Coffee Bars to Wine Bars: Growing Kitchen Trends

The home kitchen has undergone a big transformation over the past century, perhaps more than any other area in a home.   A century ago, kitchens were utilitarian spaces hidden in the back of a house, a place where cooking of a meal was the sole purpose.  Today’s kitchens are the focal point of a home, serving as a gathering space for family and company.  So while there is still a lot of cooking happening in the kitchen, there has been huge growth in the activities that happen in a kitchen.  As the role of the kitchen in a home has grown and progressed, so has the idea of what a kitchen design should include.  Trends in kitchen design are reflecting this growth in the kitchen as a primary gathering space.

Coffee Bar

A growing trend in kitchen design is the inclusion of a coffee bar. The popularity of gourmet coffee beverages means more homeowners are opting to include a home coffee bar in their kitchen such as the one pictured to the left.  Rather than meeting a friend at the local coffee shop, the home is becoming a meeting space where friends connect over a cappuccino.

 

Wine Bars

Another growing kitchen trend is the inclusion of a bar area in the kitchen.  As the hub of entertaining guests has moved into the kitchen of a home, homeowners are finding that a small built-in bar area is a must have.  With features such as a wine cooler, wine bottle racks and customized shelving for bar glasses and decanters, built in kitchen bars are transforming the traditional kitchen into a place were guests can gather to enjoy the evening festivities without a trip somewhere else in the home to refill their drink.

 

Work Station Area

While the idea of including of desk or work station area in the kitchen has been around for a couple of decades, the design of these work stations is changing.  Rather than a sit down space with a computer, the work station is becoming a message center and docking station.  Storage is being customized to reflect new devices such as this docking drawer feature shown on the left.  Space for charging hand-held devices, cubbies to hold items for busy families and doors to mask storage when guests arrive are changes that reflect advancements in technology and the changes in a kitchen’s function.

Sawhill Cus­tom Kitchens & Design is the pre­mier provider of kitchen and bath design and cus­tom cab­i­net build­ing ser­vices for clients in the Twin Cities, Upper Mid­west and beyond.  We deliver exceptional spaces by taking a holistic approach to meeting your needs and exceeding your expectations. With skill and experience, your Sawhill team of designers, space planners, custom cabinet building experts and project managers will invest in your design plan from concept to final installation.

The result will be a gorgeous working interior you’ll love, without the headaches you won’t.  We encourage you to view our kitchen design and remodel galleries for more inspiration.  Already have ideas?  Contact us or visit our kitchen showroom at International Market Square in Minneapolis.  We’d love to start a conversation with you!