Kitchen

Kitchen remodels must be carefully planned, both logistically and financially. To bring a vision for a new kitchen space into reality, homeowners need to have strategies on how to time, plan, and reconsider their remodels. In Maryland, a kitchen remodel often requires professional guidance due to the material construction required and the effort needed to time the project.

The benefits of a well-timed kitchen remodel include a clearer project objective, a lower chance of needing a second remodel, and a better overall result. Follow these tips on timing kitchen remodeling to achieve the kitchen of your dreams by recognizing when the time is right for a full kitchen update.

Does the Style Fit the Rest of the House?

Many homes have distinct architectural styles that inform the aesthetic of the interior design. A change of decor cannot always bring the kitchen in line with the times. Many kitchens have fallen too far behind in their fixtures, layouts, materials, textiles, lighting, and color schemes to be fixed without drastic structural changes.

It’s time for a remodel if the cabinets have become old, worn, or outdated, or if the style of the rest of the home fails to match the designs in the kitchen. As a result, many homeowners may feel disappointed with their kitchens or hesitant to spend time in them. It may be the last room they show when guests visit. This is a clear sign that it’s time for a kitchen remodel.

Is Space Still Functional?

Kitchens should be designed to support daily routines. Every aspect should be fine-tuned to the comfort of its users, from the layout of the appliances and the distribution of counter space to the lighting arrangement. Kitchens with poor layouts, low storage, or outdated lighting may no longer serve their purpose, leading to inefficient meal preparation or difficulties with cleaning.

Many homeowners buy new appliances to update their kitchens without having the proper layout to accommodate them. Many more update the materials in their countertops, backsplashes, and flooring to more premium options, while lacking an updated lighting system or best use of natural lighting, to show off their premium materials and maintain the functionality of the space.

A kitchen layout should work for the user’s needs. If the kitchen has become difficult to use, it’s time for a remodel. The right kitchen remodel will upgrade cabinetry, reconfigure counter and storage space, and change the flow of the room to accommodate the new designs.

Is the Kitchen Still Safe?

Functionality is not the only concern, as a kitchen space should also be safe to use. Appropriate lighting arrangements that highlight work areas and walkways are significant, but they are only part of the formula for designing a safe and functioning modern kitchen. Many older kitchens have more serious issues that indicate the need for a kitchen remodel.

When kitchens become outdated, their wiring can become a fire hazard. Appliances can become worn, leading to potential electrical shorts, food spoilage, and other issues. Water can leak from appliances or plumbing, leading to unsafe, slippery floors. Even in kitchens without electrical appliances, gas leaks are a serious health hazard that must be addressed immediately. Any of these safety issues indicate the right time to begin a kitchen remodel. 

Designers should also account for the individual safety of everyone using the space. Redesigning for accessibility can mean prioritizing functionality over style. High shelves, sharp-cornered counters, or low lighting may serve an aesthetic purpose, but they are not the most functional choices for all modern kitchens. A remodel can help homeowners modernize their kitchen space with safer materials, proper lighting arrangements, and improved accessibility.

Is the House Still Your Dream Home?

Over time, a homeowner’s needs and tastes evolve. Their idea of a dream kitchen now may be much different from when they first moved in. In some cases, the rest of the home may have been remodeled in line with this new vision; in others, the kitchen has become less functional due to events in the homeowner’s life, such as a remote job or new accessibility requirements.

Kitchen remodels can increase the home’s value when it’s time to sell, but they can also improve the usability of the kitchen to match updated needs. A fresh design with modern accessibility, a more open layout, and a greater use of bespoke storage solutions can refresh the kitchen for changing tastes and new needs.

It’s Time to Start Your Professional Kitchen Remodel Today

At Southern Maryland Kitchen & Bath, our design team understands how difficult investing in a kitchen remodel can be for homeowners. Timing is everything, since a project put off too long can result in a kitchen that lacks functionality, aesthetic appeal, or important safety features.

Our top priority is clear communication with our clients to help them bring their dream kitchens to life with high-quality remodels at the perfect time. Contact our experienced team today to learn if it’s time (or past time) that you have a functional, beautiful new kitchen.

Modern kitchens are no longer purely functional; they have developed into stylish, and often, elaborate focal points of the home. Modern technologies combined with classic design ideas create spaces that are as inviting as they are luxurious and beautiful. In 2025, kitchen designers are adopting cutting-edge materials and concepts while bringing back some traditional elements to communicate the values of modern homeowners.

