1. APPLIANCE GARAGES
Once you've heard the name 'appliance garage', I wager you'll see them everywhere you look. But what exactly is one? Well, it's an area of storage on a countertop that's designed for you to hide your appliances in. The benefits? Less clutter on your countertop, but without having to heave your heavy mixers, coffee makers and blenders out of your cabinets and plug them in every time you want to use it. Yes, you can plug your appliances in in their garage, too.
2. VENTED PRODUCE STORAGE
Sometimes a drawer is more than just a drawer when it comes to modern kitchen storage. 'A trend we've been incorporating for a while now, and continue to love, is the use of vented produce drawers,' says Bob Bakes, kitchen design studio Bakes & Kropp's co-founder and Head of Design. 'These drawers, with mesh at the bottom, offer ventilation to keep produce fresher for longer.'
3. UNDER THE STAIRS STORAGE
Across my Instagram feed, I can't help but notice a number of kitchens built more considerately around an adjacent staircase. In these types of kitchens, designers are loving this opportunity to make a feature out of these elements in interesting ways.
4. THE BACK KITCHEN
Kitchens often have adjoining rooms that help with overflow storage — often framed as pantries or laundry rooms. However, there's a new type of excess storage and prep space that you'll find in the most luxurious of homes, and it's called the "back kitchen". 'Integrating a back kitchen is something that can definitely add a luxury touch to a design,' Mélanie, founder of Blanc Marine Intérieurs, tells me. But how exactly does a back kitchen function?
5. ENTERTAINING STORAGE
Traditional 'kitchen storage' that extends out into the dining room is something designers are recommending as a way to zone the storage of entertaining essentials like glasses and crockery. Whether a more complex built-in or a freestanding unit, it's a way to tie the kitchen and dining room together, while adding to the functionality of both spaces.