If you are wondering what the latest and greatest designs and themes are for the upcoming year, in the kitchen, consider that the kitchen has made a transition into more than  just a male preparation  area, but into a social setting. In some ways, the kitchen has evolved into a family room or living area with an uncluttered style featuring natural and darker wood tones, with splashes of color.

The cabinets have begun to look more like furniture rather than just typical kitchen equipment and are being shown in two tone colors, for uppers and lowers. You will also see a mixture of cabinet finishes with glazing and distressing still popular.

For countertops, granite, marble and quartz remain strong and undermount kitchen sinks are still the most desirable in a variety of styles and finishes.

Kitchens are being updated with LED lighting as the incandescent bulbs are becoming a part of history and the fixtures being shown are all sizes and shapes, including pendant lighting of all types. Many people are opting for under cabinet lighting to increase their efficiency at kitchen tasks.