This guide to kitchen design trends in 2025 examines the modern kitchen as an evolving, dynamic space where designers and homeowners can collaborate on their visions, using natural designs, energy-saving solutions, and minimalistic styles to create elegant, modern kitchens. Consider these factors as inspiration to bring your perfect kitchen to life in 2025.

1. Kitchen Designers and Homeowners Want Sustainability

Sustainability is a continuing design trend in 2025. As the heart of the house, the kitchen has a responsibility to capture this idea; modern designers are using eco-friendly materials and naturalistic designs to create kitchens that feel natural and sustainable.

Kitchen designers flock to eco-friendly alternatives to conventional manufactured materials. Favorites include:

• Stone and reclaimed wood give kitchens a naturalistic feel.
• Bamboo offers a renewable alternative material for countertops and furniture.
• Recycled glass can be used in counters, cabinets, skylights, and backsplashes to reduce industrial waste.

Beautiful bamboo cabinets and floors, or stone backsplashes are not only sustainable material choices, they also add a sense of natural beauty and functionality to the space. The main takeaway for homeowners is that sustainability is a visual commitment to using one’s home to make the world better. The kitchen is the perfect room to turn this idea into a mission statement for the entire house.

2. Smart Technology Adds Convenience While Saving Energy

Modern technology is being used to transform kitchens into more functional, energy-efficient, and user-friendly spaces. The latest smart appliances are made from renewable materials using processes that value low-carbon manufacturing methods, while reducing energy consumption in the home.

Beyond long-term environmental benefits, smart technology is trending in modern kitchens because of the conveniences it can add with features such as:

• Voice-activated appliances and lighting
• Motion-sensor faucets and lights
• Wi-fi-enabled refrigerators and ovens with remote controls
• Automated climate controls

These innovations streamline everyday tasks in modern kitchens while helping homeowners reduce their overall carbon footprint. Experienced designers integrate these features without losing sight of the timeless warmth and charm of the ideal kitchen.

3. Mid-Century Modern is Back in Style

Mid-Century Modern is experiencing a revival in 2025, blending the modern desire for eco-friendliness with simple, timeless designs. Cabinets and other furniture pieces have become less ornate and more minimalistic, favoring clean horizontal lines that exude timeless elegance. For colors, designers are favoring organic tones with splashes of bright accents.

Kitchen designers use natural wood and stone to bring out the simplicity of Mid-Century Modern while dialing back some of its more retro stylings (think multi-colored stick-on tiles from every kitchen in the 50s). Instead, sleek, flat cabinets, open shelving, and stone counters create the classic streamlined edges while opening up the space. The result is a refined, uncluttered, and nostalgic space that remains functional and modern.

4. Natural Light is an Asset in Modern Designs

In a well designed kitchen, natural light is used to tie the modern look together by communicating sustainability, sculpting the areas of focus and function throughout the room, and opening up the space with its bright and welcoming atmosphere. With large windows or doors, modern designers can easily turn the kitchen into a beautiful focal point. Even without them, there are ways to bring natural light into the space to make it seem more spacious and functional than before:

• Expansive glass doors or wall-high windows integrate indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Skylights can make even small kitchen areas seem spacious without sacrificing any privacy.
• Reflective surfaces such as high-gloss stone, tile, and metal materials help designers redistribute natural light to lower lit areas. 

From the floorplan to the choice of materials, modern homeowners and designers look for ways to strategically integrate as much natural light as possible to give kitchens an organic, airy, and grounded feel.

Book a Consultation with Maryland’s Top Kitchen Designers

In 2025, ideal kitchens preserve a naturalistic appeal that has always been at the heart of their design. The designs have also become more sleek and minimalistic, favoring open spaces, clean lines, natural light, and sustainable materials.

At Southern Maryland Kitchen & Bath, our goal is to adapt modern design trends to our client’s visions for their kitchen remodels. While this list of trends provides common principles of modern designs, experienced designers adapt these trends to the qualities and limitations of specific kitchen spaces. Contact our experienced team to learn how we use high-quality materials and modern designs to create modern kitchens of luxury, without losing natural beauty and charm.

