Yes, I know that 2010 is 3/4 gone. Sigh. However, I believe these style trends, reported via a poll taken by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), will sail into 2011 as well. We’ll look at kitchens and baths separately and what the NKBA found out from the designers of residential projects.
Kitchens:
- Style– Traditional styles are what 3/4 of the designers polled report as #1 in popularity among clients. Designers also reported that contemporary styling is creeping in.
- Colors– White and off- white kitchens were most popular, certainly in evidence with every design magazine that features kitchens!
-
kitchen courtesy of homes-designing.com Look! A wood floor! - Cabinetry– Cherry is the most popular wood for cabinets (surprising to me if white kitchens are most popular because you don’t paint cherry), with Maple (fine for painted cabinets) and Alder following up.
- Flooring– This surprised me. Hardwood flooring is #1 for kitchens, with ceramic, porcelain, and stone all being popular. I would’ve guessed stone to be more popular than wood!
- Countertops and Backsplashes– Granite is still what most people want but the quartz countertops (Silestone, Cambria, Caesarstone, etc) are becoming more popular. In backsplashes, ceramic and porcelain tile and glass are all the rage.
- Sinks & Faucets– Stainless steel reigns as the #1 sink, followed by porcelain enamel, and copper and fireclay becoming more sought-after. The pull-out type of faucet tops the list and in a brushed nickel finish.
- Appliances– French door refrigerators, and freezer-bottom refrigerators are “in” as well as the standard side-by-side. Individual refrigerator drawers are moving up in popularity as are wine refrigerators.
Under-counter refrigerator drawers, a great idea! Ranges rank #1, but the combination of cooktops and wall ovens are very popular with gas being the most popular fuel. Induction cooking is gaining popularity. (Check out my post on what induction cooking is all about: http://catherineschager.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/introduction-to-induction/ )
- Unusual requests– Designers are being asked more often to design in space for the family dog. It may be a request for a cabinet for the dog’s bed, a drawer at the bottom of a cabinet or bins to hold the dog’s food, but man’s best friend is becoming a consideration when designing the kitchen!
Baths:
- Style– As in kitchens, the designers report that Traditional style is the most requested, followed by Contemporary and Shaker.
Shaker style cabinetry Clients are most often changing their master bathrooms, followed by full baths and powder rooms in that order. Designers are also finding that clients are opting to remove the tub in the master bath in favor of larger walk-in showers. Hmm, something to think about!
- Colors– as with kitchens white and off whites dominate, but shades of beiges and browns made the list as well.
- Flooring- Survey says that ceramic and porcelain tile along with natural stone are requested.
- Countertops– Granite tops the list again followed by quartz, marble and solid surfaces.
- Fixtures– The most popular color (not surprisingly) is white, followed by off white and bisque. Undermount sinks are far and away the #1 choice (95%). The most popular faucet finish is brushed nickel.
So, you might be asking “what does this mean to me?” It’s a good question. I would certainly not recommend printing this off and using it as a shopping list or wish list when designing your kitchen or bath. It’s kind of a leaping-off point. You also have to remember that the NKBA is a national organization and the designers responding to the poll are as likely to be from North Dakota as the North Shore. What’s popular in your area may be very different. You also have to ask yourself the question that we’ve asked ourselves since high school- “Can I be both popular and individual?” I believe you can!