A kitchen is the heartbeat of a home so it’s no wonder that the kitchen is the number one consideration in choosing their next home.

Pulte Group’s Interior Designs Team will merchandise about 425 homes in 2016 and the models they decorate reflect the hottest design trends and interior innovations.

“Today’s home buyers are willing to spend more in the kitchen – from energy-efficient appliances to quartz countertops,” says Janice Jones, PulteGroup’s national vice president of interior design, which effectively acts as one of the largest design shops in the nation with 33 design professionals. “We continuously conduct consumer focus groups to best understand what they want in their kitchens and are constantly refining our kitchen designs and its elements to ensure it delivers on functionality, creative design and easy maintenance across all our buyer groups.”

Jones says that in 2016, five kitchen trends are emerging as must-haves when consumers are planning a kitchen renovation project or if they are looking for some easy kitchen updates. These design trends can already be seen today in new Pulte homes being built throughout the country.

The “Wow” Factor: Bold and oversized lighting choices add drama to the completed space. Decorative lighting is key in the kitchen and adds dramatic flair as well as functionality to the kitchen, especially over the kitchen island.

Transparency: Consumers love to personalize a space. By switching out some cabinet doors with glass doors, you extend visual boundaries while displaying “a few of my favorite things.”
Bridging the Gap: Consumers say you can never have enough storage, especially in the kitchen. Double stacked cabinets extend to the ceiling, which maximize storage space for those special occasion items.

More drawers, less doors: The functionality of drawers outweighs doors. These designs are emphasized through the use of bold hardware.

Mixed marbles and metals highlight gray wood tones. Materials are being mixed, colors contrasted, and styles interchanged to create a unique and personalized point of view.
To see more kitchen designs, visit www.pulte.com.