Friends, we wanted to share one last kitchen feature with you within the calendar year and then add another post about what is trending for kitchens and bath into 2026… then we got the green light to go photograph this kitchen in Bettendorf Iowa and realized that it could check both of those boxes! Let’s have a look around this inspiring kitchen design we worked on with Aspen Homes of the Quad Cities.
Quad Cities Kitchen Design That Captures 2026 Trends
There is so much to unpack in this incredible new home kitchen and a LOT of trends that deserve some attention if you are considering a kitchen design in the coming months or even years. Truth is, trends linger a lot longer in our industry because we are talking about permanent decisions and investments in your home, not just accessories or décor. Before we dive into the details of this Quad Cities kitchen design, know that any one of these concepts or materials can be something to inspire your own project with us. A new kitchen or bathroom is not something that you replace often, so trends in our industry come from very deliberate and savvy decision making.
These design and material choices are made between you, your team at Village Home Stores, and your contractor or builder if you are working with one.
Accessible Beige Cabinetry and Strong Supporting Accents
Still offering that main character energy in 2026 is a “not-quite-white” cabinet paint. That is the nickname we gave this category last year for new-neutral painted cabinet finishes in the white and off-white family. Our bestselling option in this realm by a huge margin is the Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige paint. We can now get this painted cabinet finish from most of our cabinet lines, and it is such a stylish main cabinet finish for your project. The perimeter cabinetry in this kitchen feature is from our Wynnbrooke Cabinetry line in their Denali door and that “Accessible Beige” paint.
Because it is not a stark white paint, you can safely pair it with bright white paint elsewhere and it leaves enough contrast that you end up with a result that serves intentional choice, not a mismatched mistake. If you are planning on including white wall paint, trim, or other elements then consider Accessible Beige or another not-quite-white option from our lineup.
Oak Cabinetry
Guess what wood species is still fully seated for the coming years? Oak! Oak woods have been trending for the past few years, and they are gaining nothing but momentum with even more stain options arriving from our cabinetry AND flooring vendors. While the trend began with just light airy natural stains, we are also designing with more medium and moody-medium stained oak finishes. We are even seeing some oak flooring and cabinet styles that could be considered “golden” oak. Is this a blast from the 80’s and 90’s past? Yes! Keep an eye out for oak stains to start to show up in your feeds that are warmer and more golden as well as medium-cool options that keep things light but showcase the grain of the wood.
This featured kitchen keeps things bright and airy with Wynnbrooke’s bestselling White Oak “Sand” stain in that same Denali door for the kitchen island cabinetry and back paneling. We love that this kitchen includes three cabinet finishes. The White Oak adds warmth to the space and pairs so well with the quartzite countertops that wrap around the island.
Moody Painted Cabinet Accents
You know we always must chime in this time of year and remind you that it is always acceptable and encouraged to include some color in your cabinetry. Yes, cabinets are a more permanent investment, but a painted cabinet finishes can truly read neutral once in place. We do still include a lot of painted blue finishes for kitchen and bath projects but this year we have seen more greens pop up in our projects. And a painted green cabinet can make an incredible statement!
All our cabinet lines at Village Home Stores have launched new painted green finish options and this new home kitchen includes one that is sure to prompt a lot of screenshots and saves. The “Shade Grown” painted green is a stunning cabinet finish and looks great paired with all metal hardware accents. Our favorite combination is a deep moody green cabinet and brass hardware shown here. This Bettendorf kitchen includes cabinet hardware in a variety of sizes from our Emtek line. Emtek’s Select Transitional handles are paired with Paxton knobs on some of the doors all in the Satin Brass finish.
Custom Stone Range Hood
Even with that wall of bold green cabinetry, the main focal point of this kitchen is the statement made with stone. Taj Mahal Quartzite has been installed throughout the kitchen for the countertops, backsplash, waterfalling island top, and even the range hood! This stone installation is hypnotizing and breathtaking to see in person.
