The way we design and use our kitchens is changing, with a focus on making spaces more functional and tailored to daily life. According to the 2025 NKBA Kitchen Trends report, beverage centers have become the number-one feature homeowners are incorporating into their kitchens. With their ability to seamlessly blend into cabinetry and their growing popularity as a convenience-boosting hub, it's easy to understand why beverage centers are poised to become a fixture in modern kitchen layouts.
We Love Our Beverage Center, So This is Not Surprising
Dedicated countertops, secondary beverage fridges, and storage spaces designed to serve have surged in popularity for a reason—they're practical and make homeowners feel a bit sophisticated. Truthfully, if you have a dedicated counter space in your kitchen or space to fit a mini fridge, it's easy to assign it the title of "beverage center," but homeowners on the brink of a home remodel are taking it to the next level. A dedicated, intentional beverage space can enhance one's lifestyle. It isn't hard to understand why people are excited to embrace the coffee bar or take their bar cart to the next level:
- Convenient Functionality: Some of the best centers we've seen consider everything: dedicated space to store and chill beverages, undercover fridge drawers, a bonus sink and pot filler (for the coffee maker, because the morning routine is everything), an ice maker, integrated lighting, and even a compact dishwasher.
- Improved Organization: With shelving, adjustable racks, and temperature control options, beverage centers make it simple to organize drinks for the whole family. Designing your own? Plan for your needs. K-Cup storage? Wine racks? Collection of espresso cups? Extra space for your collection of cocktail shakers? Include what you want.
- Highly Integrated: Many modern manufacturers offer panel-ready appliances, a great option for consumers already investing in new cabinetry. ZLINE just introduced a new suite that caught our eye, and it includes new undercounter refrigerator drawers, and the Autograph Edition Touchstone beverage fridge. Both hold more than 150 cans of your favorite beverages, enough to satisfy most parties.
- Adaptability: Whether part of a larger kitchen remodel or a standalone upgrade, when you break it down, creating a dedicated beverage bar is easier than you'd think.
A Hub for Daily Life
More than just a place to store your espresso machine, these fixtures are becoming a functional focal point in the kitchen. Homeowners are using these spaces to enhance their daily routines and enhance their lifestyle.
"I am currently re-designing a new kitchen for myself and am keeping beverages, ice, and all that goes into preparation for entertaining in one area," shared Thom Filicia of Thom Filicia Inc. and NKBA Design Council. "I’m keeping day to day living & eating in another area and food prep in its own area. This makes it easy for all three activities to happen at the same time. Creating these zones is like fitting together puzzle pieces for how you live and entertain."
Imagine starting your morning at a fully-stocked coffee station, with everything from mugs and stirrers to milk and sweeteners stored nearby. In the evening, the space transforms into a cocktail station, complete with chilled glasses, mixers, bar supplies, bottles of wine, and spirits for your favorite drink.
For families, beverage stations simplify the chaos of mealtimes by keeping kids’ drinks cool, and housing juice boxes or sparkling water in an easy-to-access location. Hosting becomes easier too, because guests can help themselves to a chilled drink without needing to rummage through the main fridge.
Temporary Trend, or Here to Stay?
The 2025 NKBA report predicts that 75% of new kitchen layouts over the next three years will include a dedicated beverage center. This stat exceeds kitchen designs that are expected to include an island or secondary island (67%), and eat-in kitchens (64%). Together, it highlights the growing shift toward multi-functional, streamlined kitchen space.
What’s particularly appealing about beverage centers is their versatility. They can be incorporated into a variety of spaces, whether as part of a built-in kitchen bar or alongside cabinet storage in smaller kitchens. As homeowners move away from traditional dining rooms that traditionally may have housed a bar or wine storage, beverage centers are helping kitchens evolve into true gathering spaces.
With their sleek, customizable appearance and undeniable convenience, we think they're more than just a passing trend. They represent a shift in how we think about kitchen functionality and home living, proving that thoughtful design can enhance both form and function.
