MasterBrand Cabinets today released its annual trends report with new data from polling hundreds of kitchen design experts, including insights on the future of kitchen design, how homeowners are reshaping their living environments and the announcement of the 2025 Impactful Finishes of the Year, Currant and Coastline. As minimalism and modern styles evolve, bold trends featuring vintage elements and vibrant aesthetics emerge, allowing for unique, personalized spaces.
“People are breaking away from popular design trends and setting their own by merging personal preferences with hints of modern elements to create a lively but comfortable space,” said Stephanie Pierce, director of design and trends at MasterBrand Cabinets. “Being the hub of the home, the kitchen serves many purposes and homeowners desire a space that is both beautiful and functional.”
The experts at MasterBrand have identified emerging design trends surrounding preferred finishes, rising kitchen styles and changes in customization and functionality, including:
A Blank Canvas for Personalization
Shrinking home footprints meeting busier-than-ever lifestyles means the kitchen needs to be more functional than ever, and designers are getting creative with how they tackle clutter and fulfill people’s everyday needs while also incorporating their personal styles. Homeowners are increasingly looking to blend unique, charming elements with modern touches, which has given rise to design styles like Baroque Americana and eclectic kitchen décor.
Color Confidence
Experimenting with vivid colors and hues in the kitchen continues to rise in popularity. The most common way people are incorporating color in kitchen cabinetry is through their kitchen islands, followed by using color only on the perimeter cabinetry. Blues and greens are the leading choice for adding color in the kitchen, but unexpected colors are becoming popular as cabinetry finish options. When paired with warm, neutral accents, the red family is starting to make waves, as vibrant hues of pink and rich hues of burgundy and plum allow homeowners to create an eye-catching, sophisticated space.
The MasterBrand 2025 Impactful Cabinet Finishes are the color and stain that the brand particularly expects to shine in the year ahead. The bold Currant color brings dominant red tones to the kitchen through paint, while the light-to-mid-tone natural brown stain Coastline gives a subtle nod to nature’s beauty. These finishes can be used standalone or combined in a palette to create an especially dramatic look.
Warm Woods
Warm woods create a sense of comfort by promoting a biophilic connection and these tones are a rising preference as homeowners seek to add more wood elements throughout the kitchen. Light and mid-tone wood stains are the top choices, and when it comes to material, oak, walnut and maple species are often used for their organic grain texture and balanced tones that give the space dimension. Combining wood and painted cabinet finishes creates more depth and adds character, and homeowners can use finishes such as Coastline, Cello or Frappe as a main color or as a complementary accent to create a charming, inviting space.
Efficiency, Simplicity and Organized Chaos
The biggest kitchen concern for many homeowners is decluttering their space, which is the biggest functional driver for today’s kitchen design choices. The emerging trends of inconspicuous kitchens and back kitchens (or butler’s pantries, as they’re sometimes called) demonstrate the need for hidden workspaces and hard-working functional areas. Both concepts preserve the visual appeal of the kitchen by offering concealed spaces for kitchen appliances and gadgets or creating extra prep and cleanup spaces that ensure the kitchen remains well-organized.
Smaller kitchens can benefit from posh pantries – or floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinets – that keep household items organized and easily accessible. These storage solutions can also address sustainability and food waste concerns by promoting proper visibility and encouraging more conscientious consumption habits, which is particularly helpful as grocery bills rise for consumers.
For more information or to find a MasterBrand dealer near you, visit www.masterbrand.com/dealerlocator.