by Jan Rutgers
In my last VESTA Blog, I posted on what I thought would be trending in Kitchen Design in 2022.
While attending the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2022 in Orlando, I was on the lookout for displays that reinforced my predictions.
In this week’s VESTA Blog I will let you know how that went and see if my predictions were confirmed by KBIS 2022 exhibitors.
Based on my research these are the 7 areas of Kitchen Design I see trending in 2022:
- More Food Storage
- Beverage Bars
- Solutions for Pets
- Linear Appliance Placement
- Built-In Banquettes
- More Curves
- Changing Color Palette
Unfortunately there were not as many full Kitchen displays by cabinet manufactures at KBIS 2022 as there has been in the past.
This made it a bit more difficult to confirm my predictions, but there were many hints among the exhibits to let me know I was on the right track with my predictions.
More Food Storage
I predict that homeowners will be asking for more food storage in 2022, and in the few Kitchen cabinet displays on the show floor, I did come across a variety of pantry units.
This double door blue unit opened up to reveal an image of a dream walk-in pantry.
This spoke to what I referred to in my last blog as the “secret” pantry.
An interesting take on pantries at the show was the pantry cabinet with a textural door.
A couple that caught my eye included a perforated coastal set and a pair of Asian inspired shogi screen units.
An interesting approach to food storage was the open pantry.
This can be a great look for client’s that decant their food items, and it allows everything to be easily seen.
Another hint that increased food storage for Kitchens would be trending in 2022 and beyond, was the size and number of refrigerators on display.
Multiple columns were popular and mega 60″ refrigeration units were featured, even in standout colors like mint green!
Beverage Bars
There were multiple examples of beverage bars on display.
Built in wine refrigeration was featured in most of them with floating shelves a popular storage solution above the counter.
A couple of interesting beverage bar examples seen on the show floor included a niche built into a wall above a shallow counter, and a lift up appliance garage door concealing a coffee station.
Solutions for Pets
For many homeowners, their pets are like family and during the pandemic they became even more so!
It was nice to see how cabinet suppliers embraced this and included options for pampering the family pet.
Examples of pet beds, pet feeding zones and pet crates were all displayed.
There was even a great raised dog shower allowing a comfortable place for homeowners to wash their dogs.
Linear Appliance Placement
I predicted that since homeowners were using their appliances more in the past couple of years this would produce more ergonomic placement of them.
Many of the appliance manufacturers booths showed their oven units side by side rather than stacked to provide better access to them by users.
Built-In Banquettes
While I did not find any specific built in banquette examples on the show floor, I did see some unique approaches to Kitchen dining.
Some of the options I came across was the Kitchen island as harvest table, an island extension with bench seating on both sides and a lower dining bar placed asymmetrically off the back of an island.
I however still stand by my prediction of more built-in banquettes being included in Kitchen design in 2022 and beyond.
Consumers need a cozy spot in the greatroom and the built in banquette will serve this purpose.
More Curves
My prediction that we will be seeing more curves in 2022 was reinforced throughout the show floor.
Kitchen displays featured arch topped cabinets, curved island ends and bulbous shaped hoods.
Many of the Kitchen displays also featured arched niches, often showcasing cooking appliances.
When it came to bath displays, curves featured predominantly in the architecture of the booths.
Many of the vanities were free standing with radius ends, with round and oval mirrors abundant.
We have seen a lot of hard edges in the past decade, so this softening of edges will really look on- trend when included in Kitchen and Bath design.
Changing Color Pallet
There was barely a white kitchen cabinet door to be found on the show floor.
The light colored cabinetry as predicted, had a warm tone to it.
Cream tones mixed with dark charcoal tones was a refreshing look compared to bright white with black accents seen in kitchen design over the past several years.
Cabinet manufactures were also presenting new color palettes for painted cabinetry, which included deep corals, strong blues and multiple green tones.
This will be a bold departure from the white and greys from the past decade!
Appliance manufactures were really pushing the color palette with bold interpretations.
These looks may not make it in mainstream Kitchen design, but their influence will get designers thinking of how to introduce color into their designs this year.
It was great to see my predictions being validated at this year’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show.
It has me excited to see what Kitchen Designers will be producing this year.
Did your visit KBIS this year? What was your take on the trends from the show?
Let me know by leaving a comment below.
If you would like to receive the VESTA Blog in your inbox please subscribe here:
[hubspot portal=”9253671″ id=”40a54a75-0df5-4740-9983-80e00fb4adde” type=”form”]
Jan Rutgers has been designing kitchens and products for over 25 years and is a recipient of Kitchen & Bath Design News’ Top Innovators in 2020 for the Kitchen & Bath Industry. She has designed more than 1000 kitchens learning valuable skills with each one! Her experience in Kitchen Design, Millwork Manufacturing and Product Development has led her to create VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN where she educates and mentors people passionate about the Kitchen Design Industry.
Pingback: The Influence of Appliance Manufacturers on Kitchen Design – VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN