Inspo: Trending kitchens

Okay, rumour has it North America is on a Scandinavian lifestyle and design kick. Can you blame us? The clean lines, the muted colours, the simplicity — it gets me. I think a lot of people (myself included) sometimes worry about finding a home in minimalism. Will it feel warm and cozy, or just cold and clinical? Will you base your aesthetic choices on a Nordic kitchen you saw on Pinterest and regret it 3 years later? Who can say?

I’m finding that bit about renovations to be very tricky. The whole, “I know I like it now but will I like it then?” conundrum. Or even worse, “Maybe I’ll like it then, but will the future buyers?” WHO EVEN ARE THOSE PEOPLE? Do you ever find yourself making design choices that you think could appeal to the masses so someone might want to buy your house sometime in the distant future? It’s absurd.

New tactic: Make it beautiful. Make it fit.

Trends come and go, it’s true. And no one buys a house thinking they love the design exactly as it is. Is anything truly timeless? Or classic? White kitchens were classic, they were clean and bright and easy — until Jillian Harris declared they were over. Or, she was over them? One of those things, she declared it. So Jillian Harris thinks white kitchens are out, would she not buy a house because the kitchen was white?

My point is, I don’t know what future buyers will be looking for or what specific trends will be long dead by then, but if I can make it beautiful and make it fit the character of the house, that’s the best I can do. Right?

All of this to say, I am absolutely taken by some of the design treatments and decisions featured in Nordic kitchens. Minimal uppers, simple cabinetry, open shelving, clean walls, muted colouring and maybe a slab backsplash. To me, it feels modern with a hint of nostalgia for simpler times. That’s where I find minimalism to be quite the opposite of cold, I find it calming in this weird and overly-cluttered life. Here’s a look at some of the styles I’m into:

I keep editing this blurb to reflect the direction of my taste, and that act alone is giving me doubt. As of right now, I envision a warm grey or nude tone of cabinetry with slab backsplash to match the counters (undecided on colour, light or dark), gold faucet and handles, and minimal stainless steel. Not because I hate stainless steel (I actually think it’s very clean), but because I have historically preferred never to mix metals. Do you want to watch me shoot myself in the foot for choosing gold fixtures? Okay. Proceed.

I’ll keep you posted on where I land in a few months.