After our last blog about lake home building trends we’re seeing, we started receiving requests for specific ideas to use when designing custom kitchens! With the kitchen being a critical component of your everyday life, we knew others would be interested in what we’re seeing in our current home custom builds.
The kitchen is often the heart of your home. It’s where family and friends gather and make memories throughout the year. Building a new home, whether it’s going to be a primary residence or part-time lake home retreat, you’ll want to consider the space, design, and functionality this central room will need.
Today, we’re sharing 10 current trends in custom lake home kitchens.
You can’t turn on HGTV without hearing the terms “open concept” and farmhouse-style at least a half-dozen times. The desire for open concept floor plans, especially featuring kitchens that flow seamlessly into the living and entertaining space, continues to hold for custom homes in our properties, Twin Creeks Village, and nearby Barefoot Bay. Nearly every custom home design we review features large, bright, farmhouse-style kitchens that you just can’t wait to spend time in.
Pro tip: When thinking about this essential space in your new home, imagine the feature and design elements that will be both stunning - and functional for your family. Cutting-edge kitchen trends can be gorgeous, but if they don’t fit how you and your family use the space, you’re unlikely to be happy with them long term.
With the modern kitchen becoming such an integral part of a new home, we see fewer dining rooms in new custom home plans than ever. Homeowners are choosing instead to forgo walled-in dining rooms in favor of farmhouse-style eating areas that they’ll outfit with countertop tables that are natural extensions to the kitchen.
A versatile island is a space for meal preparation, seating, entertaining, you name it. If there’s one piece that demands attention it’s your island. These days, it’s customary to build a large, counter-height island with a full-sized sink and gorgeous counter space on one side, and seating for four to six people on the other.
More and more, homeowners are opting for quartz counter tops in their kitchens and on their islands instead of the commonly used material, granite. Both quartz and granite add an element of luxury to a kitchen (and bathrooms), but quartz, though often more expensive, offers several other appealing benefits.
Granite is naturally occurring, which means colors, mineral inclusions, and veining can vary greatly, even within a single slab. This means that no two countertops installed with granite are the same. Quartz on the other hand, is engineered stone mixed with naturally occurring stone, and thus has more consistent coloring. With the desire for kitchens to appear bright and clean, white marbled quartz countertops with minimal veining can go a long way to achieving a fresh look.
Quartz is not only beautiful but also more durable than granite. Unlike granite, quartz is nonporous, so it’s easier to keep free of bacteria and doesn’t have to be sealed periodically or cleaned with specialty products or solutions.
According to Nate Howell, Twin Creeks VP of Custom Homes, “For a really elegant look that’s multi-functional, consider adding a quartz waterfall countertop to your kitchen island. This look achieves a stunning, impressive appearance that serves double duty to deliver a beautiful aesthetic and shield the lower cabinetry from normal wear and tear.
Speaking of cabinets, bright white cabinets continue to be popular in farmhouse-style kitchens and pair beautifully with impressive white farmhouse sinks built into your countertops. Jeanine Lasseter, owner of Cabinets Plus in Murfreesboro, says “the farmhouse-style sinks and all the cabinets are often combined with champagne bronze (gold) fixtures and handles throughout the kitchen, giving it a warm, elegant look.”
While bright white cabinets are still popular, bold colors are certainly rising in popularity. You could infuse color with a single statement piece, such as a bold navy or blue/black island. Or you might be more daring and go with two-tone cabinetry, such as bright white upper cabinets combined with dark lower cabinets, according to Jeanine.
When it comes to functionality, installing pull-out cabinetry and soft-close drawers and doors in your kitchen is a decision no homeowner has ever regretted. Ever.
Another detail that adds an air of luxury to your kitchen is to feature a wall-mounted chimney hood for kitchen exhaust rather than relying on the traditional overhead microwave solution. These built-in cabinet vent hoods deliver a striking look that can elevate the overall appearance of your kitchen.
Typically, Twin Creeks homeowners select gas cooktops with built-in ovens rather than single-unit ranges. This is a great idea because it allows you to have drawers beneath your cooktop to make cooking easier.
For other appliances, you might prefer traditional pieces or to live on the cutting edge by opting for those equipped with smart technology that can do all but shop and cook for you. Our Twin Creeks owners agree on one thing, however. Most are going for a combination of beauty and ease of care. It’s common to see homeowners choose sophisticated black stainless steel appliances that are fingerprint-resistant. Where have those been all our lives?
In terms of backsplashes, white subway tile remains a popular choice. There are new styles of subway tile these days, including larger rectangular tiles or other shapes, such as hexagon or arabesque. Often these give the space a streamlined appearance, though some homeowners choose encaustic tiles with unique designs.
It’s also popular to install wood-floating shelves for dishes, pottery, or decorations to create bold accents according to your personal style and taste.
Give yourself a room with a view with upgraded windows. Many homeowners are choosing large windows over the sink with little to no grills between the glass. These wide windows, which slide or crank open, allow you to maximize your views on the inside while creating an elegant image on the exterior.
Walk in pantries are a must and it’s popular to combine them with upgraded interior wood shelving rather than wire shelving. To give your pantry and kitchen even more character, consider outfitting your pantry with a gorgeous barn door or an elegant glass door for a beautiful look.
Your kitchen is destined to be a major focal point of your home. But if you don’t know where to start, no problem! Remember that Nate and the rest of the Twin Creeks design team will be there to help you every step of the way so that you can achieve the look, feel, and functionality of your dreams. Ready to build? Contact us today to get started.
