4 Kitchen Trends that Went Away
If you are in the market for renovating your South Florida kitchen you may be lured to the world of pinning and following for inspiration. You can find the latest trends in kitchen design and décor to suit every style and motif. The problem is, by the time you narrow down your choices and pick out the paint color, the “current trend” has already passed, replaced with a new “current trend”. Should you opt for a more classic look in your kitchen? Or throw caution to the wind and design your kitchen around the latest cutting edge home designs?
Experts say that trends in home design can be much like fashion – it changes every season based on what buyers are drawn to. Designing your kitchen around a trend can be costly and quickly look outdated. However – if you are using a trendy look because you love the look and don’t mind that it may be out of style in a few years, then you can stop reading and happily go back to designing your dream kitchen. For the rest of you, here are some “Must Do’s” that became “Must Not Do’s” in just a few short years.
- Appliance Garages. These cute little “holding stations” for appliances were a big deal when they first arrived on the kitchen scene. Designed to keep unsightly appliances hidden while they weren’t in use, they took up counter and cabinet space, and the most used appliances generally ended up parked outside the “garage” anyway. People are much more accepting of a blender sitting on the counter these days, especially if it is filled with a delicious smoothie….
- Kitchen Work Areas. Another one of those ideas that didn’t really work: a desk/work station built into the kitchen. Usually considered the woman’s desk area where she could pay bills, look at recipes or perform any other office tasks, this too small to be useful area mainly became a drop zone for papers and junk mail. More and more homes are giving up landlines in favor of cellphones, removing the need for a kitchen phone, making this a waste of valuable kitchen space.
- Pot Racks and Range Hoods. These massive pieces became focal point of the kitchen several years ago, but quickly became known for being massive pieces that take up space and detract from the open kitchen concept. Newer kitchens use deep drawers for pot storage, and forgo the elaborate range hoods.
- Trash Compactors. When talk of running out of landfill space filled the news in the 70s and 80s, people began installing trash compactors in their kitchens – reducing the amount of waste they contributed to the garbage problem. In recent years, the trend is towards recycling instead of compacting – freeing kitchens from the stinky machines that frequently broke down and needed frequent cleaning.
While you may not have been considering adding one of these “Must Not Do’s” to your kitchen remodel, it can be a valuable lesson that this year’s “Musts” may become next year’s “Nots”. Plan carefully as you decide what to include in your kitchen – choose functional pieces that you love and it will never go out of style.