The home is always evolving. How people use their living space is unique to each individual. And these needs have nuances depending on culture, regionality, and proximity to populated areas. But one thing we all have in common is the desire to feel comfortable and organized in a functional space. Over the last decade, we have seen the evolution of an open concept floor plan. As we continue into the next decade, here are five trends we’re seeing on the evolution of common-use spaces in the home.

Nature’s Influence Is Coming Indoors

The future is a seamless integration of indoor and outdoor environments where nature’s influence brings a sense of peace and mindfulness to our homes. Many new construction or renovation projects are designed to enhance the connections of the natural environment with the indoor living space. More windows that are bigger in size, larger patio doors, light, and landscape are becoming desirable interior requirements. In relation to cabinetry use, this means less space for wall cabinets so the few there are, tend to be more accessible and better organized with the same utilization logic applied to enhanced functions in base cabinets.

The Multiple Stages Of Life

Homeowners are getting more settled into their spaces. Market volatility and economic uncertainty have consumers nesting into longer-term investments. This has homeowners looking at the functional aspects of their current space and considering future uses. Finding the right functionality for multiple stages of life can be tricky. Talk to friends and family in different stages of life to find out what is working for them. Then, take those “must-haves” and consider adding other tried and true features to your home. We love roll-out tray storage as well as food and beverage storage that easily converts from kids’ snacks to grown-up entertainment zones. Another great rule of thumb to future-proofing your space is to make sure your cabinets have more drawers than doors.

Design for Flexibility

The open concept floorplan is still widely popular but consideration is certainly being given for a clearer designation of spaces. Many homeowners today are finding that working, studying, and enjoying hobbies at home are more common than before the pandemic. This calls for the separation of spaces through either permanent or temporary means. It often also requires that these spaces be multifunctional as their use may evolve throughout the day or week. Hybrid spaces, unique storage solutions, and designs with every inch of living space having an intended purpose are rising in popularity. We are seeing walk-in pantries becoming double-use home management areas. Kitchen islands are doubling as office space. Cabinet storage is integrating office and school supplies. Hard boundaries for spaces and their “typical” uses are evolving into more creative uses.

Make Your Space Your Own

Styles are evolving quickly from simply stark, white shakers that now seem too sterile, to bringing in warmth and subtle details. This acceptance of a style shift really opens the door to adding in personal and uniquely appealing details. Beyond lifestyle and functional needs, the kitchen is a place to set the backdrop that represents the homeowner and who you are. Color, texture, design, and décor all mesh together in this space to create the scene. Now is the right time to bring that personalization into the home.

Prioritize Organization

There is no shortage of storage or home organization ideas out there. Depending on your budget and needs, there truly is a solution to tailor to any new cabinet project. In a recent study, more than half of homeowners polled said they regretted not spending more on features in their cabinetry. We continue to see a rise in this type of regret when it comes to organization. It can be avoided by identifying your pain points in your living space and purposefully setting some of your project budget aside to solve them. Each problem is as unique as the possibilities for a solution. Working with a designer or checking out one of our brands like Diamond Cabinets, can help guide you to the right products.

Find a MasterBrand kitchen and bath designer near you by visiting https://www.masterbrand.com/dealer-locator.

The post Living Space Trends To Watch appeared first on MasterBrand Design Blog.

We partnered with This Old House on the 2021 Cottage Community Idea House to bring bright, functional Mantra cabinetry throughout the space. Mantra was a great cabinet choice for this project because of its fashion-forward design styles and budget-conscious pricing. It is easy to imagine what’s possible with a cabinetry line that is designed to meet your basic needs while keeping your dreams within reach.

Designed with flexible floorplans in mind for both empty-nesters and multi-generational families, the duplex is part of a ten-home pocket neighborhood in Norwalk, CT. The homes feature mirroring layouts with modern kitchens, large bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms, open living areas with workstations, and efficient mudroom/laundry rooms.

Bright and Modern Functional Kitchen

Omni Cabinets in Snow by Mantra infuses the kitchen with a bright and airy feel. The other unit featuring Omni Cabinets in Mineral provides an earthy and sophisticated look. The MasterBrand design team worked with This Old House to maximize storage in both spaces. This work included functional upper and lower cabinetry configuration, a combination garbage/recycle pull-out and pull-out drawer storage for pots and pans. With a versatile configuration and an abundance of storage, each layout provides an opportunity for the homeowner to create their own possibilities.

Reimagined Desk Space

Extending off the kitchen and into the living space, a wall of Omni Cabinets in Snow by Mantra creates a dual-station homework/office space with a generous amount of storage.

Functional Mudroom and Laundry Room Storage

A combination laundry/mudroom is conveniently located between the garage and the main floor. A small-but-mighty upper and lower Mantra cabinet combo offers practical and discrete storage for the limited space.

