Neither Open Nor Closed: The Hidden Kitchen Is the New Trend to Hide the Kitchen Nook in the Living Room
Every fall, the world of interior design wonders about the trends for the year ahead. According to experts from the media Apartment Therapy, certain kitchen layouts will be forgotten starting next year. In 2026, designers are betting on living spaces that are more functional, where technology, sociability, and design meet. Among the major trends spotted, one stands out brightly: the hidden kitchen.
The kitchen undergoes a new look in 2027
In 2027, the kitchen breaks free from traditional codes. According to the interior designers surveyed, furniture will don deep hues such as sage green, navy blue or bordeaux. To the great dismay of beige mom, white and beige, too classic, will no longer be in style.
Moreover, as induction cooktops become standard, the kitchen is organized into small zones. People enjoy creating a coffee nook, a breakfast area… we chop! Behind this apparent bustle, a small revolution is brewing. It is shaking up how we entertain, how we organize, and even how we think about space. It’s an unexpected comeback, rooted in the past… A closer look at the hidden kitchen.
The hidden kitchen, or the secret of the most elegant decorations
Born in the Middle Ages and popularized under the name butler’s pantry, this room adjoining the main kitchen is resurfacing. For Ashley Macuga, a designer at Collected Interiors, this renewal is not at all surprising. “With open interiors, many want a kitchen that is immaculate at all times”, she explains. The small hidden kitchen thus becomes an invisible, yet essential to the home.
Of course, it isn’t accessible to everyone. It requires having a small room behind the kitchen to set it up, or the ability to expand. You get the idea: you cook there, you store there, and you clean there without ever disturbing the aesthetics of the main living space. In this hidden kitchen, dirty dishes disappear, robots go quiet, and pots stack away from sight. The space allows large family kitchens to stay ready to be photographed, even during a home-cooked dinner.
A kitchen that reconciles style and practicality
This concept, once reserved for grand homes and bourgeois families, now adapts to modern houses that prioritize flow. The idea is to create a double and functional space. Thus, according to experts, the 2027 kitchen will not only be beautiful to look at, it will also be designed for living, entertaining, and taking a breath.
These days, hidden kitchens have mainly developed in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. On social media, one sees more and more large, open, impeccably organized kitchens that actually conceal a small room at the back, dedicated to meal preparation and household chores. Quite enough to inspire a rethink of your own kitchen, right?
