Kitchen & Bathroom Design Blog

This last year saw changes in the design world, as many of us started using our home living spaces in a different way, in particular our kitchen and bath designs. The kitchen has become the most multifunctional room of all, taking on every role from a living area to home office, not to mention catering for everyone’s hunger pangs throughout the day.  Likewise, our evolving bathrooms are hardworking in terms of traffic, but also in their capacity for us to relax and unwind.

Having adequate storage is essential throughout the home, but in particular for both of these rooms to perform efficiently and without clutter. Plus, a tidy home with everything neatly stored away allows your new kitchen or bath design style to shine! There are trends in any element of design, and storage is no exception. Let’s take a look at this year’s best storage solutions for kitchen designs and bathroom remodels.

OPEN STORAGE

The open storage trend is set to continue in popularity this year. It opens up a design and lets you display your favorite things as well as store the essentials. The key to making this storage style work is all about keeping your open storage cleverly organized to be functional as well as visually appealing.

When you spend more time at home and operating in an online world of video calls, it’s only natural to want to be surrounded by real objects and treasured mementos. Open storage is a place to style art, ceramics, books and personal treasures to keep us grounded and comforted. Taking things out of concealed storage can be high maintenance though. Keep regularly used items close at hand on open shelves near a bathroom vanity or kitchen countertop. As well as being convenient, it avoids dust collecting as you frequently access these items.

The minimalist nature of open storage means it complements any design, especially spa-style bathrooms and modern, open-plan kitchens. Depending on the material you select for open storage, you can enhance most design styles, for example rustic wood shelves complement a farmhouse style kitchen design while sleek metallics enhance a modern design or give your space an industrial edge.

Replacing upper cabinets with shelving is huge right now in kitchen remodeling. It’s also more budget-friendly to install a large shelf than bathroom or kitchen cabinets. It introduces more wall space that allows painted or tiled walls to show, adding color and visual interest to your design. The same can be said for wall-hung storage, freestanding units, or niche and glass shelving.

Baskets, hooks, and rails are all excellent storage options that have a place in a busy kitchen or bathroom design. Attractive containers can hold a wealth of items on a shelf while also enhancing your design by adding different materials and colors to your space. You can't beat custom cabinets for storage though, so it’s a good solution to combine both in a large space. There are always items you don’t want to display that need to be easily accessed, so medicine cabinets and kitchen cabinets cater for this with style.

STREAMLINING

This past year saw many people clearing out unused items in their homes and streamlining home living spaces, resulting in newfound space for storage, entertainment, and working from home. In line with this trend, one of the prevailing concepts in this year’s kitchen design and bathroom remodeling is streamlining, by reducing clutter and maximizing efficiency through storage. This is especially true if space is at a premium, but particularly applies to kitchens where you want to maximize the utility of every inch of your multi-purpose kitchen design. Floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall cabinets are ideal to give your room a streamlined appearance and make use of every inch of your kitchen, though this can be broken up with glass front cabinets and the occasional open shelf to add visual appeal to your design.

This works perfectly along one wall of a galley-style kitchen as it looks sleek and modern and makes better use of your available space. If you’re including an island or peninsula in a smaller kitchen, keep it size-proportionate so it can store enough without taking over the design. If you have more space available, then opt for an L-shaped kitchen with a large, multi-leveled island to facilitate multiple activities at the same time.

Decluttering a bathroom is the first step towards an elegant Zen look that is the ultimate in relaxation. One of the biggest trends this year that gives you the ultimate streamlined look is handleless kitchen and bathroom cabinets, available in either push-open cabinets or recessed handles. Push-open are completely flat paneled cabinets, while recessed handles aren’t far behind and offer the option of incorporating a different color or material to add another dimension to your cabinetry.

A streamlined kitchen or bathroom design relies on high-quality materials and strong, sweeping lines. Clever storage means anything that would disrupt this sleekness is hidden away and countertops are left clear and clean. The fact that both kitchen and bathroom vanity countertops feature so much in these sleek designs means homeowners are investing in eye-catching materials and styles. The same goes for backsplashes, which are appearing in a wide variety of colors and textures.

PANTRIES

Pantries have been lifesavers in kitchen design for many years and never so much as in current times. As consumers are bulk buying to avoid multiple shopping trips, increased storage solutions have come to the fore. Large refrigerators and extra freezer space are in demand, while custom pantries are an essential element of modern kitchen remodeling.

There are so many advantages to having a pantry. Having everything in one place means you can see exactly what you have and what to put on your grocery list. It also lets you access ingredients easily instead of opening numerous cabinets. In fact, you may be able factor in fewer cabinets and opt for more wall space in your kitchen design if you have a pantry.

