Kitchen Forecast 2024: The Professional’s Guide to Today’s Culinary Spaces (2024)

Presented by Cosentino

The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but over the years it has evolved to also become the remote workplace, wet bar, dining room, and more—often all at the same time. As homeowners’ demands for this inherently multifunctional room have increased well beyond food preparation, designers have followed suit with creative solutions for storage, flexibility, and appliances that make time spent in the kitchen enjoyable, however it’s used.

In this AD PRO member–exclusive trend report, we explore the topics crucial to designing a beautiful, practical, future-proof kitchen that will outlast any fads, technology advances, or societal changes. Through market analysis, top-notch reporting, and expert insights from AD’s global network of industry professionals, including AD100 designers and AD PRO Directory members, we’ve created your guide to kitchen design that truly supports its occupants. From the smart appliances that are actually worthy of investment to creating a timeless floor plan, this report is packed with proven advice, tips, and metrics.

Plus, discover designers’ top picks for products for the kitchen—whether you’re looking to get and stay organized or just spruce up the joint. Let’s get cooking!

Edited by Elizabeth Fazzare

Table of Contents

WATCH: AD PRO Session: Kitchen Forecast
John Gachot, Shawn Henderson, and Hema Persad share their hard-won advice on products, client relations, and achieving an enduring kitchen.

6 Pro Tips for a Timeless Kitchen Design, No Matter the Style
Experts share their best advice for keeping a kitchen’s design relevant for years to come. By Jessica Ritz

The Great Sink Debate: Are We Over the Apron Front?
As the popularity of the modern farmhouse aesthetic—and its preferred sink style—endures, designers debate if they’re ready for a fixture change. By Jesse Dorris

Optimizing the Kitchen Island—And the Trends to Try
Design experts weigh in on how to make sure your kitchen’s workhorse is working for you. By Sophie Aliece Hollis

5 AD PRO Directory Experts Reveal Their Top Kitchen Products
Designers share their favorite culinary furnishings to spec for entertaining, decor, and organization.

An Experts’ Guide to Kitchen Appliances (and How to Decorate With Them)
A high-tech kitchen often requires a dose of design reality. The pros reveal which tools last beyond the trend. By Elizabeth Stamp

WATCH: AD PRO Session: Kitchen Forecast

John Gachot, Shawn Henderson, and Hema Persad share their hard-won advice on products, client relations, and achieving an enduring kitchen.

6 Pro Tips for a Timeless Kitchen Design, No Matter the Style

Experts share their best advice for keeping a kitchen relevant for years to come

Evolving tastes and technology have transformed the kitchen into much more than a room solely for cooking and dining—what many consider the functional and symbolic heart of the home is an increasingly multipurpose, high-traffic area. Whether it grounds an open floor plan or is more traditionally separated, the contemporary kitchen should be flexible enough to adapt to homeowners’ needs over time, without a total overhaul. That starts with good design. Below, designers share their insights on creating beautiful, practical kitchens that can answer the workhorse room’s demands—both now and in the future.

Understand all the kitchen’s uses

“Our first question is always: ‘Do you cook?’” says Shana Sherwood, who heads Los Angeles architecture and interior design firm Sherwood Kypreos with her husband, George Kypreos. “It helps guide the conversation to what the goals are for the kitchen: Is it a functional workspace, a living space, an entertaining space, some or all of the above?" Using this information as a springboard, gather opinions from all household adults to ensure the space meets everyone's expectations.

Getting a realistic and holistic picture of a family’s habits also helps set the long-term program. “We want to be considerate to how people actually use the space and not just how it looks,” explains Brooklyn-based AD100 architect Elizabeth Roberts, whose collaboration with Athena Calderone helped propel the influencer’s kitchen in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, to social media fame. “Our goal is to create a kitchen that will work and live well forever, even as the users age, change, and evolve,” she continues.

Let architecture set the tone

“Kitchens end up looking dated because designers, contractors, and homeowners just apply current trends arbitrarily to whatever house they have,” Sherwood tells AD PRO. Instead of pursuing a supposedly must-have scheme spotted on Instagram, look closely at the building itself. Ask “what is the architectural language? What reference images are relevant, not just popular on social media?” she advises. “Trends do creep in, but kitchens designed with consideration to the context age much better.” Another tip? Do not skimp on millwork quality, which Sherwood identifies as “the most important place to spend the money.”