Kitchen remodels are detailed projects that require careful planning, including assessments of the structural constraints of the space. Structural integrity is a key factor to consider before, during, and after a kitchen remodel to ensure the project goes smoothly and safely.

Without careful planning, your project could violate building codes, experience costly delays, or fail to structurally support its new additions. This guide addresses how Maryland homeowners can work around the structural constraints of their space when remodeling their kitchen.

Our goal is to help homeowners complete kitchen remodeling projects safely, stay in compliance with codes, and find experienced designers to address structural concerns throughout the entire process.

1. Assess the Foundation

The first step in working around structural constraints is to assess the existing foundation of the kitchen to determine its condition. This will allow your contractors and designers to ensure the stability of the structure while planning the remodel. When working without expert guidance, many DIY remodelers skip this process.

Experienced designers know that the foundation must be thoroughly vetted to ensure that it can withstand the remodel and remain compliant with building codes. This process includes noting which walls are load-bearing and how this could impact the remodel plans. Demolishing a load-bearing wall is dangerous and costly.

Additionally, many walls support plumbing and electrical systems and are difficult or even dangerous to alter. If your plans can not work around the load bearing wall and removal is necessary, an experienced designer will know to enlist a structural engineer for a safe and compliant support beam system.

2. Account for Load-Bearing Structures

In addition to load-bearing walls, your remodel plans should account for other load-bearing structures, such as floor joists. The frame and joists of the kitchen must be strong enough to bear the load of the furniture, counters, and appliances that will be added during the remodel.

This step should include repairing or replacing any joists damaged by rot, water, pests, or age. These repairs must be built into the remodel schedule and budget to ensure safety and compliance before proceeding with the full project.

3. Design for Efficiency

When working within structural constraints, the efficiency of the remodel is just as important as the aesthetics. Designing functional spaces requires careful attention to the intended workflow; in the kitchen this includes the distance between the refrigerator, stove, and sink. The goal of a remodel is to improve the functionality of the space rather than restrict it.

For example, many homeowners add islands to their kitchen designs to create more counter space without changing the walls. However, islands are not ideal for every kitchen and in some cases, they can take up so much floor space that they detract from the intended workflow.

Efficiency should be considered an art rather than a science when kitchen remodeling. This requires the designers and homeowners to collaborate to determine the optimal solution for the dream kitchen and budget.

4. Optimize Storage Space

The structure of the kitchen may restrict its storage capacity, but designers can work around these limitations. Using custom cabinets, islands, and built-in appliances, they can expand storage space and declutter the counters without expensive structural renovations.

Examples of space-saving designs include floor-to-ceiling vertical cabinets, pull-out shelves, toe drawers, built-in appliances, kitchen islands, floating shelves, and lazy Susans. These features can be incorporated into cabinets or built into the walls to save floor and counter space while creating an aesthetically pleasing display.

5. Use Aesthetics to Your Advantage

Strategic stylistic choices can help you achieve your ideal kitchen, even with structural limitations of the space. For example, strategically placed lighting can make a small kitchen feel more spacious while adding functionality by highlighting important workspaces.

Natural light is another important resource for kitchen remodels because it also impacts how large or small the room feels. An experienced designer will know how to utilize natural light to create inviting spaces within your structural limits.

They may employ glazed glass or mirrors to control light or strategically place metal surfaces to distribute it throughout the space. Explore materials like white birch which reflects more light than dark materials; these types of options can make your kitchen feel more spacious.

6. Follow Building Regulations

Everything in your kitchen remodeling project is negotiable except for building regulations and permits, which are needed to guarantee that the project is completed safely. If you plan on changing the structure of the home, including changes to its plumbing and electrical systems, you will need to follow the relevant building codes in your area to ensure compliance.

The permit process is different in each location; find a design company familiar with the permit process in your area to make sure you stay safe and compliant throughout your kitchen remodel.

Book Our Trusted Maryland Kitchen Remodel Experts

At Southern Maryland Kitchen & Bath, we prioritize the needs of each kitchen remodel, including its structural constraints, to deliver dream kitchen designs for our clients. Our experienced team will never employ a one-size-fits-all solution to safety and regulatory compliance. Contact our experienced team today to learn more about the structural constraints in your kitchen and how our designers can help you work around them.

As kitchens have become central hubs for work and socializing, designing them for accessibility has become even more important. Inclusive kitchen remodel designs that accommodate residents of varying ages and abilities improve the comfort and flow of both the kitchen and the home as a whole.

