Kitchen design is always evolving, from ’60s pistachio-colored appliances to today’s sleek waterfall islands. Irvine, Calif.-based Robert Hidey Architects (RHA), which has designed thousands of homes for production builders across the country, has seen many trends come and go.
Here, RHA project director Sherman Jones talks with BUILDER at the trends that are heating up kitchens these days. Click through the slide show to see a sampling of these ideas in recent RHA projects.
Eric Figge
Azure 55 at Sea SummitSan Clemente, Calif.Taylor Morrison
How do kitchens fit into the overall floor plan of a house?
Kitchens are no longer isolated but are part of the primary living space today. And most of the time, kitchens connect to the garage in some way, as people generally enter from the garage and go straight to the kitchen when they arrive home.
Are they getting larger or smaller?
While until the early 2000’s kitchens were separate, compartmentalized rooms, they have been the hub of the home for several years now, most often as part of a great room that includes dining and living space. Kitchens keep growing as the islands within them expand to accommodate comfortable seating for family meals and additional bar seating for entertaining.
What are the top amenities buyers want in kitchens these days?
In addition to islands, which are de rigueur today in most of the homes we design, people want walk-in pantries, and ample wine storage if space allows. In some of the largest homes we design, prep or back kitchens are now very much in demand.
What trends are on their way out?
These days, tile countertops are out. Everything is clean and simple now and Victorian cabinet details are a thing of the past, even in traditional homes.