Determine the right floor plan

Extended periods spent at home have prompted many homeowners and designers to reevaluate the dance between privacy and shared spaces. “While the allure of open layouts persists, there’s a trend toward carving out intimate nooks,” observes Louisville, Kentucky–based AD PRO Directory member Amanda Jacobs. At a minimum, Sherwood and Kypreos ensure that the visual sweep in living areas excludes less aesthetically exciting components like appliances. Strategic interior architecture can make a space feel open while creating natural separation for the kitchen, but some families might prefer clear sight lines, particularly parents with young children who require close supervision.

Get down to the real nitty gritty

Designers should lean into understanding the messiness of owners’ everyday lives. “We discuss how they typically cook, what appliances they need, and how they clean and keep their dishes, pots, and pans,” Roberts says. Susana Simonpietri, creative director of New York–based AD PRO Directory firm , gets familiar with the areas of the kitchen not meant for public view to determine how to improve them. (Sherwood recommends “general adaptable storage” to mitigate challenges over time.)

Because of their size, appliances are “the best starting point” for space planning, says avid home cook Simonpietri. After determining roughly how many cubic feet of refrigeration and cooktop clients need, along with factors such as their hot beverage habits, her team presents a list of appliances and pares down the options. It’s a helpful method to steer homeowners away from tempting gadgets. “We rarely, if ever, suggest single-purpose appliances because they don’t age with the kitchen and take up a lot of space,” Roberts concurs.

Incorporate secondary spaces

Because the kitchen is a multifunctional nexus, homeowners want to maximize the potential of its available square footage. Simonpietri sees a trend towards “more second ‘working kitchens’ or wet bars for families who love to host, need to hide the mess, or have a personal chef.” With deliveries now part of everyday life and pets a focus of attention, Sherwood notices “higher demand for in-between spaces like mud rooms or [service] pantries” along with pet-care infrastructure.

Judiciously play with color and materials

To achieve a timeless kitchen design, Simonpietri opts for neutral tones and embraces “playing with cabinet shapes, paneling styles, and format rather than color.” Roberts and team, meanwhile, “keep millwork and cabinetry simple and play with color, fabrics, stone, and hardware,” she says, often bringing in furniture. For a recent project, Roberts selected a stainless-steel Vipp kitchen that “feels classic, dependable, functional, timeless, and can pair well with a wide range of interior spaces.” In older homes and for clients who love vintage, Jacobs gravitates toward a palette of “warm grays, soft greens, ivories, muted blues, and earth tones.” In general, Sherwood compares decorative choices to Coco Chanel’s oft-cited accessorizing rule. “Like with taking one thing off after you get dressed, kitchen design can involve some editing,” she says.

For homeowners who do want a bold moment, Simonpietri advises testing out decor choices like high-gloss paint and wallpaper in a contained space like a pantry. But she’s also happy to satisfy more adventurous clients’ wishes. “Most kitchens will last you about 25 years (more if you’re lucky),” she continues. “It’s okay to have some fun with it." —Jessica Ritz

The Great Sink Debate: Are We Over the Apron Front?

As the popularity of the modern farmhouse aesthetic—and its preferred sink style—endures, designers debate if they’re ready for a fixture change

After years of service in kitchens everywhere, from HGTV renovations to suburban McMansions, the modern farmhouse aesthetic might be said to be neither particularly modern nor farmhouse. But the farmhouse sink, and its close cousin the apron front, seem to persist. What makes them so popular? And are they really as timeless as they once seemed?

While the terms are often used interchangeably, the apron-front sink usually rests above kitchen cabinetry or millwork, as opposed to the farmhouse’s flush installation. Either way, both sinks offer a utilitarian appeal. “They are quite efficient, space-wise, as they can be a bit larger than an undermount or drop-in sink, which have to fit inside the cabinet walls,” says New York architect Sarah Jacoby. Danville, Virginia–based designer Nancy Parrish agrees. “The deep basin of farmhouse sinks provides plenty of space for washing large pots and pans, soaking dishes, and even bathing small pets, improving kitchen workflow,” she notes. “Additionally, the forward orientation of an apron sink eliminates the need to reach over a countertop edge to access the bottom of the sink, reducing strain on the back and arms when lifting heavy objects.”

