Trends for the Ultimate Personalized Kitchens

It’s so saccharine a saying that my teeth hurt, but it’s true: Home is where the heart is. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that homes are our everything. They’re our offices, our creation spaces, our virtual storefronts, and our ultimate sanctuaries.

That’s why custom home builders have embraced a classic trend in luxury home building: ultimate personalization.

So, if cooking, crafting, or professional-level lounging makes your heart flutter, your home should absolutely reflect that. The allure of custom homes lies in their unparalleled personalization, each reflecting the distinct tastes and preferences of their owners. They’re the kind of home that when a guest walks in for the first time, they’ll think to themself or state aloud, “I can tell this is your home. This is so you.”

There’s More to Life Than a Chef’s Kitchen

Now, is it just me, or does every single home on MLS have a “chef’s kitchen perfect for entertaining”? Who is doing all this entertaining and what defines a chef’s kitchen anyway?

Today’s custom-built homes offer much more than a breakfast bar island in an all-white open kitchen. There are baker’s kitchens, secondary spice kitchens, Old World kitchens, even kosher kitchens. Custom builders are incorporating these personalized kitchens into their clients’ homes. And that’s the purpose of a custom-built home, right? To tailor a home with features that suit you.

What’s Cooking

Prep Kitchens: Tucked away and often behind the main kitchen, prep kitchens allow the cooks of the house to work in a more private space that has all the appliances they need right at their fingertips. This allows the chef to keep the main kitchen pristine, clutter-free, and ready for entertaining.

Storage Prioritized Kitchens: As people have incorporated kitchens into open family room plans, they require more storage to keep things tidy, and in order. Custom homes are incorporating more specialized built-in cabinet storage and pantries for everyday kitchenware like pots and pans, and bulky appliances like stand mixers.

Bright Kitchens: Bright white kitchens will never go out of style, but designers are emphasizing windows and lighting to create a well-lit, bright, and beautiful kitchen.

Dark and Moody Kitchens: As the antithesis of an all-white kitchen, some clients and designers are shifting away from the stalwart white cabinet in favor of a tres francais inspiration. These kitchens feature raw brass, deep blue colors, and natural wood materials to create a mood.

European Kitchens: European kitchens come in all shapes and sizes, but two trends from across the pond are sticking here in the States — European-style cabinetry that’s high-gloss and kitchens with no uppers. This may also blend with a trend of minimalist kitchens that only feature one wall with fewer cabinets.

Out-of-The-Box Kitchens

But as we mentioned before, specificity is the order of the day. Depending on a client’s interests, a custom home builder can create everything from a kombucha and pickling pantry, to a botanical herb garden wall.

Baker’s Kitchen: A home chef may ask for a baker’s kitchen that has multiple professional-grade ovens, built-in cooling racks, or ample counter space for decorating their baked creations. This kitchen may also incorporate aesthetics for filming baking or cooking-related content such as a dramatic, designed dominant wall, as well as incorporating technology practicalities such as a deep, eye-level shelf to place a camera for filming.

Secondary Spice Kitchen: Often found in Indian homes, spice kitchens are smaller, separately-ventilated kitchens used for cooking flavorsome but odorous foods. Think curry powder, seafood, etc. Homeowners can cook with curry in the spice kitchen, and avoid permeating the open living area with cooking smells.

Kosher Kitchens: A kosher kitchen is a kitchen in which food is prepared according to the Jewish kosher dietary laws. Meat and dairy are kept strictly separate, as well as separate utensils and accessories for preparing those foods.