Kitchen renovations and upgrades were one of the hottest items on homeowners’ to-do lists in 2013, a trend that’s showing no sign of slowing down heading into the new year. For homeowners who plan to undertake a remodeling project in order to bring their kitchens into fashion-forward focus with the hottest palettes for 2014, it’s important to have a basic understanding of color forecasts and trends for this year to begin creating a design plan.
BLACK AND WHITE
The high-contrast of black and white continues to reign supreme in palettes for 2014, regardless of design theme. Farmhouse, cottage, modern and traditional kitchens are all sporting black-on-white palettes, predominantly using black counter tops and cabinet fitting to contrast cabinetry in cool white tones. Look for gray tones to come through in back splashes, flooring and wall treatments to soften the stark contrast this year for on-trend kitchen palettes. Another kitchen color trend emerging in conjunction with high-contrast black-on-white tones is the use of a signature color for pops of brightness, reflected in tile work, decorative elements and accent walls.
DEEP, DARK HUES
Homeowners have long been cautioned to eschew dark colors and deep tones in the kitchen in order to present a clean, crisp mood within the room. In kitchen color palettes for 2014, people are beginning to throw that caution to the wind in favor of rich red hues, coppers and deep earth tones. Smaller spaces may feel a bit confined if the room is decked out in wall-to-wall darks, so consider a single accent wall or painting the ceiling in a deep shade to maintain a spacious, airy feel. Consider a dark, rich floor treatment paired with warm neutrals throughout the rest of the room, or splashes of oatmeal or taupe to tone down a predominantly warm-color darks palette. For cool darks like deep blues, splashes of cool white can open up the space without sacrificing the dramatic impact of a deep jewel tone.
HIGH DRAMA
One of the hottest trends for home design in 2014 is high drama and high impact. Look for baroque-inspired elements, and lush accents to lend a very luxe feel to bring glamour to even utilitarian spaces like kitchens and baths. Jewel tones, glossy blacks and reflective surfaces are set to take center stage this year.
Indigo shades, along with ruby reds and deep purples will be popular, along with the “Paris apartment” design scheme. For kitchens, look for dramatic accent pieces, and appliances skillfully hidden by custom cabinetry to bring a seamless glamor to the space as a whole. Navy blue is also a particularly trendy color for 2014, showing up everywhere from runways to interior design editorials. It’s showing up everywhere, and can be an ideal choice for dramatically glamorous kitchen spaces.
WARM YELLOWS
Yellow has been a hot color in home design for a while, but look for more versatility with this particular hue heading into the new year. For 2014, yellows are becoming a bit more of a complimentary neutral in kitchen design, as opposed to the eye-popping canary shades popular in other rooms of the house. Because kitchens are both a functional space and one in which guests and family members alike tend to gather, it’s important for them to be both cozy and efficient. Soft, buttery yellows are soft and almost neutral, which brings an overall feeling of serenity to kitchen spaces in particular.
Armed with the on-trend knowledge of fashionable palettes for 2014, you can begin working with your Virginia kitchen specialist to create a beautiful, stylish and efficient space for preparing meals, entertaining and enjoying time spent with your loved ones.
