November is the month for planning for the coming year, and in the Southern Hemisphere, summer is usually the season when many families take advantage of the time to remodel. If you're thinking about renovating your kitchen, you're at a good time: the first major trend reports for 2027 were published in October 2026, and they contain several surprises.
What the 2027 reports say
The NKBA 2027 report
The National Kitchen & Bath Association published its October 2026 2027 Kitchen Trends Report, Based on an online survey of 830 industry professionals (designers, manufacturers, remodelers, and architects), 901 of them in the United States and 81 in Canada. It's a different market than ours, but its findings often anticipate what later appears in catalogs and magazines worldwide.
Floor & Decor's Home Design Forecast 2027
The US flooring and wall covering chain presented its 2027 forecast, reported by Forbes, with the “Cortado Kitchen” as a major kitchen trend.
1. Walls are back: goodbye to the fully open kitchen
This is the most striking change. According to NKBA, defined zones, partial walls, and movable partitions are replacing the completely open floor plan. The designers' report 81% describes intentional zoning as a trend "here to stay," and semi-enclosed (46%) and partially concealed (41%) kitchens are emerging as increasingly popular options. The report itself describes this as a shift from 2026, when the open floor plan was still projected to be on the rise.
How to apply it in a department: You don't need to build a wall. An island or bar to separate the spaces, a sliding glass door, a wooden screen, or a change in flooring between the kitchen and living room can already define areas. If your kitchen is open-plan, think about visually separating smells, noise, and clutter without sacrificing light.
2. The “back kitchen” and work areas
The 47% report from NKBA designers mentions dedicated preparation areas and back kitchens as a growing trend. Similarly, the 90% report anticipates that beverage zones will be popular within the next three years, and the 73% report predicts dedicated small appliance stations.
Latin American version: A pantry with outlets for a kettle, coffee maker, and air fryer; a tall cabinet with doors to conceal everyday appliances; a coffee corner in the living room. The idea is to remove everything from the countertop that isn't used for cooking.
3. Everything hidden: enclosed storage and paneled appliances
The designers' group 85% agrees that furniture is being designed to hide appliances and functional elements, and group 64% believes that open shelving is going out in favor of closed storage, according to NKBA.
Veranda She calls it “cabinetry as furniture”: kitchens that feel less utilitarian and more designer, with paneled appliances, appliance garages and pantries, and cabinetry that resembles fine furniture. Designer Elizabeth Schulz says this keeps the kitchen “clean and uncluttered.”.
4. Natural wood instead of paint
Regarding materials, NKBA highlights a clear trend: designer 34% expects furniture made of natural materials, without a colored finish, to be popular; 32% prefers light tones, and another 32% favors medium tones. White oak is the favorite wood for 49%. Furthermore, 54% believes the island will have a different color than the rest of the furniture.
Practical tip: If you're not going to replace all the furniture, just change the fronts of the island or a tall cabinet to wood veneer. It's the most economical way to join the trend.
5. The “Cortado Kitchen”: neutrals with coffee
Floor & Decor proposes a new neutral for 2027 inspired by cortado coffee: layers of coffee tones, from deep espresso to milky white. Cocoa-stained furniture, tan linens, brushed gold faucets, and creamy countertops with sand and coffee veining, according to Ashley Biscan's description in Forbes. The expert presents it as an evolution of the 2026 "crème brûlée" kitchen and as a good option for renovating early 2000s kitchens without demolition: preserving the original dark wood and lightening the upper cabinets.
If you like this address, also check out our guide for integrate dark woods without darkening the space.
6. Neutrals, greens and blues (with a nod to rich tones)
Neutrals continue to lead the way: 961 TP3T of NKBA designers chose them, followed by greens (831 TP3T) and blues (751 TP3T). Reds, including burgundy, remain at 471 TP3T, which the report interprets as an appetite for more expressive colors. To see which shades paint brands chose for next year, check out our article on the colors of the year 2027.
7. Matte quartzite and quartz countertops
Quartzite (78%) and quartz (74%) are the favorite deck materials of NKBA designers, and almost half (48%) prefer honed finishes. Matte hides marks and fingerprints better, which is very practical for everyday use.
