Lancaster Kitchen Trends: What’s Cooking in Design

The importance of the kitchen to your life at home can’t be overstated. Your kitchen is the focal point of your home both in terms of functionality (it’s where you spend so much time preparing food, cooking, serving, and cleaning up), and socially (it’s called the heart of the home for a reason!). Often, no matter how lovely the rest of your home might be, everyone ends up hanging out in the kitchen!

Because it’s such an important space, it makes sense to focus your energy on the kitchen when it comes to updating or renovating your home. You want it to be a functional, welcoming, and stylish place. And the current kitchen trends support those desires! What’s cooking in kitchen design in 2024 and 2025? Read on to find out.

Number 1: Sustainable Materials

Caring for and supporting the environment is a high priority for today’s homeowners, and kitchen design reflects those priorities. With an emphasis on reducing the home’s carbon footprint and using renewable resources and eco-friendly materials, today’s kitchens are better than ever for the environmentally conscious.

Stained Wood Cabinets

While white and painted cabinets are always popular, stained wood cabinets are becoming more desirable. The warm, natural look of the wood and the fact that they will age well and only grow more beautiful make them a great sustainable option. White oak, walnut, and alder are popular choices.

Eco Paints

Most consumers know the dangers of VOC (volatile organic compounds) when it comes to paint, flooring, and other materials used in the home. Low VOC paint has been around for a while and is a great choice. But today’s eco paints take environmental (and personal) safety a step further. Made with non-toxic ingredients and manufactured in environmentally friendly ways, eco paints are a great option if you want to prioritize sustainability.

Energy Consumption

There are several on-trend ways to reduce energy consumption in the kitchen. 

• Consider replacing your gas or electric stove with the popular induction cooktop. These flat glass surfaces cook through electromagnetic energy that is activated by the iron in your pots and pans. If you touch the surface with your hand, you won’t get burned! Induction cooktops work faster and use much less energy than both electric (5-10% less energy) and gas (over 30% less energy) ranges.
• If you use hot water often, either for cooking or for beverages, consider installing a boiling water tap. The water is held in an insulated tank and kept at a temperature of around 205 degrees. It takes less energy to keep water hot than it does to heat cold water, so this tap will reduce the energy needed to brew yourself a cup of tea or make pasta.
• Making the most of natural light means using less electricity to light your kitchen–and large windows are an on-trend design for today’s kitchens. Consider ways to enlarge your existing windows or add new ones. You’ll love both the lower power bill and the view!

Sustainably Produced Flooring

The use of bamboo and cork flooring in the kitchen is on the rise–and for good reason. Cork is harvested from the bark of the cork tree without damaging the tree and bamboo is actually a fast-growing grass that reproduces very quickly. This means that they are renewable sources. They’re easy to maintain, offer good insulation, and look gorgeous and stylish.

Number 2: Smart Technology Integration

Today’s kitchens work smarter, not harder–and that means you do, too! Using smart kitchen technology is a trend that is here to stay. Smart kitchens use internet-connected appliances that let you monitor and manage your devices remotely (usually from your smartphone). Smart technology in the kitchen means greater convenience, better energy efficiency, and more comfort. Try these popular smart appliances and see what you think:

Smart Ovens

Smart ovens allow you to preheat the oven remotely. You can program your oven to cook certain recipes and it can adjust the cooking time and temperature for you. Smart ovens send you an alarm when your food is done and message you if it starts to burn! Some smart ovens can replace microwaves by using air frying or light-based cooking.

Smart Dishwashers

Smart dishwashers allow you to start the wash cycle from your phone–helpful if you forget to turn it on before you leave for work! They can adjust wash cycles as needed and even inform you if they spring a leak somewhere.

Smart Refrigerators

Have you ever gotten to the store and realized you don’t know if you need a particular ingredient for tonight’s dinner? Your smart refrigerator can take a photo of the inside of the fridge and text it to you! It can also let you order groceries from a touchscreen on the door and display recipes right there where you need them.