The form charms too. “It’s deeply tied to nostalgia for the ‘countryside estate,’” posits CCY Architects partner Maura Trumble. “It achieves the cottagecore look that’s been trending,” agrees kitchen designer, pro chef, and Kitchen Glow Up host Ellen Marie Bennett. While apron-front and farmhouse sinks may feel conservative in the traditional sense, architect Andrew Magnes argues they are also conservationist. “I like that they celebrate a water source and all of the activities where we use it,” he says. (Think of the apron front as a kind of kitchen mindfulness.)

But that doesn’t mean it’s always the best option for a new kitchen. San Francisco architect Anand Sheth, for one, thinks it’s time to move on. “My clients wanted a farmhouse/apron sink in their Noe Valley residence in San Francisco, and we worked it into the streamlined, warm, modern palette of the lofty kitchen,” he says. “But we had numerous detail issues, as the irregular rounded corners interacted with our natural marble counters. In the end we made it work, but I swore off this sink style forever!”

Sometimes, a sleeker sink can be more practical and endearing. “Classics will be classics,” says Lorena Vieyra, OMET creative director and founder of Vieyra Estudio. “However, I personally lean toward an integrated sink that blends with the countertop, so there are no boundaries.” For a food photographer’s kitchen, Kallos Turin cofounder Abigail Turin chose open front cabinets to expose the undermount sink’s body and plumbing. “But you still have a long, clean line of stone counter, which would have been broken if we had done a traditional apron sink,” she explains. Trumble, too, thinks undermount sinks deserve a fresh look. “They’ve evolved into multifunction kitchen workstations,” she says, “with the introduction of integrated draining and drying areas, removable racks, and bins for food prep, colanders for draining, and integrated cutting boards.” Jacoby also reports an uptick in working kitchens along with a return of the classic stainless-steel sink. “We’re always looking for something with longevity,” she says. “And it can really hold up!”

At the same time, Becca Roderick of AD PRO Directory firm Morris Adjmi Architects says the firm’s clients love the practicalities of the farmhouse sink. “We’ve used them at two hotel projects recently, The Pinch in Charleston and the soon-to-open Forth in Atlanta,” she says. “Both are firmly rooted in a Southern, traditional aesthetic and meant to evoke a feeling of comfort that a farmhouse sink certainly provides.” For the professional chefs who work in such kitchens, Bennett endorses anything with sufficient width and depth. “I always recommend a 36-inch sink, which is key to fitting large pots and trays without constant banging on the edges,” she says. “An inset sink is a beautiful design that doesn’t sacrifice on functionality,” unlike a divided sink. “I avoid that like the plague. It’s a chef’s nightmare,” she cautions.

Design brands, meanwhile, are concocting ways to refresh the apron front. “They can be made of any material, from fireclay to stainless steel,” says Moen’s senior creative style manager Danielle DeBoe Harper. “We’re seeing consumers embrace the idea of personalization, owning their signature style.” When it comes to traditional or transitional design, says Rachel Thompson, partner at architecture firm Northworks, “there are so many finishes and configurations available now that there is something for everyone.” Perhaps its very pervasiveness lends the apron-front sink “blank state” status, ready for customization.

For clients in search of authenticity, though, designers recommend keeping in mind the old chestnut: location, location, location. “The only time we would suggest the [apron-front] sink currently,” says Nivek Remas cofounder Kevin Chan, “is potentially for a laundry room application, or maybe a cottage/countryside one.” In other words, that farmhouse look might be best reserved for actual farmhouses, modern or not. —Jesse Dorris

Optimizing the Kitchen Island—And the Trends to Try

Design experts weigh in on how to make sure your kitchen’s workhorse is working for you

The kitchen island can be a polarizing feature of an essential room—but regardless of how you might feel about double islands, open storage, or waterfall edges, it’s evident that the functional furnishing is here to stay. The success or failure of a kitchen island in an interior relies heavily on a client’s lifestyle, and how a designer responds to it. With that in mind, AD PRO tapped leading architects and designers for advice on how they ensure the kitchen workhorse is up to every task.

