The Latest Trends in Kitchens

Design Details       “The Latest Trends in Kitchens”        by Nancy Barsotti

Continuing my report from the KBIS show in Chicago, the trends in kitchens are sleek designs, stainless appliances, contemporary cabinetry and “attention to detail.”   By definition, it’s all the little things in conveniences, organization of workflow and style that count.

All the major companies – Delta, Hansgrohe and Kohler - featured the sink faucet with “touch technology”.  As I said when they were first introduced a few years ago “What took them so long?”  It’s a wonderful idea when your hands are covered in food stuffs to just touch the faucet and out flows the water, also at a pre-set temperature.

Rev-a-Shelf make makes everything that goes into cabinet interiors.  With Blum’s “Servo-Drive” glides they have added a similar technology to just bump the front of the door for automatic opening, especially easy access to the waste and recycling bins.  Their “Orga-Line” features adjustable organization systems for drawers.

The trend in sinks is the larger, the better, especially since restaurant–sized cookware is so popular.  Stainless steel sinks by Daum featured built-in holders for soap, sponges and brushes.  For a more traditional or country look, Thompson Trader’s copper sinks were outstanding.

Decorative hardware can transform the look of even the most ordinary of cabinets. No matter your décor style, there are lots of choices – every finish, every color, plain to finely carved detail and even with crystal and jewels. A new resource I found is Schaub. Their hardware of solid brass included all of the above choices and even artful designs of fish, animals, grapes and natural stone.   Most of these are really well crafted alternatives to the same-old things you see in the big box stores.

Countertop materials ran the gamut too – stone-like textured laminates, quartz from Cambria, Vermont Quarries selections of white marbles, granites, Boos’ butcher block and Vetrazzo’s recycled glass.  There are stylish alternative for every installation and budget.  Just consider the use in your kitchen and maintenance when making your selection.

Appliances continue to have a more “commercial” design, especially in the stainless finish.  But most companies offer designs scaled to the regular sized home kitchen.  Dacor featured some color choices besides stainless such as Blue Water or Slate Green for the fronts of their ovens. GE Monogram has recently introduced a 30” wide refrigerator/freezer, similar to Liebherr’s fully integrated model.    Sub Zero has individual columns, 24” wide, of refrigerators or freezers

The latest cook-top surface is induction, which I recently saw demonstrated in GE’s Monogram test kitchen in New York.  The flat surface heats and then cools-off very quickly and is temperature-specific to the size of the pan.  No kitchen is complete without a microwave, convection and high-speed oven combination as well.  Wine refrigerators, built-in icemakers and water coolers are the latest must-haves in the ever-expanding design world of kitchens.

As I always say to my clients when they are contemplating a kitchen or bath renovation, “the sky is the limit.”  One has to set their priorities before being carried away with all the products and gadgets that the manufacturers continue to develop.