I would call these deeper shades of white. Grey is still popular, but the new whites we are seeing may only have a touch of grey. They are still light, but they are not a blaring white. Believe it or not, we have dozens of shades of white to choose from. We are continuing to see pairings of light and dark cabinets. Our designers are known to combine lighter shades with black, midnight blue, green, or dark brown cabinetry for a sophisticated style. High contrast cabinetry is one of our favorite looks, and these dark/light combinations look amazing when you add a pop of color to the design. Greenery, the Pantone Color of the Year for 2017, looks great in this palette.
Gold is huge this year and can be used to warm up any palette. By all means, mix it with stainless fixtures and stone. You don’t have to be so matchy matchy (Is that even a word?) The gold you will see is rubbed and brushed, not shiny as seen in this pot filler. It also looks amazing on so many cabinet finishes as a hardware choice.
Ann Sacks did something interesting with their Paire tile collection. They added brass inlays into limestone and marble.
One of our favorite finds at KBIS was the laser cut metals collection from Móz Metals and Architectural Products. They had some fabulous patterns, colors, and finishes. Ken and I got lost examining their metallics imagining how we could use them for cabinetry panels and backsplashes. The panels can also be used as screens and partitions in our outdoor kitchen designs. They are rust resistant and can be completely customized.
Throw out all the rules in 2017. Mix gold and silver, modern and vintage, light and dark, classic and industrial, leather and lace … you get the picture. You will see dark wood or colorfully painted cabinetry used as a punctuation mark to accent lighter woods, and there will be more color and pattern play in the kitchen versus all dark cabinets or monochromatic tone on tone styles. If a kitchen is going to be tone on tone, we will see it with more shape and texture. For example, we are currently making cabinets that are solid white with white leather textured inserts. It is a fabulous new look. You’ll be seeing plenty of texture and rough chic as well, mixing rough wood cabinet interiors with white smooth exteriors. Leather is very hot this year! You will see it in cabinetry, countertops, and furniture adding wonderful texture to your room design.
Don’t hesitate to add some whimsical, unexpected objects to your formal kitchen like this Waterstone’s Wheel Faucet. Add some art glass or fine silver to a rustic kitchen or a pop of color to any kitchen. All these high contrast elements in varying finishes and bright colors make for exciting kitchen design in 2017. Here is a Best hood in Green — Pantone’s color of the year.
