11 Kitchen And Bath Trends For 2010
Las Vegas is gearing up for the International Builder Show starting next week. This morning, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) revealed its top 11 kitchen and bath trends for 2010 - as if most homeowners have the cash to do a gut remodeling of their kitchen and baths this year.
Ah, well, you can always hope.
7 Kitchen Trends for 2010
- Traditional is the New Contemporary. I don't know when traditional-looking kitchens took a back seat to contemporary designs, but according to the NKBA, traditional will continue as the most popular kitchen design style in 2010, with contemporary following closely behind. And for those of you who like the simple life, Shaker style seems to be growing in popularity. And apparently color is out. Shades of whites, off-white, brown, beige, and bone hues will be the most common kitchen colors in 2010.
- Cherry on Top. Cherry will remain the most popular wood for kitchen cabinetry, followed closely by maple. Alder wood will also be used more. Nothing about Bamboo, I'm afraid. So much for sustainability. And, don't even think about painting your cabinetry or using that distressed finish. Homeowners who are going to spend this kind of money want their cabinets looking new, not used.
- Floored by Tile. While ceramic, porcelain tile, and natural stone tile are popular floor options, hardwood floors are continuing to surge. Homeowners haven't tired of granite countertops, and ceramic, porcelain tile, and glass are popular backsplashes. No news here.
- Flexible Faucets. According to the NKBA, standard kitchen faucets will become less standard in 2010 in favor of pull-out faucets. And, builders love to install pot-filler faucets, although as someone who cooks nearly every day of the week, I can't quite figure out why it's so tough to carry a pot of water to the sink. I understand that we're all cooking more, but how many people are making 16 gallons of stock from scratch ever day? Anyway, the faucet material of choice is nickel.
- Undercounter Refrigeration. French door and freezer-bottom are the two most popular styles of refrigerators. NKBA reports that more designers are using undercounter refrigerator drawers, and half of all kitchen designers incorporated undercounter wine refrigerators. Go ahead, pop the cork!
- A Range of Cooking Options. Gas is more popular than electric when it comes to stoves, but induction cooking is gathering steam due to its energy efficiency. Personally, I like to cook with gas and bake with electricity.
- Dishwasher-in-a-Drawer. Standard dishwashers, with the traditional door that pulls from the top down, will once again be easily the most common type sold in 2010. NKBA reports that more dishwasher drawers will be installed in kitchens for their convenience and their ability to wash small loads of dishes in each drawer, thereby saving water and electricity. And what about saving time? Have you seen the ads that suggest you never actually have to empty the dishwasher? Just set the table from the drawer and be done with it.
4 Bathroom Trends for 2010
- In With the Old, Out with the New. Bathrooms will apparently match the kitchen, according to the NKBA. Look for traditional styles and an absence of all color.
- Ceramic and Granite. Ceramic, porcelain tile, and natural stone will be the dominant materials in bathrooms this year.
- Simple Fixtures with Almost No Color. In times of trouble, white becomes the dominant color for bathrooms because everything goes with it - or at least that's the thinking. Look for white, bisque and off-white and simple undermount sinks.
- A Nickel for Every Finish. The most popular faucet finishes this year will be brushed nickel (doesn't show fingerprints or scratches), polished chrome, satin nickel, bronze and stainless steel.