Number 3: Color Schemes and Design Trends

Kitchen trends in 2024 and 2025 are all about simplicity and peace. We want to enjoy being home, connect with nature and the world around us, and focus on what’s important to us. These desires are manifest in the colors and designs we see gaining popularity today.

Colors

• Green in the kitchen is here to stay. From gentle gray-greens to deep jewel tones, green kitchen cabinets and backsplashes are a popular choice.
• Nature-inspired blue is another popular kitchen color choice. Blue invokes feelings of peace and well-being. Popular blues are warm and soft.
• If quiet colors aren’t your thing, you’re in luck. Happy, bold colors are also trending with dramatic black cabinets and colorful backsplashes leading the way.
• Brass as an accent is also a trend in today’s kitchens. It lends warmth and a timeless look to cabinet hardware, light fixtures, and more.

Personalization

Since today’s kitchens are more than just food preparation spaces, homeowners want them to be as tastefully decorated as the rest of the home. Statement wallpaper adds an element of surprise and delight to a kitchen. Try a bold floral or abstract print on an accent wall, as a backsplash, or even in the interior of your pantry. Another 2024 kitchen trend is hanging art in the kitchen. Choose something meaningful or a piece you love, frame it, and enjoy the curated feel.

Other Design Trends

As we start heading into 2025, other kitchen design trends are taking center stage. 

• Dramatic vent hoods are everywhere. Vent hoods are a necessary part of a kitchen, especially if you have a gas range. They clean the air and keep odors to a minimum. Kitchen designers are embracing the range hood and using it as a focal point. Custom range hoods can be made of wood, mixed metals, and more and fit into any design scheme you can imagine.
• In keeping with the “leaning into nature” theme, organic-toned kitchens are on-trend now. Think light wood, exposed beams, brass, imperfect Zellige tiles, and raw elements. An organic-toned kitchen will be a peaceful haven.
• Minimal backsplashes and backsplash blending will be a popular 2025 kitchen trend. Imagine a gorgeous marble or quartzite countertop that continues up the wall to become the backsplash. The look is simple and stunning–and it’s easy to keep clean!
• Cabinet trends also lean toward simplicity, with Shaker and flat panel cabinets leading the way. Drawer and door pulls that are minimal and sleek finish the look.

Number 4: Layouts

People today want their kitchens to make their lives easier. We want uncluttered spaces that support our desire to gather with those we love and to stay home more often than we used to. This means we need space to entertain, ways to treat ourselves at home, and more thoughtful storage than before.

Floor Plans

Today’s kitchen layouts focus on open and welcoming spaces where there is room to sit and visit with the cook. It’s popular to have eating spaces like a breakfast nook, a large island, a diner booth, or a window seat in the kitchen as another space to hang out, eat, do homework, or socialize. 

Storage

One major kitchen trend in 2024 and 2025 is hidden storage. People want to make the most of the kitchen space by using every inch in smart, thoughtful ways. This means we’re seeing the rise of toe-kick storage, hidden step stools, appliance garages, and refrigerator drawers. 

Another rising trend is bigger, better pantries and even a resurgence of butler’s pantries. (Butler’s pantries are traditionally hallways between the kitchen and dining room that have storage, extra food prep space, and often a small sink.) These larger storage areas give homeowners the flexibility to store everything they need for themselves and their families and to entertain others–all out of sight of the kitchen area.

Beverage Stations

Many people enjoy having dedicated beverage stations as a place to store specialized gear (The milk frother! The French press!) and make their daily drinks. You can have a water dispenser installed to make filling your coffeemaker a breeze. Undercounter fridges or fridge drawers keep creamer and kids’ beverages within easy reach. Many people also want freezer space near their beverage station to keep smoothie ingredients within reach. And a cocktail bar makes a great addition to parties.