When it comes to kitchen design, Mantra thrives in today’s fast-paced, budget-conscious environment. Mantra brings our customers quality products with all the upgrades built-in. Reliable service that exceeds expectations, and quick shipping to meet the tightest of deadlines, Mantra Cabinetry and our dealers are excited to work with this product. “Nukitchens is proud to be part of The Cottages project. The concept is a beautifully designed and spacious collection of luxury rentals along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. We shared with this project direction a clean, curated design aesthetic that Mantra fulfilled at a great value.” – the founder of Nukitchens, Joe Najmy.

Learn more about Mantra Cabinets at mantracabinets.com. To read more about the This Old House 2021 Cottage Community Idea House, click here.

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Tips to Introduce Nature to Your Home

Nature sets the pace for these interior awakenings, but recent shifts in behaviors have helped to re-energize this kitchen trend through key design elements such as:

– Nature based colors like blues, greens and even yellow

– Open spaces with views to the outdoors and large picture windows that bring the exterior landscape inside

– Commingling of the outdoors with the indoors where joint accessibility allows functional spaces to spill into one another

– Organic textures brought inside mimic the warmth and serenity found in nature

People are craving nurturing environments. Initiating this practice within the kitchen and bath space is nothing new, but certainly lends itself well to blending current or kitchen design trends with elements of biophilic influence to establish that harmony and balance we all seek in our busy lives. A natural place to start is to bring a world of color indoors. Current kitchen trends for color meet those needs with ocean or sky blues that have covered the popular color spectrum for a while now or even the latest trends with an array of landscape inspired greens.

Landscape Greens

• Fleeting Green: A neutral pastel with just the slightest whisper of green tint. This tone is definitely a stand-alone color that can be intensified with color compliments like grays or desert tones but will also ground a space with its refreshingly neutral hint of color.
• Coastal Plains: A modern twist to a classic hue, this dusky green is reminiscent of historical colors that carry enough pigmentation with just enough of the smoky undertones to look well-aged and mix perfectly with whites so as not to have too much contrast.
• Maho Bay: Can’t decide between gray, green or blue and don’t want any of them to be too overpowering? This chameleon color has great color flexibility and mimics surrounding tones to help pull the preferred dominant tone with sophistication and longevity.
• Retreat: A succulent-inspired, soft-yet-saturated green that is harmoniously neutral to any landscape-based pallet. With flexible gray undertones, this green pairs perfectly with wood tones.
• Endive: Synonymous with nature, this bold evergreen hue looks beautiful in kitchens, creating a deeply moody backdrop capable of blending seamlessly into the surrounding home interior.
• Sweet Pea: Olive toned but without too much yellow or brown. This green is a long-running favorite. No wonder it stands the test of time with its ability to compliment the ever-changing home color trends of brown, beige, gray and white. Its not overpowering and always feels like the perfect fit in kitchens.

Learn more about these finishes at DecoraCabinets.com

Organic Textures and Tones

Beyond colorful hues, textural, organic wood tones connect our interiors with a grounding presence of beauty, movement and warmth. A building block provided by nature and highlighted with mid-to-light tints, these wood tones still allow the natural splendor of the wood to come through. This trend is making a comeback after many years of sterile painted interiors and just in time to compliment the emergence of biophilic preferences. Wood finishes can come in complimentary colors anywhere from sand to milk chocolate as well as grays and bleached whites with varying degrees of color overlay. Some great examples are colors such as Cliff Relic or Gunny Fresco.

The key in selecting the right woody compliment is maintaining transparency so that the grain movement and visual texture provide added depth to your cabinets. Considerations of these kitchen trends are all great ways to start reconnecting with nature while benefiting from the comforts of indoors.

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The Working Kitchen Pantry

Primarily seen in luxury homes, the covert kitchen or working kitchen is a fully dressed second food prep space that takes on multiple functions. Anything from additional refrigeration, baking and washing up to household management and pet stations are located in this newly imagined space. This keeps the clutter and mess out of site of the primary kitchen where design and aesthetic play a huge part in the overall impression of the living space which is now fully merged with most modern kitchens.

The Built-in Kitchen Pantry

A more mainstream solution is simply the built-in pantry. Not necessarily as all-inclusive as the covert kitchen, but the built-in pantry is making a come back. The primary solution for food storage in the majority of homes is still a pantry cabinet, but renovations and new construction alike are opting to carve out a space to include an enhanced version of a food pantry and elevate their lifestyle with a multi-functioning organization center for food, small appliances, work and even crafts and laundry as some of these spaces opt to include windows making them ideal for any life phase.

Open floor plans are a big debate coming out of 2020. Will they last or won’t they, and if the home continues to evolve, what will the next design evolution be? One thing is for sure, trends around versatility, flexibility and transitional spaces that can change and grow with the homeowner are the ones with staying power. So look for more on this emerging trend and the evolution of the covert kitchen, a messy work space that can stay behind closed doors while you entertain in your primary kitchen-living space.

