Apr
7
White Kitchens: Trendy or Classic?
Nineteen eighty seven, it was the year of big hair, metal bands, colorful neon clothes, all white kitchens, and the year I first designed one. I can still remember the Formica countertops, laminate cabinets, and wood floors. Absolutely everything besides the floor was white and laminate. I can thankfully say that kitchen design has come a long way, but the desire for a white kitchen hasn’t changed. In fact it’s still just as popular as it was twenty four years ago.
I find it impossible to believe that white could be considered trendy. To say a white is trendy would be claiming black cars are trendy. But have black cars diminished off the road? Not at all! It’s hard to travel a mile without seeing more than one, and in the kitchen industry it’s hard to get away with not designing at least one white kitchen. White is airy, light, and bright, goes with everything, the definition of something classic. The kitchens can even be accessorized like a pair of shoes or a purse.
The realization of accessorizing began in the nineties. Instead of everything being clad in white clients wanted a butcher block island, or an accent color such as red, green, and black. Then granite was introduced and the horrid Formica countertops disappeared into the abyss. Anything laminate wasn’t upscale enough and design took a leap away from the taste of the eighties. The only thing customers still wanted, and continue to be a demand today, are wood floors.
There are clients today that want a space that makes a statement. A kitchen that is modern and contemporary, as far away from traditional as possible. But I find these clients few and in between. More people say they want something traditional, decorative, and white. Or a room that is light and airy easily fitting in with the rest of their home.