Optimize the “command center”

Designing the perfect island begins with understanding what takes place in the kitchen—and it’s more than you might think. With the continued popularity of open-plan layouts, the room has evolved into a “focal point of gathering instead of a hidden utility,” says Leann Conquer, cofounder of San Francisco design studio and AD PRO Directory member Chroma. And as its anchor, the island has become a central place for family connections. Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger, founders of Brooklyn-based architecture and interiors office BoND, echo this sentiment, adding that the island can, at times, function as the “versatile command center of the house.”

Bay Area designer Michael Hilal has seen a growing request from clients to design the kitchen to feel like an extension of the living room. “More and more I am seeing the island treated like an integrated piece of furniture,” he notes, as many clients are opting to relocate appliances and storage to a concealed pantry or prep kitchen to allow the island to play more of an aesthetic role. Whether or not you have the square footage or budget for a secondary kitchen space, this notion of the kitchen island as a design object was a consensus among all the pros surveyed. Hilal makes the island a focal point by opting for a contrasting material, color, or texture to the surrounding cabinetry.

Pick a standout surface

Los Angeles–based architect and designer Claudia Afshar, meanwhile, advises strategic surface selection for a standout piece that is both attractive and functional. She often opts for engineered stone, which she prizes for its practicality, economy, and sustainable bona fides—the latter of which is strengthening, thanks to introductions of low-silica options like Cosentino’s Silestone with HybriQ technology. Engineered surfaces are also easy to clean, a major kitchen consideration for Susie Atkinson, founder of London design firm Atkinson Studio. “The island is probably the most multifunctional piece of furniture within the home,” she explains. “From being a cocktail bar on a Friday night, to a juice station on a Saturday morning, to a buffet table for Sunday lunch—it needs to be easy to clean and maintain while still looking beautiful.”

Keep tech quiet

To avoid any island eye sores, designers must consider the pesky but necessary details: electrical outlets. “Nobody likes to see super bulky cover plates,” add Dvir and Rauchwerger. They recommend sourcing round Bocci outlets to minimize the appearance of plugs, particularly on the short sides of the island. For Atkinson, allocating charging drawers and hiding outlets underneath the island’s worktop also does the trick.

Personalize, personalize, personalize

Concealment doesn’t always have to center a kitchen island’s design. Although she, too, is an advocate for minimalist lines, Afshar supports individualized tastes. “I love all the ways you can personalize an island, from soft gliding hinges and automated lighting to custom spice racks and utensil drawers,” she says. “We take great time and care to ensure our clients’ needs are met at every inch.” Austin-based designer and AD PRO Directory member Annie Downing likes to capitalize on an island’s interior. Liven it up with a pop of color, she recommends. “It makes for a fun surprise when you open the drawers.”

Simplify the styling

Storage is one of the kitchen island’s most important jobs, but designers recommend clearing the surface to leave some room for a bit of well-curated styling. “Less is more in my book,” says New York AD100 designer Josh Greene, when asked how to best dress up an empty expanse of counter space. He recommends “a super cool, very large fruit bowl or maybe a footed bowl to get you some height.” Downing concurs that a single large vessel for fruit or flowers “is about all you need—it is a workspace after all!”

The role of the kitchen island as both a functional centerpiece and a design statement will continue to shift as lifestyles and technology evolve. But for designers navigating the delicate balance between maximizing utility and preserving aesthetics, thoughtful integration and personalized touches are key to creating kitchen spaces poised to outlast the trends. —Sophie Aliece Hollis

5 Design Experts Reveal Their Top Kitchen Products

Designers from the AD PRO Directory share their favorite culinary furnishings to spec for entertaining, decor, and organization

Kitchens are undeniable hotbeds for innovation—in cuisine, technology, cutting-edge design, and functional decor. To help clients keep up with culinary times, we’ve tapped five AD PRO Directory experts (Sean Anderson, Fern Santini, Hema Persad of Sagrada Studio, Tiffany Howell of Night Palm, and DuVäl Reynolds of DuVäl Design) for their picks for the hottest room in the house—including selections for keeping organized, decorating, and entertaining guests. See the full selection here.

Stylish Storage and Organization

Dapper Decor

Entertaining Essentials

An Experts’ Guide to Kitchen Appliances (and How to Decorate With Them)

A high-tech kitchen often requires a dose of design reality. The pros reveal which tools last beyond the trend

There’s no shortage of tempting kitchen appliances on the market—soft serve machine, anyone? But while these culinary wonders may grab attention at KBIS or CES, which ones actually make the cut in real-life designs? AD PRO consulted experts across the country to determine the appliances and accessories homeowners truly want and how these must-have tools impact the look, feel, and layouts of today’s tech-forward kitchens.

