Lengthy pandemic influences how we use our kitchens
“Neutral palettes and whites are still the preferred choice for kitchens, although the use of color adds personality and interest.”
– Rebecca Reynolds
Years ago, it became trendy to have a very nice kitchen, and from a historical standpoint it was compartmentalized; adjacent to but not necessarily open to the family room. That changed in the last two decades as floor plans opened up and the kitchen became the nucleus of the home.
Never was that more evident than in the last year as people were, and continue to be, cloistered at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“COVID has added another dimension to the kitchen,” saidWestport- based architect and builder Robert Berger, AIA, who specializes in design architecture, signature custom homes, luxury interior design, sustainable design, and modern construction. Berger said kitchen renovations have increased dramatically in the last year.
Clients are requesting more functionality from their kitchens and they want them to be unbelievably beautiful, Berger said, because they are spending so much more time within that space. It’s not just for breakfast and dinner anymore.
Residents are in and out of their kitchens all day long, including for lunch and snacks, so today’s kitchen must accommodate the entire family all day long without everyone getting in each other’s way, he said.
“They want the kitchen to resolve lifestyle issues,” complicated by COVID- 19, he said. The kitchen must accommodate work, school, and home environments. Standard coffee stations are replacing the break room or kitchenette at work.
For children, the kitchen may be doubling as the school cafeteria and the classroom.
Although some homeowners may suddenly be requesting materials and products that are deemed safe— such as touchless faucets and antimicrobial countertops— during COVID- 19, these items have in fact been available for a long time. “I’ve been promoting the use of touchless faucets for many years,” explained Rebecca Reynolds, of Fairfield County- based Rebecca Reynolds Design, whose work has been featured in many national and regional design publications. “They’re a must have in every kitchen today, COVID- 19 or not; they just make good sense, they’re hygienic and convenient. Most of our kitchens have two sinks and faucets, so at least one should be touchless.”
In reference to how families are using their kitchens, Reynolds said kitchen layout doesn’t really follow or drive trends, although she has tried to influence one of her own. “What was thought of for years as the old tried and true kitchen triangle is being thoughtfully replaced with a series of ‘ work- stations’ within the design,” she said. “Many cooks, many hands, make for many areas needed to make the kitchen function and flow for today’s families.”
Clients express a need for more storage space but without sacrificing the openness of the kitchen, Berger said. The request for more types and sizes of refrigeration is also on the rise and the single biggest item Berger has had to accommodate in his designs is the wine refrigerator. “Often that’s the first thing people are asking about,” he said.
Berger recommends selecting appliances first before redesigning the kitchen because they exert a major influence on the space and help determine if traditional or modern design fits into your lifestyle and aesthetic. Trends are leaning toward European- style kitchens with open shelving, but Berger cautions that might not work at a time when people are home more frequently as the kitchen is probably messier than usual.
“Despite trends that come and go in the interiors world, functionality is the base needed to build a beautiful kitchen on,” Reynolds said. “Think of it like a layering process. Kitchens are also an expensive room, so in my opinion, it’s not the place to experiment with trends.”
Berger suggests homeowners not go overboard with the extreme aspect of kitchen redesign, keeping an eye on resale value and keeping in mind that our current situation is only temporary.
“Neutral palettes and whites are still the preferred choice for kitchens, although the use of color adds personality and interest,” Reynolds said. “But for the same reasons people don’t get too trendy is the same reason they often fear color: overall cost and the need for the kitchen to sustain longevity for resale.”
Reynolds said designers everywhere are busy and working harder than ever to help their clients enhance the one place they’ve had any control over, and that’s home: “Perhaps the take- away is that, sadly, it takes a tragedy or, yes, a pandemic, to slow us down and help us appreciate that home and family are everything and living with less can often feel like more.”