We are getting so excited seeing all the new trends for 2018! One of our favorites is dedicated chopping and baking stations in kitchens. Food prep becomes so much easier with specialized zones and the best part is you don't have to have a huge kitchen to take advantage of this trend. I love baking so this trend speaks to my soul and who doesn't need a spot for food prep?

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We expect to see more mixed materials on kitchen counter-tops and varying heights, creating workstations. We love marble for baking stations as it has a naturally cool surface making it an ideal material for rolling out pastry dough. If your budget doesn't allow for all your counters to be marble, try adding a small baking station with a marble top like the image shown above.

Butcher block has been an ideal surface for chopping for a very long time. Wood pairs so beautifully with natural & engineered stone material such as quartz. Wood requires a little more maintenance so we like to see this material used in pull-out chopping stations like the image shown above.

Mixing various counter-top surfaces can increase your kitchens functionality and create a beautiful design aesthetic. We always recommend marrying form & function in kitchen designs. Counter-tops are usually placed 36 inches high for standard kitchens. We love seeing chopping and baking stations lowered to about 33-34 inches high to make jobs such as chopping and rolling more ergonomic.

Another feature we love seeing is drawers under baking stations that house canisters for frequently used dry ingredients like flour & sugars or tray storage for special bakeware. These little touches can take your standard kitchen for boring to beautiful! Create your own DIY tray storage by placing small tension rods inside your large drawer as dividers. 

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Got any design questions? Send us a message or leave your question in the comments for a chance to get them answered in a blog post and for more inspiration, check out our Pinterest page.

What is your favorite thing to bake? Tell us in the Comments.