The Top 5 Kitchen Trends of 2022
If you’re like most homeowners, a full-scale kitchen remodel only comes around once a decade (or longer) — so how do you reconcile that with kitchen trends that shift on an annual basis? At Ayars, we always advise our clients to be true to themselves — by trusting personal tastes over trends, you’re ultimately going to end up with something you’re satisfied with longer.
That said, personal preferences are far from static, and certain kitchen trends do have staying power. This is why it’s still worthwhile to do your homework on the freshest kitchen design features, materials, and styles. Here are 5 of the top kitchen design trends Ayars has seen so far in 2022.
Black hardware
Sleek, elegant, and modern, black is a hallmark of more contemporary designs. We can apply it in a subtler — but nonetheless striking — manner through our drawer pulls and knobs. Black hardware remains a top kitchen trend in 2022 after seeing a lot of adopters in 2021, suggesting this one could have some longevity. Pair satin or matte black pulls and knobs with lighter-colored cabinets for widely compatible contrast.
Squared or tubular bar-shaped pulls are the most popular manifestation of the black hardware trend (especially with drawers), but for an even more minimalist application, you might install more tab-like edge pulls. For the most minimalist look, you may opt to go without cabinet hardware altogether.
Stained cabinet doors
Stained cabinet doors — and woodgrain and natural textures in general — are making a comeback. If you’re still imagining them in the context of your parents’ or grandparents’ kitchens, we invite you to reconsider. Stained cabinets tie into transitional kitchen concepts — those that fuse a bit of the old (traditional) and the new (contemporary) — beautifully.
Some of Ayars’ more recent kitchen remodels reflect this 2022 design trend to a tee, with a medium to dark stained cabinet or floor providing a balancing warmth to stainless steel appliances or a bright white countertop or backsplash. Generally speaking, darker stains help make bigger spaces look cozier and lighter stains help confined spaces appear more open.
Custom storage and accessories
Where to put everything? It’s one of the more timeless kitchen conundrums, and today’s designers are getting craftier and craftier about customized storage solutions and accessories. Integration is a major buzzword here, with organization tools built right into cabinet drawers and cupboards. These may include pull-out or slide-out shelving, drawer inserts and dividers, and more.
We also encourage customers to think vertically when we’re designing a space — we want to be purposeful from the floor all the way to the ceiling, fitting storage neatly and seamlessly around fixtures and appliances. Don’t neglect the bare walls opposite the action either — floating shelving can give you a place to showcase your most prized dishware or cookware (or just serve as a nice platform for decor).
Quartz slab counters
As one of the most expensive items to replace, durability is maybe the most important thing to look for in a kitchen countertop. Quartz slab countertops rank highly in this department, and they’re available in a wide spectrum of colors and styles to mesh with virtually any aesthetic, while convincingly mimicking natural stone.
That’s right — despite their name, quartz countertops aren’t actually quartz, at least not in their entirety. Instead, they’re produced by binding crushed minerals (this will often include quartz, of course, but sometimes other materials such as granite, marble, ceramics, glass, and/or metal filings) with polymer resins. For this reason, they’re often referred to in the industry as engineered stone countertops.
The polymeric (i.e. plastic) component makes them nonporous and thus antimicrobial, inhibiting the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew — unlike wood or natural stone, they’re low-maintenance and will never need to be sealed. The resins also allow for more design flexibility in terms of shape and size — fabricators can fashion cleaner cuts and even curves with minimal disruption (another 2022 kitchen trend, by the way).
Full slab backsplashes
Continuing on the continuity trend, full slab (or solid slab) backsplashes are finding favor among an increasing number of homeowners in 2022. Why? Well take the appeal of a natural stone or quartz slab countertop and flip it on its y-axis. There is a sense of luxury created with a single, unbroken plane of natural or engineered stone that is tough to beat — because it’s on the wall, the eyes cannot help but gravitate toward it.
The slab need not necessarily follow along the entire length of the counter to have an impact — even applied to a small area (e.g. behind the range or sink), it will easily become a focal point. This 2022 kitchen backsplash trend is another that looks poised to stick around.
Kitchen remodeling with Ayars
The kitchen is the heart of the home, and it’s close to our hearts at Ayars, too. If you’re looking for the forever kitchen to match your forever home, look no further.
