The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home — a space where design and function meet daily life. It’s also a place that holds a lot of value for potential buyers when it comes time to sell.
Thankfully you don’t always need a full-blown kitchen renovation to get the most out of this space. Even small updates can enhance functionality and boost your home’s future resale value.
If a kitchen refresh is on your agenda for 2025, here are the latest kitchen design trends to help you create a functional yet trendy space.
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1. Transitional Kitchen Design
“Transitional is the leading kitchen style right now,” says Marine Sargsyan, staff economist for Houzz in Santa Monica, California. This involves mixing traditional design with modern elements.
Transitional kitchens typically have a large, open layout with an island if there is space, a neutral palette and open shelving or hanging lights that define the space. These modern kitchens have been the go-to design for close to a decade, but they remain a top kitchen design for 2025.
2. Natural Materials
Engineered quartz is still the leading material for countertop upgrades, but designers are seeing more natural stones like granite and marble again, Sargsyan says. Large-format marble counters that carry into the backsplash were all the rage in 2024 and that trend is still going strong.
Additionally, people are shifting to more natural materials for their cabinets and backsplashes as well. “Concrete tiles are having a moment right now,” says Celerie Kemble, designer and principal of Kemble Interiors in New York City.
A currently popular tile choice is zellige, a handcrafted glazed style that originated in Morocco. These concrete tiles provide a rustic, natural feel, and 3-inch square zellige tiles with a matte finish are particularly popular as a backsplash right now.
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3. Warmer Finishes
Homeowners are looking for cabinetry, wall colors and accessories in warm, earthy tones. “They want to bring warmth into their kitchen, choosing rich wood or off-white for the cabinets instead of grays,” says Sargsyan.
“Wood grain in cabinets is trending, with finishes in warm oak and walnut,” says Cheryl Fenelle Dixon, chief marketing and communications officer with Nobilia North America in Westchester County, New York. Many homeowners are finishing their appliances with wood grain instead of harsh and cold stainless steel.
4. Contrasting Cabinet Colors
Transitional kitchens often feature single-color cabinets throughout the space. However, two-toned or contrasting cabinets are regaining popularity. The bottom cabinets are typically the accent color while the top cabinets remain a neutral off-white or wood grain.
Moody blues are very popular as an accent color and so is green, Sargsyan says, but white top cabinets with wood cabinets on the bottom are also trending. The key is choosing warm earth tones, now that cool blues and grays are out.
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5. Range Alcoves
Range alcoves are a trending kitchen design for 2025, according to a recent report by Houzz. This is achieved when the area behind the range is cut back to create a recessed niche. It can be finished with stone or tile or be painted in a finish that contrasts with the rest of the space.
“Range alcoves are a way of assuming the stove into the space and hiding the hood, making everything look more linear,” says Kemble.
6. Minimalist Display and Design
Messy has never been cool, but more homeowners are striving for a clutter-free kitchen in 2025.
“A lot of people that have glass-fronted cabinets are covering them with fabric,” says Kemble. It’s a way to make the space feel more like other areas of your house but also hide the clutter that can accumulate in cabinets.
Smart storage solutions like appliance cabinets along with customized storage solutions like counter pullouts and pantry build-outs are also popular, explains Fenelle Dixon. The goal is to keep items off your kitchen counter with a dedicated space that still allows functionality.
7. More Home Accents in the Kitchen
In the past, kitchens were designed for functionality over aesthetics. But that’s changing, says Kemble. “We’re seeing people remove functional items to declutter and replace them with more curated items like books, plants or decorative serving ware. What’s exposed is more household and homey,” Kemble adds.
Small things like adding a painting on a shelf, putting down a throw rug instead of a kitchen mat or giving up countertop space for a small tufted table lamp will make the space feel more cozy.
8. Decorative Lighting
“Light that creates a vibe or atmosphere is very big in kitchen trends this year,” Fenelle Dixon says. It can be used to personalize the space and create lighting goals for the different ways you use your kitchen.
Kitchens are no longer restricted to just overhead lighting: Think undercabinet or toe kick lighting to help create the look you want within the design. “You can have lighting for accents, ambiance or to help with doing tasks,” says Fenelle Dixon.
9. Sustainable and Energy Efficient Products
“A defining trend in 2025 will be people consciously making sustainable choices for products, appliances and finishes,” says Sargsyan.
Energy-efficient appliances have been a popular kitchen addition for a while, but homeowners are taking it a step further and seeking out eco-friendly materials for all aspects of kitchen design.
“They want to know where the product is coming from, how much recycled materials it uses, how long it will stand up for wear and tear and if it’s good for the environment,” says Fenelle Dixon.
10. Backsplash Ledges
“A lot of people want backsplash ledges,” says Kemble. These long linear shelves pay homage to the minimalist movement trending in kitchen design right now.
Typically around 4 inches deep, this small ledge offers functionality as you’re cooking. You can put a cookbook, spices or other tools and utensils on it as you’re cooking. However, it’s mostly left clean when not in use. “It really showcases how clean the space is,” says Kemble.
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10 Kitchen Trends to Watch in 2025 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/22/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.