If appliances are the hands and flooring is the feet, then cabinets are the heart of the kitchen – storing the tools and nutrition we need to feed our souls. Because they’re so vital to your space (and because they make the biggest visual impact), cabinets are the quickest way to transform the look of your kitchen. From grains of wood making a major comeback to the latest crave-able colour combinations to modern minimalist kitchen inspo, these are the kitchen cabinet trends to watch as we roll into 2020.
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It’s Smart to be Sustainable
ideas are on the rise in interior design, with kitchen cabinets using sustainable and upcycled materials growing in popularity – like IKEA’s KUNGSBACKA line of kitchen fronts. Made from recycled wood and recycled PET bottles, these drawer and cabinet fronts offer a modern look that keeps the environment in mind.
Related: Mike Holmes Reveals the Smartest Ways to Go Green at Home
Play in Grey
The new neutral sweeping the nation’s kitchens? It looks like grey is here to stay. Popular as a kitchen wall and flooring colour, this versatile neutral adds a sophisticated feel to cabinets.
Related: 15 of Our Favourite Kitchen Renovations From HGTV Shows
Dark Matters
When it comes to colour, deep, dark and even black cabinets continue to make a major impact in the kitchen. While all-black kitchens remain popular, combinations of black cabinets with other hues and contrast countertops are another way to guide your kitchen (stylishly) to the dark side.
Colour Them Cool
Rich, saturated colour makes a bold statement in your kitchen – with trending jewel-tone cabinets adding style to breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Related: The Most Popular Kitchen Designs From Around the World
Colour, but Make it Soft
If dark and rich hues are too stark for your taste, pops of pastel and gentler tones are colouring kitchen cabinets as well – like this mint green kitchen featured on Property Brothers: Forever Home.
Related: 10 Design Features That Will Boost Your Creativity in the Kitchen
The Wonders of Walnut
Warm, rich and perfectly coordinated with clean, white kitchen aesthetics, walnut is another wood that’s popping up in more modern kitchen cabinet designs.
Related: 10 Biggest Home Trends in 2020, According to HGTV Canada Stars
Take on Two Tones
Double the colour, double the style. Two-tone cabinets continue to top the trends when it comes to kitchens, with combinations of bright colours or a mix of neutrals creating cool contrast.
Related: Are Modular Kitchens and Bathrooms the Future of Housing?
Island Life
Kitchen islands add extra workspace and seating to your cooking space, but they can also create new opportunities for cabinets and bonus storage in the kitchen.
Related: Bryan Baeumler’s 10 Easy Ways to Save Money on Your Kitchen Remodel
The Softer Side
Wood cabinets are timeless, creating a beautiful contrast to sleek appliances. But not all types of wood create the same look. This year, more and more kitchen cabinets are showcasing warmer, softer-toned woods like ash and oak.
Related: Scott McGillivray Debates the Pros and Cons of Going Light and Dark in Your Kitchen
Put it All out There
Hidden no more: showcase pantries with open-front shelving make your daily items part of the aesthetic of your kitchen cabinets. Note: this is a trend that appeals most to the ultra-organized among us.
Related: 10 Ways to Totally Transform Your Kitchen Cabinets Without Replacing Them
Frosty Finishes
Get ready to Marie Kondo your kitchen, because glass cabinets leave you with nowhere to hide a disorganized snack cabinet. From frosted to crystal clear, glass panels are bringing a bit of transparency to modern kitchen designs.
Related: A Hideous Kitchen Gets a Heavenly Makeover on a Tight Timeline and Budget
Look, No Hands
Call it a mark of the minimalist kitchen movement: hands-free cabinets are creating super-clean lines on kitchen cabinets as we enter the new decade. From hidden handles to cutouts to touch-release styles, barely-there and invisible hardware are trends to watch.
Related: See How Lynne Knowlton Overcame Reno Hurdles to Create a Heavenly Kitchen Makeover
Make it Matte
Shine is so last year. In contrast to high-shine designs of years past, matte is on trend for 2020 – whether it’s bold matte cabinet panels or subtler matte-black hardware.
Related: 20 Timeless Kitchen Cabinet Ideas for Your Next Remodel
Mix in Marble
Luxe and modern, marble is cooking up a moment in kitchens this year – creating the perfect base for contemporary cabinets.
Related: 15 Feng Shui Tips for Expertly Organized Kitchen Cabinets
Unexpected Hardware
If you do prefer hardware on your cabinets, try thinking outside the box for a modern, distinctive look. Unique hardware – like rough-cut crystals, rings and pull-tabs – adds personality and statement-making style to your kitchen.
Open Up
While top cupboards add storage, they can take away a sense of openness in the kitchen. The solution, increasingly, is to opt for no upper cabinets or a mix of some upper cabinets and subtle shelving.
Related: 20 Gorgeous Kitchens That Will Inspire You to Embrace Open Shelving
A Stylish Secret
Have something to hide? Good! Integrating hidden range hoods into the design of kitchen is an increasingly popular way to enhance the clean, modern look of cabinets.
Related: Kitchen Appliances 101: Where to Splurge and Where to Save
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