Sometimes a major overhaul is needed to make your dream kitchen a reality, but other times creating a brand new look can be accomplished with something as simple as swapping in new kitchen cabinets. We’ve rounded up 2016’s most elegant cabinet design trends to inspire your own kitchen update.
Cabinet Design #1: Shaker Style Cabinets
Image Source: Closet Factory
Shaker style cabinets are one of 2016’s most sought-after cabinet options. With their iconic recessed doors, Shaker style cabinetry brings elegance to your kitchen that, while simple, is never boring. If you plan on selling your home in the foreseeable future, Shaker cabinetry can also help you secure the price you want. As Dan Moyer of Closet Factory explains:
Homebuyers jump when they see that a home includes Shaker style kitchen cabinets. In fact, it is one of the most highly desired features when looking for a house. – Dan Moyer | Closet Factory
Cabinet Design #2: Glass Front Cabinetry
Image Source: Moya Living
Glass front cabinets are elegant without seeming fussy or overly ornate. They are also a great cabinet option for adding a sense of openness to your kitchen. Glass front cabinets will complement most kitchen styles provided you use the right materials: metal frames for an industrial-inspired kitchen, distressed wood for a farmhouse style, etc. Just keep in mind:
Glass front cabinetry means you have to own pretty things, then put them up there and keep them looking all magazine -perfect. –Emily Henderson | Style by Emily Henderson
Cabinet Design #3: Metal Cabinetry
Image Source: Moya Living
Metal cabinetry, especially steel, has been growing in popularity this year. Don’t worry about the trend being too utilitarian; current takes on this style are sleek, eye-catching, and work well within a range of kitchen styles. Steel cabinetry isn’t just nice to look at, though. It’s a much more sustainable material than the variety of woods traditionally used for cabinetry. According to designer Moya O’Neill:
Steel cabinetry is completely recyclable, possesses great durability, and, compared to other materials, requires relatively low amounts of energy to produce. -Moya O’Neill | Moya Living
Cabinet Design #4: Convert to Open Shelving
This might not be a cabinet design but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming extremely popular this year. Converting your cabinets to open shelving makes smaller kitchens appear larger, allows you to use your dishes as decorative elements rather than cluttering things up with non-essentials, plus it’s simply a refreshing break from the expected. The open shelving trend also complements just about any kitchen style. Just remember to keep a some cabinets around, preferably on the lower half of your kitchen, for the un-pretty stuff like Tupperware and pots and pans.
Exposed shelving only works if you can keep the shelves neat and tidy and use the items often. If it becomes a showplace for vases and rarely used kitchen items, things placed there will get dusty and become unusable until rewashed. –Kami Gray | Kami Gray Interior Design
Cabinet Design #5: One Long Shelf
As minimalist principles continue to inspire modern homeowners, this is yet another cabinet option that actually involves getting rid of cabinets. A single long shelf that wraps around a section of your kitchen is a visually stunning trend. It’s unexpected, eye-catching and adds an enormous sense of space to any kitchen. However, even more so than with traditional open shelving, this trend isn’t ideal for all situations. In particular, large families that need lots of storage should opt for a different cabinet design.
If you are a minimalist, can keep things clean and know how to put things back in their place like a proper human being should, then this trend could work for you. But, if you open up your kitchen cabinets and an avalanche of Tupperware covers you then I would say steer clear of this one. – Emily Henderson | Style By Emily Henderson
2016 Color Trends for Cabinets
Image Source: Kami Gray Interiors (Photographed by Cristin Norine; GC: Akos Construction)
In terms of color, 2016 is the time for pastels. Soft grays and pastel blues and greens are the new “neutrals,” allowing you to add personality to your new kitchen cabinets without overpowering the space. As Moyer points out, “Neutral colors help give kitchens an overall warm feeling and give you the freedom to add bold colors anywhere else you like.”
Try a lot of paint samples and keep going until you find your ideal color. It’s expensive and time-consuming to paint kitchen cabinets correctly so make sure you love it! –Kami Gray | Kami Gray Interior Design
Planning to incorporate a new cabinet design as part of a larger kitchen remodel? We can help you line up an affordable roll off dumpster for the cleanup process.
Using one of these kitchen cabinet options? Let us know how it worked out in the comments!
