2012 National Kitchen and Bath Association Trend Spotter

More and more opinions constantly roll through for trending and spotting interior design materials and colors. I, of course, keep my ear on all streams of information. The National Kitchen and Bath Association, NKBA, has become a valuable resource for both professionals and consumers and is one of the more reliable sources I look to for what’s new and hot.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association, (NKBA), is a non-profit trade association that promotes the professionalism of the kitchen and bath industry. Established in 1963 as a network of kitchen dealers, it has grown into the premier association of distributors, retailers, remodelers, manufacturers, fabricators, installers, designers, and other professionals. The NKBA’s certification program emphasizes continuing education and career development and includes designers and professionals in all segments of the kitchen and bath industry. 

These trends are specified by reports and studies identified by NKBA member designers as we continue to roll ahead into 2012. Listed here are the first 5 out of NKBA’s top 10 trends for 2012.

CHERRY WOOD IN DECLINE.  

·        Cherry wood has consistently been the first or second most popular type of wood for cabinetry, vying for the top spot with maple each year. However, we are now slowly shifting away from Cherry.

So what are we moving toward? More Walnut, still Maple and surprisingly Oak has had a strong resurgence.

Plain and Fancy Cabinetry - All Walnut in Cocoa

DARKER FINISHES.

The species of wood  has to lead us into colors and finishes. Natural or neutral kitchen cabinetry continues a steady move toward darker finishes. However, you will see the darker finish usually combined with aluminum and multi -faceted glass door fronts. 

White finishes yes, are still being shown. these are frequently combined with a splash of color on drawer or door fronts and even colored glass fronts. Dark stains like cocoa or wenge and high gloss enamel paints are the choice of finish used today in renovations and new construction moving forward through 2012.

Modern Kitchen from Caesarstone Galleries

GLASS BACKSPLASHES.
Glass in so many ways continues to come on strong in 2012. Although it is a niche material for kitchen countertops, it has recently been used by more than half of kitchen designers as a backsplash material either in tiles or full sheets. Glass as a backsplash has risen from 41% to 52% just in this past year according to NKBA. 
It only trails natural stone, ceramic and porcelain tile by 8%. Ceramic tile for backsplashes however, are now on the decline. 

An ultra modern kitchen by Caesarston Galleries. Glass backsplash in a full sheet behind range.

POLISHED CHROME.

Supplemented by brushed metal finishes like satin nickel and stainless steel, polished chrome is staging a comeback; yes, really. In kitchens, polished chrome is up from 34% to 52%specified by NKBA designers and in bathrooms, up from 46% to 65%.

SHADES OF GRAY.

I continue to agree, notice and quote the ever popular use of gray in 2012 and beyond. NKBA study concluded that gray used as the overall color scheme in kitchens doubled last year and doubled again this year. Same holds true for bathrooms; dramatically jumping from 12% (2010) to 21% to 40% in bathroom remodels in 2012. 

Gray creates a beautiful backdrop for artwork and any color combination of your choice. 

Photo from the Classic Gallery by Caesarstone.

Coming in next week's blog are the remaining 5 trend spotters of NKBA's 10 picks for 2012. Can you guess what they are? Stay tuned. 

Division of Design

What can this possibly mean?

You’ve heard it before. Retold in so many ways. So why would I choose to bring up this age old adage again…because. Because it is probably is the single most important factor in your design life.

Design is in the Details deserves continuous mention.

Division of Design  means, if you divide all the small details that go into designing a home or a single room, all those small divided details become the whole design...’the essence of the entire design.’ 

THE NEW traditionalists. Cushion and seatback are upholstered with a scarlet saffron wool milled in one of the finest Scottish mills that remains today. Texture is added to the outer frame and welt with the use of a laser cut leather in Dolphin.  Exposed wood frame features a hand applied smoked grey finish on maple.

 

It’s not just the BIG things you see in a room, or in your life for that matter, that count. It’s all those little things that mean so much more than we give them credit for. One rose for no special occasion can mean more than 2 dozen on Valentine’s day.

It's not enough to finish the checklist, to hurriedly do the last three steps and declare victory.

Some have asked me, ‘Why do you obsess for hours over the perfect cabinet knob?  How on earth do you make a living doing that?’  I say, ‘How on earth can I not!’ 

THE NEW traditionalist: Side Table made from Maple sourced from New England and the Mid Atlantic. Shown in a hand applied Classic Glaze Chili with Black frame and Cerise Red upholstered drawer face with black nickel hardware.

 

As always, I continue to compare and reflect upon how facets of design are akin to our human existence. The world is full of billions of people…each with a division of details that make all of us unique in our own way. Even our bodies are not perfectly symmetrical; the left and right sides of the human body are not a mirror image of each feature, whether one ear is larger than the other, one brow raised slightly higher, or one leg is a quarter-inch longer than the other.

THE NEW traditionalist: Side Table made from Maple sourced from New England and the Mid Atlantic. Shown in ahand applied Worn Lacquer Silver and Onyx with Kelly Green Laser Cut Leatheraccent.

So why would I not approach interior design the same way? Each and every individual detail of the room or home is unique as its own feature. Yet when properly balanced by scale, color, and proportion, the design creates the perfect image as a greater part of the whole. Even the grout color works to emphasize the appearance of tile. How often I’ve heard; ‘We couldn’t have known how the wrong grout color would so dreadfully affect the result of our tile floor”.  

The Ovale Mosaic fromthe Musee collection features: Crema Marfil, Thassos, and ChinaBlack in handmade stone tessera.  Photo courtesy of: Artistic Tile

In fact, the last coat of polish and the unhurried delivery of worthwhile work is valued all out of proportion to the total amount of effort you put into the entire project. 

Creating the Ambra Collection. Truly an Art Form. Photo Courtesy of Artistic Tile

The details are not the details. They make the design.
                                                                                                        -Charles Eames

 Al fine!