8. Lighting becomes the main focus
Designers' report 84% agrees that kitchens will incorporate multiple layers of lighting, and report 78% concurs that lighting is increasingly used as a design element. Under-cabinet lighting (87%) and integrated lighting (76%) are leading the way in what is expected to be seen over the next three years.
Easy to apply without construction work: LED strips under the upper cabinets, one or two pendant lamps over the island or table, and a warm light inside a display case.
9. Technology, but in moderation
Here the report takes a contrarian approach: AI is entering the kitchen “cautiously.” Only 27% of designers anticipate demand for ovens with food recognition, and 24% for AI that learns preferences. In contrast, air fryers surpass convection ovens in expected demand (57% vs. 46%), and mobile alerts for power outages or gas leaks (57%) are the most frequently mentioned connected feature.
How to plan a kitchen remodel with these trends
- Part of it is the problem, not the photo. Lack of storage? Overcrowded countertop? Unpleasant smells in the living room? The 2027 trends address precisely these problems.
- Choose one or two trends, not all of them. Natural wood + closed storage, for example, can already transform a kitchen.
- Visualize before quoting. A kitchen is changed every few years: it's worth looking at options on a photo of your space before deciding on colors and materials.
- It measures circulation. A new island or partition should allow comfortable passage between modules.
- Think about light from the beginning. It's cheaper to provide for sockets and conduits beforehand than to add them later.
Visualize your 2027 kitchen before remodeling
The kitchen is one of the spaces where it's hardest to imagine the result: the same piece of furniture looks different in oak, cocoa, or sage green. HomeStyle Studio With DekorAI you can upload a photo of your kitchen and see how it would look in different styles before requesting quotes. And if you sell furniture, lamps, or kitchen accessories, Home Try-On? Let your customers try on your products using photos of their own space. If you want to test several trends at once, our guide can help you. Test trending styles with AI before renewing.
Conclusion
Kitchens in 2027 are becoming more organized, warm, and thoughtfully designed: defined zones instead of a large open space, natural wood instead of paint, concealed appliances, matte countertops, layered lighting, and technology only where it's needed. The good news is that almost everything can be implemented gradually, starting with the cabinet fronts, lighting, and organization.
Before remodeling, upload a photo of your kitchen to HomeStyle Studio and try out different styles. If you have a store, Request a demo Home Try-On. More ideas in the DekorAI blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the kitchen trends for 2027?
Defined zones and semi-enclosed kitchens, rear kitchens and workstations, closed storage and hidden appliances, natural wood, neutrals with brown tones, matte quartzite or quartz countertops and layered lighting.
Will open kitchens still be used in 2027?
They still exist, but the NKBA 2027 report shows a shift towards defined zones, partial walls, and movable partitions. In apartments, an island, a bar, or a sliding glass door can achieve this effect without major construction.
What color of kitchen furniture will be used in 2027?
Natural, unpainted wood, with white oak as the favorite, along with warm neutrals and brown tones. Greens and blues are still present.
Are open shelves going out of style?
According to NKBA, the designers of the 64% believe that closed storage is on its way out. A dedicated shelf for decorative items remains a viable option.
How to update a kitchen without remodeling the whole thing?
Change the fronts of the island or some modules, add light under the furniture, change the faucets and free up the countertop with a piece of furniture that hides appliances.
How can I know what my kitchen will look like before remodeling?
Upload a photo of your kitchen to an AI-powered visualization tool and compare styles, colors, and materials before getting a quote.
Sources
- NKBA — NKBA 2027 Kitchen Trends Report Signals Shifts in Kitchen Design (14 Oct 2026) — https://nkba.org/press/nkba-2027-kitchen-trends-report-signals-shifts-in-kitchen-design/
- Forbes — Floor & Decor Announces 2027 Floor Design Trends And Tile Of The Year (Oct 7, 2026) — https://www.forbes.com/sites/terriwilliams/2026/10/07/floor–dcor-announces-2027-floor-design-trends-and-tile-of-the-year/
- Veranda — 7 Interior Trends That Will Take Over in 2027 (Oct 22, 2026) — https://www.veranda.com/home-decorators/design-trends/a74180818/2027-interior-design-trends/
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