As the heart of the home, kitchens are the place where families find nourishment from food and each other. Each year brings an exciting opportunity for designers, builders and homeowners to rethink the way we look at and create a hub that perfectly complements family and social gatherings. Since this year is no exception, here are some key kitchen decor trends for 2019:

• Clean, Clever and Concealed: In contrast to simply lining up cabinets in a row, one key trend is moving toward clean lines that cleverly hide the necessary storage space. This lends itself perfectly to the growing trend of incorporating the latest designs in luxurious decorative engineered wood panels to create a streamlined appearance.

• Themes from woodland to bold colors: Some homeowners prefer the back-to-nature feel of wood, while others want to make bold statements using bright solid colours in their kitchen cabinetry. Because of their versatility and low-maintenance appeal, innovative wood substitutes like melamine decorative panels are gaining in popularity as the go-to material in cabinetry.

According to Ariane Bouchard, Marketing Manager at Uniboard^® the North American leader in engineered wood products, today’s latest innovations can accommodate all inspirations from  rustic to modern, with a vast array of panel and finish options. “Our Thermally Fused Laminate (TFL) panel collection alone features over 130 colours in 14 finishes for design versatility. Our new Vellum matte finish, for example, is highlighted by subtle texturing that beautifully enhances both solid colours and woodgrain design,” she explained. One of the hot solid colours from the 2019-2020 collection creating buzz with designers is the “Wave Blue” (K45) which brings an elegant modern feel to any décor.

• Inspired trends in décor for engineered panels: Cabinetry no longer has to rely on the same maple, oak or cherry laminates, thanks to the incredible diversity of today’s TFL on Medium Infused Fiberboard(MDF), and Particleboard options. Also gaining momentum are Embossed In-Register (EIR) material cabinets. “As the creator of this synchronized texture technology in North America, our manufacturing process intensifies the texture, depth, and appearance of panels to deliver an astonishing feel of real wood,” added Bouchard.

• Previewing the latest designs in your own décor online: Because kitchen décor design is such a personal and visual pursuit, companies are now offering online design assistance programs such as Uniboard’s Design 360 option, which allows designers to present clients with design options using files that have the appearance of real products. “Kitchen designs are exciting and ever-evolving, these types of resources can help professionals preview and recommend top-of-the-line laminate panel boards for their kitchen design and construction project needs,” added Bouchard.