The kitchen has always been the heart of the home but now more than ever it's becoming part of the living area. In fact many new home designs incorporate the living area off the kitchen so that the family can interact while preparing meals, planning the weekly schedule and doing homework. The kitchen is the center of the home so it's no wonder it is the most remodeled room in the house. Here are some of the latest design trends homeowners are incorporating into their kitchens

So Long, Stainless Steel

Stainless steel may never go completely out of style, it’s certainly losing its certainly losing some of it's popularity. Warm metals like copper and bronze are fast becoming more dominate in 2014 kitchens. The new choice in material and color in kitchen appliances allows you to have more versatility when choosing the theme and style of your kitchen.

Functionality

In 2014 they’re taking innovative kitchen design to the next level. Most of us are not able to boast a huge kitchen and instead need to maximize our storage space wherever we can. New ways to increase the amount of storage space, and not the size of your kitchen, include the following; built in cabinetry that looks like furniture, new functional doors for storage, open shelving, practical pullout drawers, dividers for drawer storage, and corner sinks and ovens.

Neutral Colors

Neutral colors in the kitchen can make the space feel larger and brighter. You can choose to maintain neutrality throughout the entire kitchen, thus leaving you with a clean minimal feel, or use the base neutral colors to make other splashes of color in your kitchen pop.

Natural/Recycled Materials

These days it’s all about including eco-friendly attributes wherever you can. The kitchen may be one the best rooms in the house to invest in when becoming more environmentally friendly. The more popular eco-friendly kitchen designs are saying goodbye to drywall and hello to materials like brick, concrete, and recycled wood. Using recycled materials in your kitchen can add a unique vintage look to your kitchen that you won’t find in your neighbors’ homes.