Kitchen Designers Plan for Elimination of Formal Dining Rooms and Microwave Ovens

Sub-Zero and Wolf, the industry leaders in premium refrigeration, wine preservation and cooking equipment – and longtime partners and advocates for the design community – have revealed the results of their 2016 Kitchen Design Forecast.

Kitchen design contest winners were polled on trends in kitchen design, appliances, materials, the role of the kitchen and kitchen must-haves. Poll results were compiled to form a must-see forecast of what’s to come in kitchen design.

“Designing a kitchen is 50 percent science; it’s about making the space efficient and functional right down to the placement of the sinks and the height of the appliances,” said Matthew Quinn of Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio in Atlanta. “The other half is about making the space something that fits with the emotional needs of the homeowners and the aesthetic they are hoping to achieve.”

One role of a kitchen design professional is to help make the owner’s life easier and their time in the kitchen more efficient, from making the design intuitive to cutting down steps between the cooking and prep surfaces. A good designer can save families 10 minutes a day, which equals 61 hours a year, according to Quinn. “Time is the greatest luxury. I do everything I can to help clients save time. Often it’s a simple solution to save that one extra step,” he said.

In other key findings from the poll, seven out of 10 designers says that the open floor plan is still in demand and 72 percent of designers agree that the formal dining room is a thing of the past, with 47 percent of clients asking to have it removed. When retained, formal dining spaces are becoming part of a different room divided by barn doors or drapery, which allow homeowners to close up the space but keep it open if they choose.

White is still the most popular color in the kitchen, but design professionals are seeing a rise in new neutrals and accent colors, with gray, blue and black as the most popular colors.

Design professionals named convection steam ovens and induction cooktops as the hottest appliances. They’d like to see consumers remove microwaves from their kitchens. Integrated appliances are in demand. More panels and panel overlays are being used; refrigerator and freezer drawer technology is on the rise, as is the desire for concealed ovens, cooktops and sinks when not in use. However, design pros agree that the term “integrated” is the most misunderstood word in kitchen design today.

When it comes to kitchen must-haves, 82 percent of design pros say the kitchen island is a must-have, and 72 percent say recycling centers are too. Over half of the design professionals surveyed agree that the outdoor kitchen is becoming more popular.

Designers are beginning to think more about how to include children into the kitchen design, whether that means creating a separate drawer refrigerator especially for their snacks, a smoothie or salad station, or corner sinks so parents and kids can clean dishes together.