Updated kitchens can have a big impact on a home’s resale value, but the kitchen is also the heart of your home, so it needs to fit the lifestyle of your family. If you’re planning on a custom built home with Alair Homes Vancouver it also behooves you to be up on the trends. Here are ten kitchen designs we see in 2017.

1. Jewel Tones

Jewel tones are everywhere this year from the runway to home paint trends and, designers tell us, the kitchen is no exception. Appliances, counters, and cabinets in deep purple, sapphire or ruby reds are a sophisticated choice for a fresh new kitchen look.

2. Flat Panel Cabinets

While Shaker style cabinetry has been in vogue for some time now, designers say we’re seeing that come to a close. Flat panel cabinets are the newest thing. While they may seem plain at first, these cabinets make use of color and texture to add visual details.

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Photo by Alair Homes VancouverSearch modern kitchen pictures

3. Cabinets in Color

While white and neutral kitchens are sure to be a part of kitchen design, designers see a trend towards stronger, but still neutral colors like navy blue, deeper grays and chocolate browns. Mixing cabinet colors is a unintimidating way to dip your toe into this trend. The different colored cabinets can emphasize one another and bring focus to certain design elements, like floors.

4. Personalized Spaces

Gone are the days where home buyers and builders want to see the same kitchen in every home. Making a space your own with tile and backsplash choices, as well as using interesting materials for kitchen islands are hallmarks of this trend. Incorporating beautiful fabrics into your kitchen space is another way to show your personality in your home.

5. Geometry

Designers say that patterns of herringbone, chevrons and even oversized tiles will all be making a splash in kitchens in 2017. These are best used in spaces that are a neutral or monochromatic palette, where the geometric designs can add optical interest.

6. Showcase Windows

Letting the outside in with beautiful large framed windows is particularly striking in a kitchen. Designers like this trend with black framed windows, as it sets off the window and makes a nice contrast with the typically lighter colored kitchen elements.

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Photo by Alair Homes VancouverBrowse contemporary kitchen photos

7. Easy Living

The kitchen can be one of the most labor intensive rooms in your home, so it only makes sense that designers and homeowners are always trying to make these spaces easier to use, and to clean! Larger tiles with less grout, muti-use appliances and choosing to leave more open counter space are all design options that translate into a lower maintenance kitchen.

8. Pink Accents

Rose gold was a big trend in 2016, and designers say that we’ll continue to see this pink hue in 2017. However, stronger pinks like dusty rose and even a bubblegum retro pink are being seen in appliances and kitchen accessories. A little goes a long way, but these pink accents are a nice accompaniment to gold or brass fixtures.

9. Texture Tech

Contrast is key when it comes to kitchen textures, and new tile and counter materials are making this textured trend more popular than ever. Highly polished countertops mixed with metal and even concrete textures are all design forward ways to implement this look.

10. Smart Appliances

Smart kitchen appliances are just an extension of the smart home trend that is huge in 2017. While your refrigerator isn’t ordering your groceries just yet, appliances are becoming smaller, more efficient and more connected (to your smartphone!) than ever.