Reconsidering cooktops

“With New York’s gas stove ban looming, we’ve been increasingly looking at induction ranges, even for clients who aren’t big into cooking,” says designer Daniel Sachs of AD100 studio Sachs Lindores. Several AD PRO Directory talents, including Claire Staszak, founder of Chicago-based Centered by Design, and Alex Ushyarov, chief revenue officer of New York’s Gallery KBNY, mentioned that their clients were also increasingly opting for induction. “We’re fans of Lacanche’s optional induction plates on their larger ranges,” adds Sachs. “The combo of gas and induction has been a good solution for clients who aren’t ready to fully convert.”

Going pro

In addition to induction cooktops, some of Ushyarov’s more daring clients are bringing the Benihana spirit home by installing teppanyaki grills. Los Angeles–based designer Kishani Perera has also found that homeowners are upping their culinary game. “Our clients really seem to be embracing more commercial/professional cooking appliances lately,” says Perera. “They’re leaning towards very specialized tools such as combi ovens, teppanyaki grills, wok burners, and even coming around to the dedicated steam oven.” Outdoor cooks want the fixings in their home kitchens too. For the first time, “clients are asking for wood-burning rotisseries and pizza ovens inside,” San Francisco–based AD100 designer Nicole Hollis reveals.

Hydration is hot

Move over, pot fillers—another specialty tap is taking over. “A request we’ve seen more and more lately is built-in water bottle filling stations,” says Whitney Ray of Wyeth Ray Interiors in Atlanta. “The Elkay model is flush with the wall and really convenient, especially with kids.” She tucks them into “working pantries, mudrooms, and other adjacent kitchen rooms” with dedicated water bottle storage. Hollis’s clients are installing sparkling and still water systems to reduce waste, but choosing the right one is key. “Grohe has a good option that is not too loud and saves space,” she says.

Water isn’t the only beverage clients are prioritizing. “Recently we’ve seen a big focus on a wider variety of refrigeration, mostly centered around entertaining,” says New York–based AD PRO Directory designer Clive Lonstein, who has sourced additional glass-front beverage fridges. One of Perera’s clients is considering remodeling their kitchen island with custom drawers “dedicated to specific items” like plant-based and regular milk for coffee, juices, and more.

Getting smarter

Slowly, but surely, clients are warming to smart appliances. Demand is increasing, says Hollis, “but there is still a learning curve among clients in terms of how to integrate these into the home." According to Ushyarov, New York homeowners tend to be a bit more conservative when it comes to new kitchen technology, but notes that “smart ovens are starting to make their way into the discussion.”

In full color

“There has been an uptick in clients requesting more colorful statement ranges from brands like La Cornue,” says designer Jerel Lake of Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio in Atlanta. “This is a great way to add character and make a space more personalized to the client.” Architect Kevin Lindores of Sachs Lindores says his firm is also excited about expanded color options for appliances. “Many of our clients like strong color, and in kitchens we like to introduce it through materiality—brightly hued tiles on walls and crazy stone on floors and countertops,” Lindores says. “Adding color on a stove, fridge, or both allows us to bring another layer of that into the space.” Case in point: the bright yellow-orange Blue Star fridge Sachs Lindores recently used in a project. “Beautifully designed and colorful appliances can become the focal point of the kitchen instead of hiding behind cabinetry,” says Sachs.

Out of sight

While homeowners may request all the bells and whistles, that doesn’t mean they always want them on display. “We’re also seeing more interest in concealed appliances and hidden drawers that allow for the space to be minimal yet utilitarian at the same time,” says Lonstein. Staszak agrees: “Everyone wants countertops clear and appliances seamless.” The designer says she designs storage around keeping her clients’ must-haves—including coffee stations—out of sight in pantries or cabinets.

Ultimately, the biggest challenge for these high-tech extras is space. “There are definitely compromises that need to be made in order to include such items,” says Perera. “We’ve been lucky in the projects where these items have been requested to have either a generous butler’s pantry or service kitchen to handle any overflow of storage needs. That isn’t always the case.” —Elizabeth Stamp