These Macro Trends Are Driving Kitchen and Bath Preferences

Technology, efficiency and convenience, and wellness are large factors in what is trending in the K&B space.

Before diving into trends for the components of rooms, it is important to understand the macro trends driving many of the choices homeowners make. These macro trends are often more informative and more enduring that the flash-in-the-pan nature of appliance finishes and colors of the year. Forbes spoke with several industry experts to gauge the macro trends that are informing consumer choices in kitchens and bathrooms.

Technology
The kitchen and bath market is being flooded with technology, some of which helps people work easier in their homes, and some which complicates life. “Just as people want clean lines and clutter-free environments, they want to minimize mental clutter, so tech needs to be intuitive, streamlined and purposeful if it’s going to appeal to a broad base of homeowners,” Janice Costa, editor of Kitchen & Bath Design News predicts.

Erin Gallagher, Dallas-based designer for Taylor Morrison, also sees technology as a strong trend. “Smart home products will move from the high end to more mainstream design starting in 2020,” the researcher anticipates, adding, “customization to suit homeowners’ lifestyles and efficient use of space will be far more important than connectivity.” This ability to customize is driving manufacturers to make their products theme-friendly, so you can integrate them in sophisticated smart home suites.

Efficiency And Convenience
Efficiency ties into the technology trend, but also into people being challenged by multiple obligations—family, self-care and career, to name just three—and wanting their days to be a bit more convenient amidst this complexity. As Costa notes, it’s not just about bells and whistles, it’s about being purposeful in simplifying life. Michele Alfano, principal at Michele Alfano Design, adds: “These days, kitchen design is also about efficiency, convenience and making life easier.” The designer sees this in her practice: “People are now expecting a user-friendly lifestyle with less maintenance, less problems. We live in stressful times so it seems fitting for people to seek simplicity in their homes and what could make your days run more smoothly, and save you time.”

Wellness
Alfano sees wellness as “minimalism with humanism,” describing it as “simplicity with the importance of the human experience. Purist, ergonomic design allows people to focus on the important things in life, which is the enjoyment of family and friends.” The designer also sees biophilia—the term for incorporating nature and natural influences into design – as part of wellness.

Wellness has been a significant trend for the kitchen and bath industry, as well as for the real estate and new construction fields. Homes and communities with wellness features are highly sought after by fitness-minded Millennials, health-conscious Boomers and the emerging, sustainability-oriented Generation Z. It crosses paths with sustainability, especially in emphasizing non-toxic materials and energy-friendly LED lighting tied to smart home technology for circadian benefits.