Like the increasing trend toward fireplaces as living room focal points, many 2016 design trends revolve around a functional home where people do more than just sleep. Perhaps nothing makes this statement as clearly as the carefully designed, multi-functional kitchen, where people spend time preparing everyday meals as well as entertaining guests. We might consider why moderns are making the kitchen so significant.
Relational Connection
In an article entitled “The Psychological Significance of the Kitchen Table,” the significance of the kitchen table is explained: “Far more than a flat surface upon which to dine, the kitchen table can be the heartbeat of a family. It’s a place to gather, to talk and to reconnect. Parents look back on the times spent around the kitchen table when they were growing up and long to recreate those memories with their children.”
Instead of losing its place of value in modern life, it’s actually gaining in appreciation. “For many people, the kitchen table is synonymous with family time and real conversations. It’s hard to find time to do things in today’s busy world. But everyone has to eat.”
As important as the kitchen table may be, the kitchen island is gaining in popularity. Instead of being limited to more counter space, many islands also include prep sinks, additional seating, and vast amounts of storage space. They’re also the focal point of many of today’s kitchens.
Physical Health
Our increasingly health-conscious society continues to wage war on obesity and other health problems; for many, that means a whole foods diet. And that requires us to actually cook. In 2016, convenience meals may be no-no’s, but conveniently designed kitchens are definitely yeses!
To accommodate the preparation of nutritious meals, today’s busy cooks are treating themselves to luxury appliances like steam ovens, warming drawers, and induction cooktops. And all those specialty and family-sized pots and pans need places to live, and it’s so much easier to get them in and out of deep drawers than those bottom cabinets! Even deep corner drawers and drawers under kitchen sinks and range tops are becoming popular.
Entertaining Potential
Many of today’s kitchen trends reach beyond the everyday family life to larger gatherings and the kind of informal entertaining people like to do in their homes. Special features include dining tables on casters, allowing easy re-arranging for larger groups. “Barely there” kitchens flow seamlessly with open-concept designs, eliminating full-size appliances and upper cabinetry and creating a truly multi-functional space.
Some homeowners are also re-discovering the benefits of having a formal dining room, allowing an alternative to the kitchen for special celebrations. Other kitchen trends include mixing modern materials (such as butcher block counter tops, soapstone, and marble along the same wall) and installing two-tone kitchen cabinets.
With kitchen design continually in flux, one mainstay you can count on is your hardwood floor. Rehmeyer offers several Collections, ranging from Authentic Hand Scraped Collection flooring to a clear-grade Prestige Collection flooring, with several options in between.
Rehmeyer Wood Floors
Rehmeyer Wood Floors offers a full range of custom milled and stock wide plank hardwood flooring. Rehmeyer’s flooring is all 3/4″ solid hardwood and sold unfinished, prefinished or completely custom finished to suit your project. Call Rehmeyer Wood Floors today toll free at (888) 474-4047 or visit their website at RehmeyerFloors.com to learn more about their custom flooring services. Rehmeyer Wood Floors ships nationwide.
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