Q: What trends are pushing the top for 2014 in countertops, flooring and cabinetry?

A: Looking into the future is always exciting at the beginning of the year, which is why we particularly love this question! Here are a four big trends we are fairly confident will be striking it big when it comes to kitchen renovations.

Mix and Match: One of the big trends of 2014 is the mixing up of colors, styles and materials in the kitchen. What this means is that your woods and ceramics don’t need to match each other or other woods/ceramics throughout the kitchen.

• Backsplashes: Try a backsplash high in detail made of ceramic stone to go with marble countertops.
• Flooring: Cover the span of your kitchen floors with large ceramic designs or keep the tone quieter with oak.
• Cabinets: 2014 mix-it-up cabinets will come in many forms—straightforward, simple boxy cabinets with fewer lines, distressed wood framed cabinets, or part glass plated, part covered cabinet doors. This leaves you plenty of room to accessorize with a variety of lights, rugs, and wall color.
• Black is Back: One of the big surprises to make an appearance are trends in colors, including black countertops, neutral or “masculine” cabinet colors and darker hues on walls.

A recent Home Design Trend Report for 2014 (source: http://www.zillow.com/blog/2013-12-09/2014-trend-dramatic-black-counters/) bases this trend flare up on actual homeowner responses to a wide number of questions on preferences for kitchens. Surveys also showed the following will be popular in 2014:

• Colors: Darker paint hues are trending on countertops, floors and walls. Stone options for countertops are among the most popular trends, while darker woods seem to be topping out for floors. As for walls, it may be the bold statement or something else altogether, but darker walls in kitchens are a 2014 must. If you’re not sure you have the “courage” to color the walls, decorators recommend introducing color in your accessories, allowing your kitchen to be of interest regardless of what is popular in the coming years.
• Cabinets: While you deepen the colors of your walls, you may consider going with cabinet door options that show off what you have inside.  Open shelved cabinets (kitchens and bathrooms alike!) and glass-front cabinets are going to be big in 2014.

When all is said and done, however, 2014 trends don’t mean you can’t match your materials if you just love the look of contiguous woods or stone. And regarding color, some of the sleekest looks we see are still emerging in a field of whites and light colors on the walls, which means if you are in the market for upgrades, you still have many options to both stay inspiring and trendy in the kitchen!