Traditional, Simple, Multi-functional Top Kitchen Trends In 2010
Most of us consider it the most important room in the house
. The kitchen remains the heart of the home - the hub where meals are prepared, kids do their homework, bills are paid and the family hangs out.
And today's builders are embracing the great room concept in which the kitchen and family room are open to one another. Where someone cooking dinner or doing the dishes can see the family room TV, interact with other members of the family and doesn't feel alone and closed off in the kitchen.
The National Kitchen & Bath Association recently revealed a list of trends it expects to take hold in 2010. Those include:
* Keeping it traditional. Expect to see a lot of whites and off-whites, along with some brown, beige, and bone hues.
* Cherry wood for kitchen cabinetry.
* Ceramic and porcelain tile are still popular, but hardwood will dominate. When it comes to counter tops, granite is king, but quartz is catching up in popularity.
* Faucets will become more user-friendly as pull-outs will gain ground and pot-filler faucets will become more popular. The most common finishes will be brushed nickel, stainless steel, satin nickel, and polished chrome.
* When it comes to refrigerators, French doors and freezer bottoms will be prevalent with an increasing trend in under-counter refrigerator drawers.
* Standard dishwashers will remain a must-have, but dishwashers in drawers will be taking hold this year due to their ability to wash small loads of dishes in each drawer, saving water and electricity.
Meanwhile, kitchen designers gave their take on 2010 trends at January's International Builder's Show. Some things mentioned there include:
* Consolidation. As homeowners downsize, kitchens are working overtime and multi-tasking more than ever. Some of the features that can be consolidated in the kitchen are banquette seating, hideaway laundry appliances, and built-in workspaces where kids can sit close-by and do homework. Homeowners are also opting for side desks in the kitchen where they can pay bills, look up recipes, and check their email, all while dinner is simmering on the stove.
* User-friendly kitchen design. While the Baby Boomers are graying, builders are also acknowledging that people of all shapes and sizes are in the kitchen. So kitchen work surfaces in varying heights and appliances that are easy to reach should gain in popularity. "Whenever possible, it's better to put the microwave in a more accessible position that's easier for kids and others to reach so they are not reaching into the microwave over top of a hot stove," said designer Mary Jo Camp in Builder magazine.
* Simple luxury. Kitchens are becoming more comfortable and luxury is used more sparingly. "Every kitchen should have at least one special design feature," Camp said. Back splashes with an interesting pattern or antique artifact, plate racks, exposed stemware holders and glass cabinet doors are all good examples.
* As kitchens get smaller as builders downsize overall house sizes, they need to be more functional through things like streamlined appliances; skinny, vertical pantries; pull-out cabinets and spice racks.
* Continuing the green path. Buyers want green products, but they also want measurable benefits, so the demand for Energy Star appliances should continue. Reclaimed, recycled and raw materials will continue to do well. "Counter tops (made of recycled aggregate materials) are the number one recycled product in the kitchen," designer Mary Jo Peterson said. Other hot green favorites? Salvaged beams, concrete floors, and concrete block walls.
* New favorites. Quartz and paper composites, glass and stainless steel work surfaces, larger tiles on the floor, chrome fixtures and lightweight hulled concrete are all giving standard favorites like granite counter tops and hardwood floors a run for their money.
* Blue! Representing calm and tranquility, it will be a popular color in the kitchen, will neutral grays, cool browns and pumpkin tones.
And one more surprising tidbit: We'll be seeing more wallpaper.
"We're seeing designs that are very graphic and used as a large-scale feature on accent walls in the living spaces opposite open kitchens," designer Connie Edwards said.
by: Doug Buenz
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