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People often tend to embark on kitchen remodels not because their current kitchens are nonfunctional but because they look outdated. The solid-surface kitchen countertops that were in vogue 25 years ago are painfully unfashionable today at a time when people like granite and quartz, for instance.
Keeping a remodel as long as possible is good for the environment, too – you need to send less construction debris to the landfill.
Forgo designing cute nooks into your kitchen
Kitchen designs from 10 years ago never failed to put in cute little nooks – these nooks held the phone, the TV and perhaps a seat with a desk and writing paper for recipes. A nook, then, is a sure sign that your kitchen hasn’t seen a remodel in a decade. To begin, you don’t need a nook for a television or a phone, these days. Most people don’t have landline phones and televisions aren’t bulky anymore.
People don’t even need to sit down to write recipes down. They scribble them down on their iPads. Staying away from nooks is a good idea.
Standalone microwaves
If your kitchen isn’t built with a microwave as part of the basic design, it is obviously a very old remodel. Microwaves are such an important part of any kitchen today that newer remodels always include built-in models.
A trash compactor
Trash compactors were a novelty in the 70s. Over time, people began to realize that they were a hassle. If trash compactors aren’t kept meticulously clean, they begin to smell. They are more trouble than they are worth. The very presence of a trash compactor will date your kitchen.
An appliance garage
Kitchens built in the 80s and 90s kitchens included a cute touch – a little enclosure on the countertop for blenders, toasters, coffee machines and other small appliances. The enclosure usually had a rolling shutter or a lift up door – the kind you would see on a garage. Over time, though, people realized that these enclosures took up a lot of counter space for no reason. Your kitchen will stay current for longer if you simply leave your appliances on the counter. If you do need to hide your appliances, putting them in a pullout drawer would be a better idea.
Stick to stainless appliances
Appliance manufacturers constantly try to create new design trends to maintain a degree of excitement in their products. At this time, they tell you that stainless isn’t as in vogue as it used to be. Shades of white with names like arctic and ice are the latest trend. In the interests of skipping trends for a timeless look, choosing stainless would be best. If you’re buying for the long haul, you want to favor neutral over the flavor of the year. Stainless always fits in, whatever the decor is over the rest of your kitchen.
Huge pot racks or range hoods
Even two years ago, it was a popular design choice to create kitchens with vast pot racks or range hoods in the middle. Today, though, whether you are in New York or San Diego, remodeling trends favor the more timeless open kitchen concept. Pots go into cavernous rollout drawers that offer easy accessibility. Untidy collections of hanging pots are unlikely to good for decades.
The short backsplash
Four-inch backsplashes are a design choice that date your kitchen. Backsplashes aren’t expensive – there’s no reason to not build your backsplashes so that they reach all the way to the bottoms of your cabinets. Full backsplashes are practical and convenient, too.
No more apron-front kitchen sinks
Apron-front kitchen sinks were all the rage up until two years ago. This year, they’ve fallen completely out of favor. If you want a timeless look, you need to go with stainless steel.
Jeremy S lives his life with a sketchbook in his hand. As an interior designer, he enjoys writing about his artistry and timeless designs for others to find their personal inspiration without breaking the bank.
