By Catherine Romano

The steady drift away from lab-like kitchens continues, and the pendulum has swung toward decidedly organic colors. So concur many of the hundreds of pros who helped us identify today's most in-demand kitchen-design trends. Beiges, soft browns and even dark wood, long considered dated, have crept back into vogue. "Mixed with more contemporary furniture and lighting, these finishes feel fresh and create spaces that are very intimate," said New York designer Jennifer Weisberg.

Conclusively out: a perfectionist vibe, which Tami O'Malley, a designer in St. Charles, Ill., notes "is being replaced by authentic, cozy spaces."

Here, the nine kitchen-design styles designers deem current, and the looks that have seen their days come and go.

IN: Visible Means of Support

"The use of ceiling beams, whether original or decorative, has likely become popular because they add warmth, texture and architectural interest," said Sean Anderson, a designer in Memphis, Tenn. Anderson added struts to this kitchen in the Tribeca area of Manhattan as a nod to the neighborhood's former industrial character.

OUT: Ceilings pocked with recessed down lights.

IN: Big Range Hoods That Blend In

Marita Simmons, of Minneapolis's Kipling House Interiors, says designers are establishing "cooking zones" by insetting the range and two flanking cabinets. "This allows for a large hood, with broad ventilation, to span the width of the niche and feel more integrated with the architecture."

OUT: Strapped and riveted vents hanging from the wall like errant treasure chests.

IN: Earthy Neutrals

Designers see a move toward organic tones such as terracotta and sand, "which bring a natural warmth to a kitchen," said Ruth Webber. The creative director at British tile brand Bert & May clad this kitchen, her own, in the company's Medina Raw Bejmat style.

OUT: Bright whites and grays with blue undertones, says Webber.

IN: Fabric Panels

Julia Miller of Yond Interiors in Minneapolis predicts we'll see more curtain-backed glass cabinet fronts, like those Brooklyn designer Jenna Chused included in this design for New York cabinet company Isla Porter. The fabric "transforms cabinetry into what feels more like furniture," she said.

OUT: "There will always be a time and place for the iconic shaker-style cabinet," said interior designer Athena Calderone, "but it's really time to move on."

IN: Long, Sculptural Island Lights

Designers are dangling a single, horizontal fixture, like this Remming Linear Chandelier from Arhaus, over kitchen islands. "I appreciate the uniform and consistent light [a long pendant] provides across the work surface," said Arlington, Va., designer Erin Myers. New York pro Clive Lonstein has turned to these lengthy chandeliers for Manhattan projects where he sought a minimalist approach.

OUT: Said Toronto designer Sam Sacks, "The industry is moving away from the stereotypical arrangement of three pendants over a kitchen island, especially paired with a line of kitchen stools."

IN: Wooden Hardware

Though some pros still opt for spiffy metal pulls for drawers and cabinets -- "the jewelry of the kitchen" -- others are turning to timber details like the OH Knobs by Spanish brand Viefe. Anderson, who chose large-scale oak appliance pulls in the kitchen above, appreciates their amiable interaction with other natural components in the room, such as the stained cabinetry and reclaimed beams.

OUT: Bin pulls. Your kitchen isn't Old Doc Wilson's apothecary and feed store.

IN: Gleaming, Airy Bistro Racks

"We will continue to see wall cabinets replaced with open French shelving," said Cyndy Cantley, a kitchen designer in Birmingham, Ala. Seattle interior designer Jessica Nelson deployed this particularly chic set because it doesn't block the wall's green tile, and the glass and brass shelving "really packs a visual punch."

OUT: "We are moving on from the heavily veined marble backsplash with accompanying floating marble shelf," said Calderone.

IN: Chicly Camouflaged Storage

Design pros such as Maria Zoe Vassiliou are tucking store rooms behind jib doors. "They make the entire kitchen feel cohesive," said the Shrewsbury, N.J., designer. Simmons similarly disguised the entrance to a dry-goods pantry in her own kitchen, above, noting, "Everyone loves the surprise when they push on the cabinetry face to discover the hidden room."

OUT: Everything, everywhere and in plain sight.

IN: Impervious Stone

Angelica Squire sees hardy and robust granite returning to countertops. "A honed, matte finish steers clear of the 1980s look," said the co-founder of London's Studio Squire. In this cottage kitchen, the designer installed tumbled black granite, slightly rougher and more rustic than honed: "It's a goody, with its slatelike appearance and bombproof attributes," she said.

OUT: Dazzling, shiny but impractical marbles that cooking basics such as lemon juice can easily stain, says Squire.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 21, 2025 19:00 ET (00:00 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.