KITCHEN TRENDS TO AVOID

A granite counter here, new cherry cabinets there. Anyone who’s ever undertaken a kitchen remodeling project knows those costs can add up quickly. According to the Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value Report, the national average cost for a high-end kitchen makeover is now $53,931. Because they’re such a large investment, most homeowners hope to end up with a finished product that looks fresh as long as possible.

What’s hot and trendy today may be out of vogue in a year, making your kitchen look outdated before you've had a chance to break it in. Even before the first sledgehammer is swung, John Petrie, president-elect of the National Kitchen and Bath Association encourages homeowners to answer one important question: Who is this remodel for? “Is this something the homeowners are doing for themselves, for their own enjoyment?” he said. “Or, do they need to update to be able to sell their house?”

The answers to these questions can help drive design choices for the kitchen and beyond. “If this remodel is for resale purposes, decisions will need to be made that both ensure you’re getting the highest return on your investment and which appeal to the largest number of people,” Petrie said. “When it comes to resale, we generally want to play it safe with color. White painted kitchens and light maple kitchens, for example, have appeal in the resale market — and they have for quite some time.” If, however, you have no plans to move anytime soon, you don’t want to completely throw caution to the wind, but you can make more personal design decisions. Petrie says most kitchen remodels come about not because the kitchens are “worn out” but because they “don’t look current.” “Many of the projects we’re working on now are for homeowners who love the layout of their kitchen, but they don’t love the crystal or frost finishes on oak cabinets that they chose 20 years ago,” he said. “We’re also seeing people replace the solid-surface countertops that were popular in the ‘90s with more updated quartz or granite.”

While no one can say for sure which kitchen features will stand the test of time, here are eight trends you may want to avoid to keep your remodel looking relevant for years to come.