Timeless Trends to Keep Your Kitchen Looking Fresh Year After Year

It's a common but unfortunate story. A homeowner spends months of their time and tens of thousands of pounds on a beautiful, trendy kitchen remodel. They love the result...for about three months.

The styles start to shift and suddenly that remodel has lowered their home's value, not raised it.

Don't be that homeowner. The key is knowing the difference between trends that will last and those that won't. While you can't foretell the future, there are some timeless trends that stick around no matter what.

For a remodel that won't go out of style, try these great kitchen design trends.

Timeless Trends for Your Kitchen

Every time you renovate part of your home, you have two interests to take into account. You want a design you can enjoy, but you also want one that will add value to your home. These trends can do both.

Quartz Countertops

For a long time, granite was the luxury countertop of choice. Over the past few years, we've seen a growing competition between granite and quartz. It's become clear that quartz is taking over and is here to stay.

It's no wonder why so many people love quartz countertops. First of all, they have a beautiful elegance and they come in enough variety to match anyone's style. Second, they're better than granite from a practical standpoint.

Granite is porous so it can absorb liquid and develop stains. To avoid these stains, you need to seal your granite countertops every year or so.

Quartz, on the other hand, is non-porous. It resists stains better than granite without the hassle and expense of additional sealants.

Open Concept Layouts

Gone are the days of galley kitchens. More and more homeowners are prioritizing open concept kitchens, and that trend isn't going anywhere.

As with quartz countertops, open concept kitchens combine functionality and style. From a design standpoint, an open concept makes a kitchen look larger, and every homeowner can get behind that.

When it comes to practicality, though, an open concept is even more beneficial. The open space makes it easier to cross from one countertop to another and to manage a complex meal.

Keep in mind that a true open concept kitchen also means that the kitchen has an open view to other areas of the house. In particular, home buyers love having a clear view between the kitchen and the living room.

For someone who loves to entertain or for a parent who wants to watch their kids while they cook, this is a necessity.

Accent Lighting

Lighting is one of the easiest and most beneficial ways to change a room's feel. When it comes to kitchens, accent lighting is a feature that will stick around for generations to come.

Accent lighting can add a great amount of warmth to your kitchen. This is especially true for lights that come down from the ceiling into your workspace as long as they're not obstructing your movement.

One great option is a row of small spotlights. In particular, try aiming these warm spotlights at your island or another area of counter space.

Subway Tile Backsplashes

Over the years, we've seen a huge array of trends in kitchen backsplashes. There's vintage brick, stone panels that match the countertop, and most recently, thin mosaic tiles.

Throughout all these trends, though, subway tile has remained a constant. It's a classic that's always in style.

Part of the beauty of subway tile is that it can look great in almost any type of kitchen. You can make it look modern or traditional depending on the other finishings in the room. You could even change the entire design of your kitchen while keeping your subway tile the same.

Remember that colour counts. It's neutral colours that will be timeless, like white and grey. If you choose a bright, trendy colour, be warned that it will probably look out of place in a few years.

Counter Space in Spades

When a homeowner walks into a kitchen, one of their first comments is always about how much or how little counter space there is.

Even for homeowners that aren't exactly top chefs, more counter space makes the kitchen look more luxurious and makes it more useful for entertaining. For those that do cook, counter space is an indispensable need.

As you renovate your kitchen, make sure your design offers as much counter space as possible. Even in smaller kitchens, the added space from an island can go a long way.

Stainless Steel

The decades have seen plenty of trends when it comes to metal fixtures and appliance designs, from brass faucets to the harvest gold appliances of the '70s.

For the recent past and for the foreseeable future, though, stainless steel is the key. It's easy to find and it looks great on your appliances, cabinet hardware, and other fixtures alike.

Stainless steel doesn't just give your kitchen a more high-end look. It's also versatile enough to look great with any style. It fits in just as well with a modern and edgy kitchen as it does with a cosy, rustic one. 

Big Sinks

While it's true that more and more homes have dishwashers, big sinks are here to stay. There's an obvious practical reason, but they've come to be a stylistic trend as well.

The key is making sure that your kitchen sinks and your countertops balance. For large countertops, a large sink can create the look of a luxurious workspace.

If you have smaller countertops, though, a big sink will look out of place and will make your countertops even smaller.

Wood Flooring (Or the Look of It)

Tile flooring can look great in some kitchens, but it tends to move in and out of style often. Wood flooring, on the other hand, is a true timeless trend.

Wood flooring gives a kitchen a warm, inviting feel. It's also easy to keep the same wood flooring throughout your house, creating a cohesive and stylish look.

Some homeowners do have the criticism that wood floors are risky in a room that has as much water as a kitchen does. While that's true, there are plenty of ways to get around that problem.

First, we're seeing more and more homeowners using tile floors that look like hardwood. It's hard to tell the difference from a cosmetic perspective, but you don't have to worry about water damage.

Those tiles also tend to hold up against dents and scratches better than traditional hardwood. If you love true hardwood, though, you can still use it in your kitchen. The key is to keep it sealed against water damage. 

A Balance of Light and Dark

Throughout the years, the most popular kitchen colours shift on a constant basis. Yellow might be a common colour for a while, then shades of blue followed by tan.

What doesn't change, though, is the need for balance among your colours. A kitchen with too many dark tones will look small. On the other end of the spectrum, a kitchen with too many light colours will look cold.

It's all about finding and maintaining a balance. For instance, if you have espresso cabinets, try white walls and a medium-toned grey countertop.

"But wait," you might say, "I keep seeing designers showing off all-white kitchens."

Yes, that trend has been popping up for some time. As much as you might enjoy such an airy kitchen now, it isn't a trend that will stick around for the long-term. If you want a renovation you'll be able to enjoy for ten years or more, a colour balance is a far safer bet.

A Balance of Solids and Pattens

Let's stick with our theme of balance for a moment. In addition to balancing the light and dark colours in your kitchen, balancing your patterns is essential as well. As with fashion, the key to a timeless kitchen is pairing patterns with solids.

For instance, let's say you've chosen a kitchen countertop with an intricate and complex colour variation. The last thing you want to do is pair it with a mosaic tile backsplash that also has a lot of colour variation.

When you have a more detailed countertop, you want your backsplash, walls, and floors to be simpler. This will give you those details you love without overwhelming your senses.

If you're having a hard time finding that balance, err on the side of simplicity. You can always accent a simple design with intricate decor, but it's far harder to make a busy design look tamer.

A Kitchen Renovation That Will Last

When you first start designing your kitchen renovation, it's easy to get caught up in the world of Pinterest and trendy designs. Still, you need to take a step back and consider whether you're playing into current trends too much and giving your renovation an expiration date.

Instead, stick with the timeless trends that stick around for decades or generations like those above. You'll be happier with your choices for many more years to come.

If you're ready to start designing your dream kitchen that will last, shop our selection of kitchen renovation materials online today.