Yet, accessibility is more than an accommodation for people with disabilities. Today, accessibility is a message that communicates comfort and multifunctionality to potential buyers. It defines a homeowner’s priorities, including their devotion to multifunctionality, and how comfortable the kitchen is to use on a daily basis.

When planning a kitchen remodel or even an initial construction, modern homeowners and designers should make accessibility a main priority in their designs. This guide to designing for accessibility will help you create a balanced kitchen that offers multipurpose functions in a modern space while remaining user-friendly to anyone who visits it.

What is Accessibility?

Accessibility implies safety and accommodation. People with variances in mobility, balance, and sight abilities should be able to use a kitchen space comfortably. However, modern kitchen designers also focus on another key area of accessible design: flexibility. Flexible kitchen designers consider every aspect of the space, including the layout, counter height, the location of appliances, and more to create a user-friendly space for everyone, accommodating multiple types of abilities.

Notably, accessibility does not have to come at the expense of style. Professional kitchen remodelers can help you realize your vision for your ideal kitchen while upholding standards of accessibility. They do this by considering the consequences of each design choice in detail.

For example, moving an appliance to a more convenient location changes the way people move through the kitchen. Lowering the height of the countertops may impact the available storage space which may need to be added elsewhere, and so on.

In other words, designers have taken accessibility to new levels in modern kitchen designs. As kitchens have become more multifunctional, accessibility itself has become more flexible, accounting for more design factors in each decision and making important accommodations for users of all abilities.

Key Accessibility Factors to Consider

Modern designers consider key accessibility factors when creating user-friendly kitchens, including:

• Navigation: Navigation, including entryways and throughways, should be adjusted to accommodate different types of users. Modern user-friendly kitchens include enough space to allow wheelchairs to turn, where applicable, and multiple people to enter, use, and exit the kitchen at the same time. 
• Floorspace: Adequate floor space is key to allowing enough room to use appliances and cabinets while keeping the kitchen throughway open. If the kitchen includes an island, there should be at least 3 feet of space around the edge on all sides.
• Countertop and storage space: Countertop and storage space are critical to making kitchens more user-friendly. Pantry shelves should not be placed higher than 3.5 feet to accommodate most users.
• Appliance, sink, and stove location: Appliances should be arranged to encourage ease of use. For example, microwaves should be placed at counter height to make transporting food easier. Stoves should have front controls that are easy to reach and counter space on either side.

Professional designers can go into even greater detail with modern kitchen designs. They consider the locations of outlets, the most likely routes from the sink to the stove, the location of trash cans, and more to create spaces with maximum accessibility.

How to Design a More Accessible Kitchen Remodel

To think like a professional kitchen remodeler, consider these steps to designing a more user-friendly kitchen:

1. Assess Needs: Residents with specific needs should have those needs addressed in their kitchen designs. However, the needs of average users can also be accommodated with user-friendly design choices, such as the locations of appliances, sinks, and outlets.
2. Create a User-Friendly Layout: Floorspace, counter space, shelf height, and flow contribute to the kitchen’s usability. A user-friendly layout has clear paths between key points such as the sink and oven, enough floor space to accommodate multiple users, and room to open and close cabinets and doors without obstructing throughways.
3. Prioritize Safety Features: Professional designers prioritize safety features to make kitchens more user-friendly. Ovens should have forward or side-facing burner controls with clear counter space on either side. Microwaves should be placed at counter height. There should be enough floor space to allow multiple people to use the kitchen without crowding each other.
4. Innovate Storage: Maximizing storage space is a key concern for modern kitchen functionality. Designers can innovate on storage with toe drawers, built-in appliance storage, vertical shelving, and more to make everything easier to store and find.

Book a Consultation with Our Professional Maryland Kitchen Remodelers

Accessibility is a significant factor in the quality of a modern kitchen design. Modern designers can accommodate users of all ability levels and ages, increase the resale value of the house, and improve the comfort of the current residents by prioritizing accessibility.

At Southern Maryland Kitchen & Bath, our team prioritizes usability in kitchen remodels and designs to create spaces that are centerpieces for sociability, usability, and functionality. Contact our experienced team today to learn how our team can bring your dream kitchen to life with user-friendly, multifunctional designs.