an emergence of simple cabinet doors that aren’t Shaker. This is a slimmer, sleeker take on the Shaker style.

Flat Cabinets

With minimalism on the rise, and the desire for a clean, sleek look, we are seeing invisible hinge doorways trending. Think hardware-less upper cabinets, secret wine rooms, and hidden doorways leading to walk in pantries.

Technology advances such as push open and close doors or recessed handles have allowed us to move away from more traditional cabinetry hardware. This trend is all about simplicity and focusing on the cabinet rather than the hardware.

Colored Cabinets

We continue to see colored cabinets on the rise. The “white” kitchen seems to be a trend of the past. For dramatic color, we are seeing both black and green cabinets. Mid and dark toned woods are also very popular, as well as a balance of painted and wood cabinetry. Mix these with creams and wood beams for that earthy, organic feel.

Shelves vs. Cabinets

Along the same lines of simplifying, we are seeing a growing trend of getting rid of upper cabinetry all together. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall cabinets can make a room look heavy, especially if you don’t have a lot of windows and natural light. Open, floating shelves are one way to lighten up the room. Wood shelves are of course popular, but a trend we may start to see in 2024 is marble or stone shelving. You can add details such as a brass rail to really customize this look. It’s these small details that make a house different from all others.

In 2024, we are seeing open shelving evolve further to modular shelving. These designs give you a dynamic visual with varying shelf heights, embracing style and flexibility. Plus this means you can reconfigure your kitchen whenever you want!

Drawers vs. Cupboards

No more getting on your knees and digging around to the back of the cabinet to find the pan you are looking for. This trend isn’t necessarily new, but it is definitely mainstream now. Putting drawers under the countertop is a great way to maximize space and organization in the kitchen. With the capability of a full pull out drawer, you can store pots & pans, dishes, and more in a way that keeps it clean, organized and easily accessible.

Accent Trends

Statement Hoods

For years, we’ve celebrated Statement Hoods, and this trend won’t be going anywhere in 2022. Metallics such as Gold, Dark Metallic, Zinc or Copper hoods are a popular way to incorporate metals into any kitchen design.

Wood hoods are still very popular. Many cabinet companies offer a hood cover if you wish to match your cabinet style and/or color. For making a statement though, we see a contrasting color hood, for example pairing white cabinets with a black or dark wood hood. We are seeing a major trend of blue in kitchen design, so one color combination that comes to mind would be white cabinets with a blue island and blue hood.

Lighting Trends

Linear lighting, providing consistent lighting over a long kitchen island, took off in 2022. Last year, Statement Lighting was on the rise. Big, bold fixtures that are not just functional but fun.

The modern kitchen calls for a multi-dimensional approach to lighting, layered lighting that blends ambient, task, and accent lighting. Under-cabinet LED strips, pendant lights over islands, soft, hidden lighting to work in tandem, adaptable and livable atmosphere. Ensuring every nook and task in the kitchen has its spotlight, but doing it tastefully so the kitchen ceiling doesn’t look like a landing strip.

Some trends we can expect to see in 2024 include:

Pendant Lighting over an island or at the center of the dinner table. Making a statement while providing direct illumination.
Subtle & Refined – delicate, “quiet” lighting to diffuse and soften the transition between two areas, commonly seen in spaces like the kitchen and dining room. This adds an elegant touch to your kitchen design.
Organic Materials – raw wood and shapes inspired by the natural world. Integrating nature-eque qualities into the home.

Sink Options

Seamlessly Integrated Sinks and Drainboards are on the rise in 2024. This design favors a seamless look, eliminating crevices between the sink and countertop, simplifying cleaning. Workstation sinks come in many different styles and sizes. There are options for single and double basin styles in various sizes. For finishes you can select stainless steel with a silver, copper, gold, or black finish. In quartz, you can select a variety of colors ranging from silver, white, black, mocha, or slate.

Mixed Metals

Mixing different metals is a newer trend in both design and fashion. Now it is totally accepted and even on trend. Mixing gorgeous brass and copper finishes with brighter, cooler metals like stainless steel and nickel offers the best of both worlds. You can pull this off by using antiqued bronze pulls, stainless steel sink, and copper pendant lighting for example. Polished-nickel faucets are a long kitchen standby, it is easy to clean, and looks great. But these last few seasons we are seeing copper and even gold make a comeback. With the vintage trend in 2022, it’s no wonder we are seeing a revival of copper in the kitchen. If you aren’t ready to go all out with a copper sink or sparkling backsplash, you can ease into this trend by changing your cabinet pulls or adding pendant lights in copper or gold. Don’t worry, nickel and polished chrome will never totally leave the kitchen design trend, so if that is your style, go for it! Seems the rules are out the window with this trend – brass, black, bronze, stainless, nickel, it’s all beautiful and you can mix and match as you go. Hinges, faucets, light fixtures, cabinet pulls, all opportunities to embrace this trend.

Incorporate Greens

We are seeing greenery blended into statement walls, countertops, and mini greenhouses. Another way to look at this is the inclusion of “wellness corners” in the home. Dedicated green spaces for growing fresh herbs or sprouting microgreens. A perfect way to combine health-conscious living with the power of plants.

Trends on Their Way Out

Monochromatic Cabinetry

We’re saying goodbye to the era of monochromatic cabinetry. While consistency will always have its place, design is leaning toward varied tones, textures, and finishes to create depth and visual interest in the kitchen. Embrace your individuality and break away from overly streamlined design.

High Gloss Finishes

Ultra-polished, high-gloss finishes are losing their sheen in favor of more matte and natural finishes. Instead, the design world is moving toward authenticity and materials that evoke warmth and organic charm. A more muted finish also resonates with this year’s design ethos of grounding.

Closed Off Kitchens

The trend of completely separating kitchens from the rest of the living area continues to decline. Open-concept layouts remain in vogue because they encourage connection, flow, and a more communal atmosphere within homes.

The kitchen is the heart of the home, it is a room we spend a lot of time in. For that reason, it has to be functional for you, and designed in a style that you will love for years to come. The average midrange kitchen remodel is $75,000, so you want to be sure the design you decide on today is one you’ll love for years to come. Whether that means embracing vintage, going bold with colors or accents, adding seating areas or a coffee station, start your inspiration board now!