This Quartzite Taj Mahal material is mined from Brazil, and the natural patterns and layers of textures and tones tell quite a story. It is so easy to get lost in it just staring at any surface in this kitchen. The slabs for this project were selected locally at Epic Stone in Davenport, Iowa and we had Robertsons Manufacturing template, fabricate, and install this kitchen for Aspen Homes. The process to build a safe and secure statement hood was intense but we are so thankful to work with this fab shop to get this finished look.
Tour This Kitchen in Under a Minute
We can’t share only photos of this amazing kitchen design you have to see it in more detail. Take a quiet quick tour of the space in under a minute here:
Pretty gorgeous right? So much inspiration packed into one kitchen. Don’t worry, we will be sharing a bunch of content from this kitchen on all our social channels so you can save, share, and discuss with our team what grabs your attention.
Lighting That Goes from Day to Night
Anyone else remember entire magazine spreads and fashion storytelling that told us we would need to “take a look from day to night” in our adult life? That isn’t exactly a relatable skill needed now that we are all settled into adulthood but reader, I think if that all the time when I visit our Village kitchens. Normally we are stopping by in the daytime, and sometimes I don’t even have to turn on the “big light” or even the secondary lighting to capture the space. But the lighting selections still make a statement and add to the space whether they are off or on. That is why it’s important to invest in great lighting that has great shape and texture for the whole look.
Why choose your lighting for its shape and texture? It’s just for lighting your room, right?... right? Real talk, it isn’t. Yes, your kitchen island lighting will provide light for that island, but so will an entire layout of can lighting, perimeter undercabinet lighting, and surrounding spaces. Plus let’s not forget that so much of the time spent in an open concept kitchen will include daylight hours when you may not need to turn on the lights if there is enough sunlight pouring in. This is the case for both our new home and remodel customers. Most complete remodels in kitchens include a plan for adding more overheard lighting in the form of recess cans, and any new home will already include this layer of lighting on your plan. So, choose decorative lighting that grabs your attention and truly adds to the overall design no matter if the light is off or on. This kitchen includes a pair of “Elliot” pendant lights from our Visual Comfort line, and they look great any time of day. See them features in this other Quad Cities kitchen we shared recently here.
Full Coverage Cabinetry
Of course, there is a continued demand for cabinetry that extends all the way to the ceiling in the kitchen. It is important to mention this among our list of trends because even though it is assumed to be a desire for most of our clients, you do need to be conscious that your cabinet budget needs to reflect an allowance for this added storage space along the perimeter of your kitchen. You are essentially investing in another stacked layer of wall cabinetry and there will be some added cost to that choice. The great news is that this top region of cabinets is usually just cabinet boxes and doors to be purchased, we don’t often add any other special inserts or drawer boxes up there because the area will only be accessed with a stepladder and not an everyday area to access.
It is also important to remember to have a discussion with your designer at Village Home Stores about how you will marry the cabinets to the ceiling. You want to make sure that you have a plan in place for crown molding here and discuss it with whomever is installing your cabinetry and trim. Our remodeling customers also need to understand that many times we will suggest a staked molding option that can help forgive the ceiling dimensions that may change from one side of the wall to the other. Even in new homes, we can see ceiling heights be inconsistent once we reach the final install.
Start Designing Your Own Kitchen With Us
This kitchen doesn’t include every 2026 trend we planned on spotlighting, but it sure does scratch a lot of those itches and emphasizes some general categories to consider when budgeting and planning for your own kitchen design with us. We sold the products and created renderings of the finished spaces for this family so they could see the vision, and we were still delighted at how it all turned out when we saw it in person. We couldn’t believe how gorgeous this new home was when we stopped by and are so thankful we had a chance to share the kitchen with you here. We want to once again thank Aspen Homes and Windmiller Design Build for all their business over the years. While we can’t have a chance to stop by all of them before moving day, we are so grateful we were able to showcase this one. We know it will inspire many others. Ready to start planning your own kitchen or bath with our team? If you are planning on building or remodeling in the Geneseo or Quad Cities area, your first step is to reach out for an appointment. You can call us at (309) 944-1344, use the webchat here on our site, or complete this short form online and a member of our team will be in touch.