Kitchen appliance manufacturers Sub-Zero and Wolf have collaborated with three notable designers to identify current kitchen design trends and predict future directions for the space that has become the heart of the home. New York-based interior designer Jamie Drake, Chicago-based kitchen designer Mick De Giulio, and Atlanta-based kitchen designer Matthew Quinn joined together to analyze kitchen designs entered into Sub-Zero and Wolf's biennial Kitchen Design Contest, track the design trends illustrated therein, as well as through their own practices, and pinpoint potential evolutionary developments that may yield future trends in kitchen design.

Each of the designers has played a substantial role over the years in the appliance manufacturer's Kitchen Design Contest, serving as members of the judging panel. The trio identified five trends that will continue to evolve and inform future kitchen designs:

Incorporating lifestyles into the kitchen. Homes have become kitchen-centric, with kitchens serving as a family's venue for leisure, work, and entertaining in addition to its utilitarian roles. Homeowners are willing to devote a greater share of thought, square footage, and budget to design kitchens that will ease this lifestyle integration, the report says. Moving forward, designers will seek to create more unified, holistic concepts for lifestyle-inclusive kitchen environments.

Designers will unify kitchens with other living spaces, in recognition of the kitchen's status as "heart of the home." Courtesy Sub-Zero and Wolf

"Green" refocusing on health and wellness. Going beyond simple conservation of resources, green design in the kitchen now puts a greater emphasis on healthy living, the designers report. It is primarily driven by the farm-to-table movement and homeowners' desire to live within an environment that supports their families' health. Indoor air quality is becoming more important to homeowners, so low- or no-VOC finishes, paints, sealants, and cabinetry materials are increasingly being incorporated into kitchens, as well as ventilation and filtration systems. Also, appliance industry groups currently are developing lifecycle-based sustainability standards for home appliances such as microwaves and refrigerators, which will add a new dimension to appliance performance.

Personal experience and personality-driven design. Many homeowners, not satisfied with cookie-cutter kitchens, are choosing to put a personal stamp on their designs to create unique spaces that showcase their aesthetic preferences and personalities, according to the report. Reflecting the kitchen's shift from pure utility to venue for comfort and expression, elements like lighting fixtures, countertops, and hardware are getting the custom treatment with personalized touches, such as countertops embedded with favorite objects or motifs, or whimsical cabinet knobs. Consumers are savvier than ever about the options available to them, and they will continue to demand ever-more-personalized designs.

Custom touches will transform kitchens into venues for self-expression. Courtesy Sub-Zero and Wolf