Kitchen cabinets are not just about storage, they provide a vital element to the style of the kitchen when it is being remodelled. While cabinet design has not changed as much in recent times as has been the case for the likes of flooring and countertops.
There is a rising trend toward having a minimalist and simplified streamlined appearance, but there is still a place for bolder and wilder choices that provide uniquely customised styles.
Open shelving
Open kitchen shelves have become a hot trend of late, and the mixture of the right shelves and clever organisation can create a genuinely unique and cutting edge kitchen style.
There are a number of benefits to open shelving, including a lighter and airier feel to the kitchen, as well as greater ease and efficiency of use. The overall aesthetic of the kitchen will be affected by the items placed on open shelving, making it important to put careful thought into the placement of every bowl, glass or utensil.
This style is only applicable to upper cabinets however, with the trend for lower cabinets being for deeper and bigger drawers in order to make up for the lost storage space. Draw runners that are invisible to the naked eye can also be a complement to the effect that the open shelving style is designed to achieve.
More oak wood
Oakwood cabinets have begun to make a return to kitchens and bathrooms with the likes of driftwood and Cerused finishes. The cabinets were massively popular from the 70s through to the early 90s, before falling out of favour somewhat and replaced by materials such as painted MDF and wood veneer.
However vintage is very much in vogue at the moment and the kitchen is no exception to this trend. Oakwood cabinets offer neutral colour, texture and dimension and the versatility of its look and connection to nature are also of considerable appeal.
Kitchen cabinet makers are creating a wide array of intriguing door styles including flat slabs featuring an inset detail and oak finishes and recessed panels. Oak can also be painted a variety of different shades or left in its natural colour.
Cleaner aesthetics
The trend in home decor in recent years has been “modern”, and kitchen cabinet makers have not resisted this move. Clean aesthetics is one of the obvious ways that the construction of kitchen cabinets has been impacted, with minimalism again coming to the fore.
Modern kitchen cabinets usually lack the ornate design of traditional kitchen cabinet doors, with recessed panel doors featuring simple clean lines and smooth edge profiles providing a very simple design, paring clutter down to the absolute minimum.
This type of kitchen cabinet is an ideal complement to modern styled kitchens, being perfectly in sync with other components such as the backsplash and the countertop.
The kitchen has a great deal of potential for remodelling, and even kitchen cabinets can make a unique style statement.