A walk-in pantry or even a butler’s pantry is ideal, but you don’t have to have an entire room to create a useful pantry. They can be incorporated into large cabinets with customized pantry storage, or into an otherwise underutilized corner or alcove with clever bifold or pocket doors. The smaller your kitchen design the more storage you need to make the most of your remodel. If you are working or studying from home, the pantry might also be a place you can store office supplies at the end of a long day.

CONCEALMENT

Smart kitchen and bathroom designs are on the rise. With more devices than ever in our everyday lives there is a desire for discreet storage to preserve a design aesthetic. Appliances are necessary but concealing them is something to consider at the design stage of your kitchen remodel. Cabinet doors cleverly hide dishwashers and refrigerators, maintaining a sleek kitchen design. Vanities can be internally compartmentalized, complete with outlets, so hair styling tools barely have to leave their storage units.

Smaller kitchen appliances can easily be housed behind pull-down or cabinet doors or housed in deep drawers for easy access. A beverage bar is a perfect example of this. Your coffee machine, cups and ingredients can be hidden away. If you have an undercounter refrigerator or dishwasher for this area they can be concealed behind cabinetry too for a seamless and sophisticated kitchen design. For your baking area, incorporate a mixer lift to hide away a bulky stand mixer and easily access it when needed without breaking your back.

BROKEN PLAN

Open plan kitchens are as popular as ever in kitchen remodeling, but they can fail slightly in terms of privacy and hiding things away. If you have dinner guests, you really must pack everything into the dishwasher, or you’re left looking at dirty pots and pans. Likewise, if you are trying to work or study from home in a fully open plan area, your workday may be disturbed every time someone comes to the kitchen for a cup of coffee or a snack. 

This is where one of the latest trends in kitchen design, the broken plan kitchen, steps in. Broken plan allows you to maintain the benefits of open plan while addressing some of the issues that come with a fully open space. Instead of breaking up a kitchen design with a solid wall, broken plan remodels utilize strategic screening like a raised breakfast bar, half wall, cabinetry, or an open shelving unit wherever you want to divide the room into zones. It still allows for spacious, open plan living but offers more privacy and storage. This is set to be a growing trend that promotes comfortable living spaces where you can be cocooned in distinct zones. It also allows for large open plan areas to be partitioned off for a home office, for example with a glass partition that allows light to flow through but creates a quiet office or study space. A broken plan bath design works particularly well in a large space, where a freestanding tub or toilet can be surrounded by a half wall or even afforded privacy by strategically placing tall plants around it.

DOUBLE ISLANDS

Kitchen remodels continue to be as spacious as possible. Both open plan and broken plan kitchen layouts accommodate a large kitchen design. Including a pair of kitchen islands in designs is the latest in luxury renovation and is perfect for a large, multi-functional kitchen design. One can be used for food prep and cooking and the other for eating and working or studying. Two islands increase efficiency and storage as well as making a stunning and stylish impact on your kitchen design. It also helps break up a large kitchen design into clear “zones” and helps manage the flow of traffic around a large, busy kitchen.  Alternatively, include a large L-shaped or T-shaped island where one end is for food prep and the other is for dining.

DECORATIVE DETAIL

While the simplicity of spa-style bathroom design is very popular, there is also a demand for warm wood and character in remodels. Bring some Scandi charm to your bathroom storage with wooden shelving, bathroom vanities and medicine cabinets. There is a wide range of shades available from bleached to deep walnut or ebony to suit every style. The vintage trend is also gaining in popularity with steel-framed cabinets and antique-style hardware all making storage more ornate along with metallic shelving and gold cocktail tables to match the popular trend in new finishes for plumbing fixtures. Why not add a touch of flair to your bathroom remodel with these storage innovations?

As homeowners spend more time at home, there’s an increased focus on key living spaces like kitchens and bathrooms and a requirement for low-maintenance, hygienic surfaces, flexible living areas, technological integration and aesthetic function. Good storage can contribute to all of these requirements, as it enhances both the style and functionality of your room. Whether you want to conceal or reveal the items you store, cabinetry, shelving, vanities, islands, hooks and rails are all evolving to make our homes more suited to our current lifestyles.

Contact us at Lang’s today to speak to one of our experienced kitchen and bath design experts or schedule an appointment to get started on your remodel. We can advise you on the kitchen or bathroom remodel that’s right for you and incorporate the latest in storage solutions to suit your taste and requirements.