Kari Karch’s Top Kitchen Trends + Tips for Designing a Pro Kitchen at Home

Without question, the heart of the home has always been the kitchen. Memories are served up not only during the holiday season, but there are the after-school snack time memories, and the Sunday homemade pizza memories along with a plethora of fun times spent in your kitchen. Yet as time passes, our kitchens can become outdated and lack function for the home cook. Here are some trends and tips for designing the perfect Pro kitchen.

Butcher block countertop: This is at the top of my list because not only is it trendy to turn your entire countertop into a wooden cutting board, but the functionality is what takes this idea to the Pro level. Imagine your family sitting around the island and tossing everyone an ingredient to chop or dice so they too can be part of the cooking experience. Bamboo would be a beautiful wood to use for this because it will sustain excessive wear and tear.

Bold backsplash: Bright colors in a kitchen not only brighten your mood, they can change the whole look of your outdated space without a total revamp. I love the color green or yellow in a kitchen to encourage healthy eating and orange to signify optimism or positivity.

Go rustic: Sure, everyone either has or wants stainless appliances, but why not offset those by installing wooden cabinetry? Going with a rustic look enhances the beauty of your stainless steel and it also keeps your kitchen right on trend for an updated feel. I love the idea of choosing a tattered wood, so you can dress up other parts of the kitchen by choosing beautiful furniture or even hanging pieces of art.

Accessorize: Not in the market for a full kitchen redo? Well then let the accessorizing begin! Change up small items in your kitchen such as installing a pot rack and hanging copper pots, replace old stools with different upholstered seating options, or hang pots of freshly planted herbs throughout the kitchen for a visual and functional aspect. Another great accessory is lighting. Why not hang some industrial lighting strips for an updated look on the cheap?

Install a docking station: This might be the easiest trend, but it is also the most cleaver trend. Try cleaning out that junk drawer in the kitchen and hook up a power strip. Then plug in your tablets and smartphones and browse our list of fabulous recipes that you can follow step-by-step. I use an old book stand to keep my tablet on the kitchen counter when I am trying to follow a recipe … works like a charm!

Whether you’re giving your kitchen a full renovation or just making a few small updates, the Kenmore Pro Suite of appliances will help elevate your cooking experience. With features like a Built-In Temperature Probe on the Kenmore Pro oven and AirTight Crisper in the refrigerator, updating your appliances alone will make it feel like you got a whole new kitchen.