We Predict: The Kitchen Hearth Trend

In our time together at Feather & Nest, there have been several occasions where we have looked at each other and said, “We called that!” So we are calling this one, out loud, to you. Do you think we’re right?

Celebrating the Heart of the Home

We are predicting a trend that includes the return of the kitchen hearth, in an eat-in kitchen environment, with a comfortable and intimate lounging area. So take the great room concept (huge living room, kitchen and dining room, all open) and shrink it, almost eliminating the living room. And add a wood burning fireplace and patio. In our concept, the essentials would be:

1. an open kitchen

2. a dining room table and chairs in the open kitchen (eliminating the kitchen island, in most cases)

3. a wood burning fireplace and hearth near the dining table

4. a comfortable, intimate seating area near the fireplace

5. and the elimination of the large living room but the addition of French doors near the hearth to fling open to a veranda or patio when the area gets too warm or additional space is needed for guests

We have rounded up some visually stunning kitchens to illustrate our prediction. While all beautiful, they each miss at least one of our essentials. (If we could find perfect examples, we wouldn’t be making much of a trend prediction! ) If this concept is already taking root anywhere, it’s probably in Belgium. They really know what they are doing over there with kitchen design.

This is the very closest we can find for you to visualize our trend concept. (via Hedrich Blessing Photographers) Beautiful, right? Wouldn’t you want to snuggle in by the fire while your husband cooks? Or entertain with everyone gathered around instead of fighting over your three bar stools? The missing component here is a more comfortable seating area by the fireplace… just one or two more chairs or a sofa that feel like this:

via Cottage Haven Interiors

The next four examples, gorgeous in and of themselves, have the eat-in kitchen and fireplace. But as part of our trend prediction, they are missing the intimate seating area and the configuration to have it.

via Design Crisis

via high Street Market

via Home Bunch

via Modern Country Style

The following beautiful examples have the eat-in kitchen but are missing the hearth and the intimate seating area, at least as far as the eye can see in these angles.

via cococozy

via VT Interiors

via Haus Design

via Casa Sugar

via Cal Finder

via Things That Inspire

Are we on to something? You heard it here.

“You may be wrong, for all I know, but you may be right.” -Billy Joel

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