Number 5: Multifunctional Areas

Kitchens today are more than just places to prepare a meal. They’re places to do homework or work from home, to visit with friends and family, to eat and drink and relax. Because of the many jobs they do, the best kitchens have spaces that can be used for many different functions.

Kitchen Islands

A great kitchen island is easily the most popular spot in the kitchen. Trending kitchen islands aren’t always the traditional rectangle shape, and they’re also multi-function spaces made to be enjoyed.

• Popular kitchen island shapes include freeform islands that fit perfectly into unusual spaces, chopped (or half) islands where a corner is cut off for an angled edge, curved islands, T-shaped islands, and even double islands–where one is used for food prep and one for eating and socializing.
• Kitchen islands are larger than ever, sometimes even taking the place of dining room tables. People want their homes to have a friendly, casual feel, and kitchen islands are the epitome of “pull up a stool and make yourself at home.”
• Another kitchen island trend in 2024 and 2025 is wrap-around seating (rather than stools being all along one side). This encourages conversation and lingering. 

Workstation Sinks

Workstation sinks couldn’t possibly work harder or be more multifunctional. Workstation sinks have built-in accessories that slide along integrated tracks. Accessories include cutting boards, colanders, drying racks, and even food serving areas. These sinks are generally larger than regular sinks and make preparing food, serving, entertaining, and clean-up easier than ever.

Prep Kitchens

For the serious entertainer, prep kitchens (also known as back kitchens) are rising in popularity. These smaller kitchens off the main kitchen are meant to keep the kitchen mess out of sight. You can prepare food and hide dirty dishes in the prep kitchen and keep your main kitchen sparkling clean and ready to host people. You get the best of both worlds: the charming and casual vibe that comes from having people in the kitchen–without the pile of dirty dishes in the sink.

Prep kitchens can also be used to store dishes, linens, groceries, dried goods, and larger appliances so the main kitchen can remain streamlined and clutter-free.

Integrating These Trends into Your Kitchen

If you’re planning a full kitchen remodel, integrating these kitchen trends should be easy. You can talk to your designer or project developer about your needs and wants. Do you love hanging out in the kitchen and want an amazing island to serve as the heart of the space? Do you need extra storage space for a particular hobby like making your own pasta, and want a butler’s pantry to meet that need? Maybe you have a busy family and need as much smart technology as you can get, or you’re very concerned about your home’s environmental impact and value sustainability. As you plan your remodel, discuss what trends make sense for you and your family.

For a kitchen refresh (a smaller project than a full remodel), consider replacing your appliances with Energy Star or smart appliances. Reface your cabinets with Shaker-style doors and use natural stone countertops. You can install a new kitchen island that is perfect for your existing space and your family’s needs. If you’re replacing flooring, consider using a sustainable, gorgeous material like cork.

What if both a remodel and a refresh aren’t in your immediate future? You can still take advantage of the 2024 and 2025 kitchen trends by trying some of the following options:

• Begin replacing your appliances with Energy Star or smart appliances as you can.
• Incorporate wood tones and natural materials into your kitchen–for example, lean a large wooden cutting board against the backsplash, add a stone bowl to hold your fruit, and put some plants in terra cotta pots on the windowsill.
• Update your kitchen with color! Adding bold wallpaper is an easy way to make your kitchen feel more on-trend and fun. Or paint your cabinets green, blue, or another nature-inspired hue. Remember to hang some art you love!
• Set up your own beverage station by grouping everything you need for your morning cup of joe in one space. Add a vase of flowers or a collection of fun mugs.
• Clear and declutter your countertops and enjoy the minimalist feel that clean spaces bring. 
  
  

Need more ideas?

Check out our kitchen gallery for photos of beautiful kitchens we built that our clients love. We are passionate about making your home the best it can be to support you and your loved ones, and that includes making your kitchen perfect for you. Are you ready to get started? We’d love to help you design and build a kitchen that is practical, lovely, peaceful, and homey. Give us a call today.