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Above: the kitchen of an Athens home designed by Nashmita Rajiah.
Partial walls, hidden appliances, and pantries with room for prep are among the kitchen features expected to gain ground next year, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s 2027 Kitchen Trends Report. Based on a survey of 830 kitchen-industry professionals—including designers, manufacturers, remodelers, and architects—the report looks at the layouts, materials, lighting, and technology they expect to be popular over the next three years. Here are the main takeaways.
Defined Layouts
NKBA reports growing interest in partial walls, movable partitions, and separate kitchen zones—a shift from last year’s forecast, when open layouts were still gaining ground. Dedicated prep spaces and back kitchens are also emerging features, cited by nearly half of designers.
Kitchens are still expected to get bigger, with 52 percent of designers anticipating growth. The kitchen’s surrounding rooms are growing, too. NKBA reports that mudrooms and laundry spaces are increasingly being integrated into kitchen plans. The vast majority of designers expect attached mudrooms to be popular over the next three years, with 45 percent anticipating mudrooms getting larger and 43 percent expecting laundry spaces to grow.
Hidden Appliances and Enclosed Storage
Appliances are increasingly being incorporated into cabinetry rather than left on display. Eighty-five percent of designers agree cabinets are being designed to hide appliances and other functional elements, and roughly two-thirds say open shelving is on its way out in favor of enclosed storage.
Pantries are taking on more work, too. Nearly 90 percent agree they are becoming multifunctional extensions of the kitchen, and three-quarters expect dedicated small-appliance stations to be popular. Separate beverage areas continue to gain support, with 90 percent anticipating their popularity, up from 85 percent in the 2026 report.
Wood Cabinets and Neutral Colors
Neutrals remain the leading color of choice, followed by greens and blues. For cabinetry, light and medium tones draw equal interest, and white oak is the preferred wood for roughly half of designers. Islands don’t necessarily have to match: a little more than half expect them to feature a different color from the surrounding cabinets. Quartzite and quartz lead countertop preferences, with nearly half of designers favoring honed or matte finishes.
Layers of Lighting
The lighting forecast includes under-cabinet lights, illuminated cabinet interiors, nighttime path lighting, sconces, and pendants. Eighty-four percent of designers agree kitchens will incorporate multiple layers of light, and 78 percent say lighting is increasingly being used as a design feature rather than just a functional necessity. Under-cabinet lighting leads the forecast at 87 percent, followed by interior-cabinet lighting at 76 percent.
Ventilation, Water Filtration, and Leak Protection
NKBA identifies ventilation, water filtration, touchless faucets, and sound-absorbing materials among the report’s wellness features. Designers are also discussing ways to make kitchens more resilient: 65 percent cite leak-detection systems and automatic shut-off valves, 62 percent cite backup power, and a little over half point to ventilation and air filtration.
Julia Cancilla is the social media & news editor at ELLE Decor, where she oversees the brand’s socials and covers design, pop culture, and emerging trends. She also authors the monthly ELLE Decoroscope column. Her work has appeared in Inked magazine, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, and more.