The post An Insiders Take on the Covert Kitchen Pantry appeared first on MasterBrand Design Blog.

When you think of the color blue, what color comes to mind? There is literally an ocean of blue tones out there, so it’s doubtful we all visualize the same blue tone. A similar occurrence is happening in kitchens, and while dark, navy blue kitchen cabinets seem to be the most common, the array of popular blues is truly vast. So let’s dive right in to what makes each one so usable for this blue cabinet trend in kitchens and other rooms.

Dark Blue Cabinet Hues

Navy blue, simply defined as a very dark blue, typically has undertones of black and/or charcoal. Sometimes this color can drift towards purple or green variants, but generally, the impression given from navy blue should be a dark, midnight color of blue. The reason this color works so well across the board is very much a similar principle as to why your favorite pair of jeans or navy slacks are a wardrobe staple, navy blue is a great neutral color that works well with a wide variety of other colors. Because of this, homeowners don’t have to feel locked into a single color palette but rather, this accent color continues to give them flexibility in décor updates as the kitchen ages or design preferences change. Some examples from our palette include Admiral, Maritime, Mt Etna, Starless and Amalfi.

A slight variant of navy blue is a bold classic blue. This tone tends to have less black and less depth but more intensity in the richness of the blue tone. Still a highly complementary blue that works well with other tones, but maybe not quite the variety of other colors since this classic blue has a higher saturation of color giving it more dimension of its own. Since lighting and individual perception of color play such a huge part in how we see colors in our homes, this color tends to be preferred in lower light settings where navy blue kitchen cabinets might appear too black or even in very white or bright settings where the color intensity is needed as a contrast. Some examples from our palette of this color are Blue Ash, Naval, Lapis, Blueberry or Abyss.

Light Blue Cabinets

Now if a lighter tone is more appealing for your consideration, you are still in good company with these popular blue options. The lighter blues range anywhere from gray-based to the palest of hues, so no matter if you want the slightest infusion of blue into your stormy space or the hint of color to your light and bright vista, these blues can satisfy almost any need. The great thing about these lighter tones is their ability to bring a breath of freshness from nature-inspired colors into the home and at the same time are designed to work well with wood tones commonly found in home interiors today. This is an important factor when choosing blues for cabinetry because of adjacencies to flooring, trim or other furniture items within the home. The ability to mix these items seamlessly is why these particular shades are chosen for blue kitchen cabinetry and can be very different than the blues considered for walls which act more as a backdrop than an arrangement of pieces within the space. Blue colors on dimensional pieces need to have an air of neutrality from dusty or earthen undertones to be able to work universally with other materials in the room. Check out these beautiful finishes in Rain, Stillwater, Interesting Aqua and Grays Harbor.

The post Favorite Colors for Blue Kitchen Cabinets appeared first on MasterBrand Design Blog.

Homeowners taking on new kitchen projects sometimes find it challenging to know where to begin. Stephanie Pierce, director of design and trends at MasterBrand Cabinets, provided her expertise in the PureWow article “The Smartest Updates You Can Make to Your Kitchen in 2021 (Plus 2 to Avoid).” The piece can be found online and lists the best and worst updates to make in a kitchen that will either enhance your space or potentially prove to be a waste of time and money.

Consider Bright Colors for Kitchen Updates

The article’s first piece of advice relates to Shaker-style cabinets: “’If you’re finishing things off with a fresh coat of paint, you can’t go wrong with white, though more people are gravitating toward nature-inspired colors, like dark green and ocean-inspired blues,” notes Stephanie Pierce. However, no color is off the table, eye-catching colors are becoming more common with kitchen updates as homeowners tend towards more color confidence when choosing colors that reflect their own style.

MasterBrand Cabinets has a wide portfolio of Shaker-style cabinets in a variety of colors to match any design aesthetic, such as Interesting Aqua or North Star from Decora Cabinetry, pictured above. Other bold colors Stephanie recommends homeowners consider include Straw, Dahlia and Endive from Omega Cabinetry’s lineup, but you will find an array of similar colors in any of our made-to-order kitchen lines as bold statement colors are a hot topic for a new kitchen update.

PureWow’s editorial team covers an array of women’s interests, including culture, health, beauty, fashion, technology, interior design, travel and more.

To read the article and view the rest of the tips, click here. For more tips as you are planning your next project, visit masterbrand.com/get-started.

The post PureWow Covers Smart Kitchen Updates with MasterBrand Cabinets appeared first on MasterBrand Design Blog.

A variety of design experts contributed their thoughts to the ever-changing state of design. The article, “5 Design Pros Weigh In On What Else To Expect In 2021,” appears online in Luxe Interiors + Design and includes thoughts from Stephanie Pierce, director of design and trends at MasterBrand Cabinets.

