Trends Vary

The most frequent question I get is; what are people selecting for their kitchens now?, is white still in? Often they ask this thinking of resale appeal, not that they want to sell their house now, but maybe in a few years they might and they want to enjoy a new kitchen before they sell. 

Trends vary by region. Here are some trends for the New England area;  

Transitional styling is gaining in popularity. People don’t want to be defined by a particular style.  

Contemporary is coming back, but not the style of the twentieth century. Today’s contemporary is simple clean lines incorporating warm wood tones 

Accents of metal such as metal exhaust hoods over ranges, decorative hardware, and floating shelves. 

Floating shelves of any material are often requested, eliminating the bulky look of  wall cabinets when simplicity and clean lines are wanted.  Reclaimed wood is becoming popular for shelves as well as countertops. 

Neutrals dominate (ie white painted cabinets) with pops of color. Think how boring a room can be without some interest.   

Coffee stations and wet bars are frequently requested. Kitchens are still the heart of the home and where much of the entertaining is done. The  desk of the 70s is being replaced with docking and charging stations for all the smart gadgets that are part of our lives now. 

Pet friendly features with designated areas for food and water are part of the kitchen for the family pets. 

New storage accessories such as dish storage drawers, pocket doors, recycling baskets, and lift up doors on wall cabinets add more usable access and convenience to kitchens. 

Lastly, countertop trends. Quartz is now preferable to granite countertops. It is an engineered material that is consistent in pattern and color and requires litle to no maintenance . There is a new product, Dekton by Consentino for countertops, floors, outdoor patios, shower walls, as well as building walls. It is resistant to stains, scratchs, water . Fire, heat  and  cold. It is the ideal product of the 21 st century. 

I have color samples in my showroom and they range from solid colors to wood planks to marble and stone.   

 

  

   

Kitchen Trends

    Let’s discuss kitchen trends. White or off white is still the most popular choice for cabinets. When your cabinets ( the elephant in the room) are a neutral color, they act as a canvas. Adding paint or accessories defines your style and personality.  

    Homeowners in the Northeast with the short dark days of long winter months choose white cabinetry to lighten up their kitchens. Adding more light with bigger windows or more windows is also a trend.  

    An open concept floor plan, with more window space doesn’t allow for much wall space. Pantries are making a comeback to allow for dish and food storage.Grandma did know best. If there is enough space, walk in pantries are the most popular. Food items are displayed on open shelves and dishes are often stored in cabinetry in the pantry. Some pantries are used as dish storage with a sink and dishwasher in them. The kitchen is then used for food preparation, serving and entertaining. With the pantry door closed, the noise and mess is confined and the kitchen is truly part of the family room.  

    Some kitchens are too small to allow for a walk-in pantry. There are several cabinet storage features in today’s kitchen cabinets. Drawers designed to store dishes are replacing wall cabinets. Tall storage cabinets available in different depths are great for dish or food storage. Base cabinets with specialized features for food storage are gaining popularity. 

    Our showroom has many of these features on display and our knowledgeable designers can suggest storage solutions for your floor plan. Even though Frank LLoyd Wright didn’t coin the phrase “Form ever follow function”, it’s truer today with the open concept and bigger windows trend. Good space planning is so important for today’s kitchen.  

    Kitchen remodeling seminar, Saturday, February 13, 2:00-4:00

Trend or Trendy – Trust designers to know the difference

When thinking of remodeling, people always want to know what is trending. Well, grey is the new black and induction cook tops are becoming popular.

Currier Kitchens, Purple shoudl be an accent color

Currier Kitchens of Nashua, NH recommends trusting your kitchen designer to place the colors you want in a way that is in keeping with current trends, yet is not trendy. This homeowner might have been happier for years with accents in purple instead of cabinets.

But, don’t think that you have to follow the trends. Choose colors that feel comfortable to you. That said, you may adore purple, but use it as an accent.

A kitchen remodel should last many years so select cabinets in neutral shades. If you are choosing granite countertops, remember there are stones that have flecks of different colors, even purple.

There is a difference between trends and trendy. Trendy may only last one year or season ie. leisure suits, mood rings, and the ever popular pet rock. Trends can last decades. The kitchen island and universal design are trends that began in the 90’s and are now almost mandatory in new construction.

Professional kitchen designers guide you through your design process. They listen to your preferences, and understand you may want purple. They know where the trends are headed and will help you decide between what is trendy now and what will make your new kitchen investment last for many years.

Can you name any trends and a few things that are trendy now?  Have fun!

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