"In 2024, colors count as neutrals," Minneapolis design expert says
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
After years of muted farmhouse-style kitchens, 2024 ushers in an earthier era, with greens, blues, natural wood tones and warm metals.
Why it matters: The kitchen sells the house! And even if you're not selling, you might be up for a refresh.
Driving the trend: The National Kitchen and Bath Association's annual report, which surveyed around 600 design professionals across the U.S., reveals sleeker, warmer, more contemporary designs will dominate in the years to come.
What's happening: You don't need to tear out your kitchen to experiment with fresh design elements.
What they're saying: "In 2024, colors count as neutrals," says Kate O'Hara, who has a studio in Minneapolis.
- Think: Mixing classics like white with pink-taupe, gray-blue and other subdued selections, the CEO and creative director of O'Hara Interiors tells Axios.
Zoom in: O'Hara's also pairing natural materials like stone, wood and plaster with sleek lines and open spaces.
- What she's loving: Reeded cabinets and walls, full-room wainscoting, unique backsplash slab shapes and different flooring patterns.
The big picture: Industry professionals from the report say transitional, contemporary, organic and mid-century/Scandinavian styles are the wave of the future.
- Meanwhile, styles reminiscent of the "Fixer Upper" craze, like farmhouse, cottage and craftsman, are past their prime, per the report.
- Color is making its way back into home design, a rebellious reaction to years of bright white and muted grays.
- The goal of warmer, earthier tones is to create a sense of "nature, calm and harmony," per the report.
Experts also sense more people will opt for casual built-in dining areas in the kitchen over separate formal dining spaces.
- Hidden appliance storage (hello, appliance garage) and expanded islands will also be big.
State of play: Beverage stations are making a splash in 2024. It's the year coffee lovers pour effort into a dedicated morning ritual space, or winos spring for custom storage.
- Pinterest searches for "coffee bar styling" were up 1,125% from September 2021 to August 2023, per the platform's data.
What we're watching: Pinterest search data show consumers are already moving away from minimalism.
- Searches for "eccentric kitchen" were up 160% from September 2021 to August 2023; "kitschy kitchen" was up 75%; and "green kitchen paint" was up 55%, per data the platform shared with Axios.