“As we head into the rest of the year, the kitchen will serve as a multi-use space more than it ever has due to families working, learning, playing, and dining together. As a result, people are craving nurturing environments to promote relaxation, connect them to nature and ease their minds. Incorporating these nature-inspired colors and materials into the kitchen will create an indoor retreat, helping families cohabitate peacefully in the year ahead,” Pierce is quoted.

2021 Design Trends at MasterBrand Cabinets

MasterBrand Cabinets embraces what’s next with 2021 interior design trends and continues to incorporate new colors and designs to inspire homeowners and kitchen designers for today and tomorrow. For example, Foxhall Green demonstrates how verdant hues can help to create a sense of calm.

Luxe Interiors + Design showcases luxury residential architecture, design, interiors and products and is distributed in regional editions across the United States.

To read the full article, click here.

The post Director of Design Weighs in on 2021 Design Trends with Luxe Magazine appeared first on MasterBrand Design Blog.

The first new stain is called Craggy Peak, a richly dark gray with brown undertones that borders the edge between the two color palettes with beautiful precision.

Multi-Dimensional Stains

The two new multidimensional stains, Iron Slate and Swift, are semi-transparent, allowing the natural wood tones to subtly influence the warm gray or latte colored stains applied to species like Alder, Cherry, Oak and Walnut. There is a very unique aspect to the color build of these particular stains. There is an intentional transparency to encourage overall color influence of gray or brown, and an intentional freeing of the natural movement and texture gained through visible grain like only real wood provides.

In an age of manufactured design with the intent to look natural, there is a refreshing appeal associated with drawing out authentic natural characteristics and allowing mother nature to take the lead on the arrangement of color tones and depth added to a space. Additionally, we not only set the color contribution to enhance the real wood underneath, but also layered subtle tones on top of them to help emphasize the graining.

These cabinet finishes provide an alternative use of popular color trends by introducing a more natural overall aesthetic. The stains work well alongside other colors because of the variation in the complexity of the colors, making them a versatile choice for many design styles.

New Paint Colors

We also don’t want you to miss out on three exciting and extremely usable new paint colors.

The intentionally dusty blue of Grays Harbor can create a cozy scene or, the bright freshness of Fleeting Green and Brightest White which infuse light into any space. These are colors that can confidently be used in current home décor trends.

However your preference sways, cozy or bright, a personalized look can easily be achieved when finishes possess such usability even in their complex color build. Brightest White is intended to be just that, one of the brightest whites in the market, free of undertones and color influences which makes it pair perfectly with any adjacent color.

Fleeting Green is just the slightest hint of a cheerful green infusion into a primarily white base, allowing the impression of color without having to make a bold statement.

All of these considerations are purposeful with the intent to build color confidence for stretching the boundaries in cabinetry palettes beyond the basic white kitchen and infuse the space with depth and inspiration that provides flexibility and longevity.

The post Decora’s New Launch of Cabinet Finishes appeared first on MasterBrand Design Blog.

Raw Organic

Nature-based Kitchen Design

Raw Organic is a continuation on the evolution of rustic elements in home interiors. It is often described as earthy or nature-based influences, both the colors and textures of this style are derived from environmental purity. Color tones are seasonal or landscape inspired and tend to be botanical yet muted enough so that they blend harmoniously in the space rather than shout out bold statements. Textures also play a huge part in this trend and favor showcasing the natural beauty of wood through very dry, arid ash gray and bleached blonde colors or mid to light tones of browns you might find on the forest floor.

There are many ways to dress this kitchen design style, but the inclusion of biophilic design elements tends to be a focal point. That can be achieved through large landscape windows that bring the exterior environment inside, could be organic finishes introduced in the form of stone for the floor, counters or backsplash or it could even be the effortless inclusion of naturally toned wood stains on a cabinet that enhances the true beauty of real wood.

The mix and consideration of these details are balanced and refined in their basic simplicity. Minimal with no unnecessary fuss, just the shear pleasure of what nature has to offer on display.

Soft Modern

Minimalism + Casual Kitchen Design

Soft Modern has a growing appeal as many homeowners who still strive for clean lines and minimal clutter in their interior design, but also have a growing fondness for the importance of a comfortable space that affords them simple pleasures for promoting relaxation.

This kitchen design style inspires the best of both where minimalism and casual become mingled in the most approachable way. Light and bright, with open views, are still critical for creating that streamline sense of uninterrupted space but materials and shapes have a softer edge to them.

Some warmth or personalization are introduced in the form of wood tone or pops of color and linear designs that may have once been contemporary and slightly sterile are still absent of excess but enhanced with curated details that offer a visual break in the otherwise clean aesthetic. Thoughtfully sleek with a simple, but personalized balance of interesting elegance that elevates the livability to the comfort of the individual.

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