Kitchen Trends 2010 (NKBA)

Design trends ebb and flow. The popularity of kitchen styles isn't subject to sudden, dynamic shifts, so when the National Kitchen and Bath Association reveals the results of its annual Design Trend Survey we designers don't expect to fall off of our swivel chairs in amazement. But we do pay attention.

Fieldstone Cabinetry featuring Shaker doorstyle inset into traditional face-frame. Hardwood floors and dishwasher drawers are riding a wave of popularity also. 

This is a national survey of Kitchen Designers, so allowance has to be made for regional tastes. What most appeals to folks on the East Coast often differs from what is desired in the Pacific Northwest. Architectural styles vary from one place to another. Vacation homes may require a different aesthetic appropriate to their settings.

Overall trends are useful to track, if only to reassure timid homeowners that the choices they favor will maintain value for the foreseeable future. Here are some of the NKBA's expectations for 2010:

Traditional cabinetry styles will continue to be most popular;  Contemporary style will be a close second.

Shaker is making a strong resurgence in popularity.

Cherry is the most favored wood species;  next is Maple;  Alder is trending upward on the list.

Medium to Dark stains and glazes are prevailing over lighter, natural finishes.

White and Off-White shades are still the major fave in painted cabinetry. Aside from beige and brown tones, other colors are on the decline, as are distressed finishes.

Hardwood is, more than ever, the lead flooring choice, followed by ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tile.

Granite is still in highest favor for countertops, but (and this excites me enough to do a happy spin in my swivel chair!) quartz is expected to "nearly catch up" in popularity. Backsplashes will mostly be adorned in tile, including ceramic, porcelain and glass.

Cambria Quartz countertops with a glass tile backsplash. Medium stain on cabinetry.

See what national trends the NKBA survey predicts for faucets and appliances in Part 2. Then I will report on how the Pacific Northwest is trending by comparison.

We just wrapped up a Give-Away Contest for a $65 gift certificate to All Modern.

Now to reveal the lucky winner ...

By the way thanks for all your entries...

Also by the way, glad you enjoyed visiting the All Modern website. Isn't it great?!

Oh, right, and the winner, by random integer selection, is...

Alycia Wicker

CONGRATULATIONS!

Alycia is an Interior Designer from Eastvale CA. Visit her cool site Casa Moxie here.

Made You Look! Backsplashes Command Attention

So many elements vie for our attention in a new kitchen but by nature we tend to feel more comfortable and interested when there's a deliberate focal point. Choosing a showy backsplash design for instance, is not just frou-frou; it actually helps to create the mood and gives the eye a context for the rest of the kitchen--perhaps even a theme. The range of creative possibility is truly infinite. Let's just scratch the surface:

Two kitchens that celebrate their place in the world:

The centerpiece of this rustic kitchen is the chiseled granite mountainscape behind the cooktop.

Cabinetry: Moon Woodworking, Bend Oregon

How many islands do you see in this kitchen? I spy...three! This client is a professional baker (lucky me) and her dream kitchen needed a lot of useable counter space. Even in a kitchen loaded with amenities, it's possible to establish a focal point.

The eye naturally travels to the cooking zone at the far end, where it lands happily on a tiled wildlife scene, framed by a gracefully arched light valance.

Cabinetry: Moon Woodworking, Bend OR 

 Photos: Ruettgers Photography

And one that transports us to a distant land:

This gorgeous fused glass mural clearly sets an elegant Tuscan theme.

Courtesy: Designer Glass Mosaics

Some make us stare because they have a bubbly personality:

Eye-catching circular tiles in rich colors are warm, playful and engaging. I am smitten with the Stardust Glass line of recycled glass tiles, crafted in Portland in refreshing colors such as

apple green and rum...

...and tangerine and spritzer

Of course there are other ways to create an engaging point of interest in your kitchen. Look for more to come in the "Made You Look!" series of posts.

Whether it's a tile mural placed dramatically above the range or a lively splash of color along the backsplash, adding an artful feature can say alot about you and about the feeling you want to create when you gather here with your favorite people.

Going Deep in the Laundry Room

As we labored to unload a rented U-Haul on a snowy day four years ago, Darlene Miller delivered a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies and introduced herself as our neighbor.  Little did I know that she would also become a friend, a client, the person who would two years later sell her house to us and my dental hygienist. I know this all sounds off-topic but I am getting to the Laundry Room.

   When Darlene came to me for design help to plan cabinetry for the new home she and her husband Dave were building, she had but one request concerning the laundry space...a drawer with the depth and width to hold her jumbo, economy-sized box of laundry soap. She had planned such a drawer for the last two homes they had built, and loved the convenience so much that it was a top priority for their third house.

   As I mentioned, we bought the house they were vacating and let me tell you, we are happy little clams at the Millers' former address...and I have lived in harmony with Darlene's custom-depth drawer for nearly two years now. Unlike Darlene I am a big fan of liquid laundry soap, and I can testify that my own collection of laundry-time supplies fits her drawer hand-in-glove. In fact this arrangement provides a second deep drawer below the first, a handy spot for pet supplies. In our case: the cat and dog food bins, grooming tools and even the catnip mouse.

   A few specifics to discuss with your cabinet supplier:

• A minimum 36" countertop height will probably be required to achieve optimal drawer depth.  
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  This is one area in which melamine drawer boxes are preferable over wood, for ease of cleaning.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Request full-extension drawer guides, for full use of the drawer from front to back.
  
  
  
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  I like side-mounted drawer guides with adequate load-bearing capacity, for stability.
  
  
  

 This concept has become a trending laundry room option...so much so that matching modular units or "storage towers" are sold as a complement to the Whirlpool and Maytag line-up of front loading washer/dryer combos.