Few remodeling projects have a bigger impact on your Long Island home’s overall style and functionality than a well-executed kitchen renovation. A kitchen makeover gives you the chance to update the room to fit your lifestyle and to infuse the space with a fresh and fashionable look. No one wants to fall victim to a passing fad, however. These seven top kitchen remodeling trends have staying power, ensuring that your new kitchen will look on-trend and stylish for years to come.

1. Style Choices: Making the Transition

According to the latest trend survey conducted by the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the transitional style is now the most popular choice for kitchen design. The transitional style marries the clean, minimalist look of modernism with the welcoming warmth of traditional kitchen designs. It’s a look that gives you the freedom to express your personality without feeling bound by any single decorative style.

2. Smart, Energy-Efficient Appliances

From refrigerators with digital screens that display the current temperature to smooth-top ranges with lights that alert you when the surface is hot, kitchen appliances have never been smarter or more energy-efficient. Avoid cutting-edge technologies that push up costs without adding convenience, however. A dishwasher with a half-load option, for example, will likely operate more efficiently than a trendy dishwasher drawer.

3. Fabulous Faucets

Whether it’s a faucet that turns on at the touch of your wrist or a pot-filler installed next to a cooktop, there’s never been more options for fashionable and functional faucets than now. Gooseneck models equipped with pull-out sprayers make it easy to fill large pots while allowing you to reach every corner of the sink easily. For the ultimate in convenience, it’s hard to beat a hands-free faucet that turns on automatically with a wave of your hand.

4. Clever Custom Cabinets

It’s no wonder that custom cabinetry remains a leading trend in Long Island kitchen remodeling. Whether you’re an avid wine collector, a budding pastry chef or in charge of cooking meals for a large family, custom cabinets let you organize your kitchen according to your specific needs. Your kitchen contractor can also include clever solutions like pull-out drawers for pots and pans, built-in spice racks and drawer organizers.

5. It’s Not a Bar, It’s a Beverage Center

The increasing availability of affordable under-counter ice makers and wine chillers has sparked a hot new trend that shows no sign of slowing down soon. Beverage centers give your family and friends a designated spot where they can grab a can of soda, pour a cup of coffee or mix a cocktail. Mugs and glasses are stored nearby so guests can help themselves to drinks without running interference with the cook.

6. Top-of-the-Line Style

Making your kitchen look less like a laboratory and more like other rooms in your home one of many common kitchen remodeling trends. Start by eliminating that shadowy unused space at the top of wall-hung cabinets. Taking the cabinets all the way to the ceiling not only gives you extra storage space but makes the room look larger and more expansive too. Ask your kitchen contractor about adding a decorative soffit or ceiling molding that will make the cabinets will appear to recede into the wall instead of sticking out of it.

7. LED Lighting

There was a time when a window over the sink and an overhead light fixture were the only sources of light in family kitchens. Under-cabinet lighting and recessed light fixtures changed all that, but they also added changing light bulbs to your list of kitchen chores. With a service life of up to 50,000 hours, LED lighting is an investment that pays off with years of bright and shadow-free illumination for your Long Island kitchen.