The kitchen in this luxury custom model home by Justice Builders is among those featured in this year’s Kitchens of the Bluegrass Tour. Photo by David Disponett
This month, homeowners and designers across Lexington will open their kitchen doors for the 17th annual Kitchens of the Bluegrass Tours. Highlighting unique designs, appliances, gadgets and creative kitchen solutions, the self-guided tour is geared toward sparking inspiration for your next kitchen project, however big or small.
In advance of the tour, several participating designers have provided insight on current trends in kitchen design, tips on expanding the life of your remodel and sneak peeks at some of the kitchens featured in this year’s tour.
All-white contemporary kitchens have had an overwhelming presence in recent years – and while the heyday of light, airy kitchens is far from over, several designers are reporting an increasing movement toward incorporating mixed materials and other hues. Whether accomplished through deeper stains and finishes or unexpected accents such as cooper and hardwood, this blending of styles and tones can help create a warm, organic and unique ambiance in the room that is so often the heart of the home.
“People are still responding to white kitchens, but we have done more in the last year involving mixed materials and finishes to create comfortable, organic and unique designs,” said Missy Clifton, marketing manager for Architectural Kitchens and Baths. “Brick, copper, Dekton countertops, newer stains for doors are what we are seeing recently.”
Mixing transitional white upper cabinets with gray base cabinets is another way to “provide visual interest and dimension while grounding a space,” noted BACK Construction’s design team, which has a recently renovated kitchen, located on Warrenwood Wynd in Chevy Chase, on this year’s tour.
Incorporating multiple styles and materials in the same space is a trend echoed by David and Josh Gregory of Gregory Designs, who noted that “examples could include a painted island with wall cabinets done in a natural wood species, counter surfaces using different materials or contemporary and traditional construction methods used for individual elements or areas.”
“Gloom glam” is a distinct phrase coined by Counter Culture Plus president GJ Gerard for a particular style incorporating eclectic elements that he’s seen more of in recent years: utilizing lush furs, rich leathers and sophisticated light fixtures to fill an otherwise bleak or boorish area.
Blending materials and styles, as evidenced in this Chevy Chase remodel by BACK Costruction, is a great way to create an organic, comfortable ambiance in the most popular room of the house. This Warrenwood Wynd kitchen is featured on this year’s tour. Photo by Joseph Rey Au
Wood is a kitchen accent that Gerard also noted increasing requests for – from butcher block accent tops and floating shelves to hardwood floors and beyond.
“We get calls for a butcher block island or a walnut bar more often than ever,” Gerard said. “Rustic barn wood is being used on wall applications a whole lot more, and I have yet to be tired of it or see it somewhere that it would have been better off left alone.”
Some of the most requested current trends can’t necessarily be seen with the naked eye, however – and that’s the point. Debra Hupman of Creative Kitchen and Bath reported a growing number of requests for eliminating visible electric outlets with the use of subtle and discreet electrical strips.
“Disdain for ugly outlets in the backsplash has become a hot button topic for my clients,” said Hupman, who added she increasingly incorporates electrical strips that secure to the bottom of wall cabinets – similar to an under-counter light – in her kitchen design. “This frees up the backsplash for a gorgeous design of uninterrupted tiles that can make for a wonderful focal point – no more holes cut awkwardly into your expensive tiles.”
Other valuable and increasingly requested features that might not be spotted at first glance include automation and advanced technology – specifically, Bluetooth technology and “smart” appliances, said Derek Whitaker, another designer with Creative Kitchen and Bath, whose own Lansdowne-area home will be featured in this year’s tour. Formerly only available to the most high-end of clients, advances in technology in recent years have made complete control over home electronics an increasingly more accessible (and more requested) feature.
Speaking of complete control – access to an ever-growing number of television shows, publications and apps dedicated to design has granted an increasing number of design clients with the ability to know exactly what they want.
“The customer is more educated than ever – and it’s great,” Gerard said. “There is a bit of misinformation that circulates, but mostly, people know what they are looking for and why.”
“People now have numerous, tangible examples of what appeals to them for us to use,” he added, “which also makes it easier to service them.”
Beyond the Kitchen Doors
Click the links below for a sneak peek at a handful of the kitchens featured on this year's tour