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Customers dictate the kitchen trends that stick

It’s a good day when an order comes in that you can fill with your eyes closed. You’ve stocked the color; and you’ve perfected that special finish—you know exactly what they want. On top of the trend, you’ve enabled your team to respond quickly and satisfy another client. Being prepared and in-the-know limits frustration on both sides while it keeps the business profitable.

Trends repeat group collective thinking. Therefore they represent a pretty good bet on the future of a market. You can bank on certain trends; lose on others. But ignoring these swings is a rejection of what customers want and that can be disastrous. Consider trends carefully. Keep your eyes wide open.

A designer’s take on “Kitchen trends”

Recently, I reviewed “Kitchen Trends” a report produced by Becker Acroma. It was dated December 2011 so I wanted to see if the marketplace was agreeing with their observations and predictions almost a year later. To do this I called upon Julie O’Brien, a very respected, very successful interior designer who targets the high-end, custom residential market. Her practice spans over two decades and she now works from Julie O’Brien Design Group offices in Carmel (Ind.) and Chicago.

(Julie did not see the actual report so I take some liberties to combine some of her thoughts directly against text I pulled verbatim from the “Kitchen Trends.”)

Kitchen Trends—Summary

Kitchens take on the look and feel of the living room as a part of the continuation of open-plan living. By 2020 the dining room will disappear, followed by the living room, then the utility room—placing more importance on kitchen design.

Julie O’Brien

“Indeed. The kitchen, dining and family room have been morphing into a single space. The kitchen is, therefore, always on display as part of the visual landscape. Much like furnishings it is now more susceptible to changes of taste in the marketplace. While new innovations have always affected kitchen design, now and in the future, kitchens are a more integral part of the overall design of the space and will need to be updated with the same regularity as other design elements of the home.”

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Kitchen Trends—Seeing RED

In case you haven’t noticed there’s been an influx of vivid Crimson and Vermillion in recent kitchen designs. Shades of RED are being used not only as accent colors but also as major color schemes in large proportions. Backdrops of gray and additions of black pair perfectly with reds, particularly ultra-glossy reds.

Julie O’Brien

“Red, but probably more orange—it’s more contemporary. Red is a more difficult choice for the homeowner for fears of actually living with it for very long.”

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Kitchen Trends—Anything Goes

Contemporary, modern and eclectic design styles grow at the expense of traditional styles according to our analysis of kitchen images found in the newly launched HOUZZ application and website. There are no hard and fast rules with kitchen design; a refreshing movement is shaping up. Shaker and Cottage styles continue to resonate with the consumer; defined by simple lines and casual finish offerings. A mix-and-match approach allows for incredibly innovative and unique solutions for the evolving kitchen.

Julie O’Brien

“We’ve moved off aiming for traditional almost entirely. When the dust settles, clients are often very comfortable with a transitional design which is essentially a much sleeker traditional. Those who want contemporary are more extreme contemporary and tend to want it big and strong—a definite shift. There will always be a small amount of demand from the purist who wants Americana styles but I would not call it a trend at the moment.”

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Kitchen Trends—Gray Matters

Dark stained finishes continue to be most popular among industry professionals, while white painted and medium stains are vying for second place. Glazes, though decreasing in popularity, are still specified by kitchen designers followed by colored paints and light colored stains. Distressing techniques continue; but are subtler and not as popular as the aforementioned offerings. Look for driftwood grays to increase their presence.

Julie O’Brien

“The big change, or trend if you want, is the move to cool neutrals. Those hard to identify colors except to say they’re neutral in hue. Of course neutrals have always been popular but now they’re shifting from warm to cool tones. That creates a ripple effect because the cooler tones accept colors like the blues or purple and purple-gray. We’ve seen the blacks and browns emerge over the past 10 years in furnishings, now you see it in more permanent materials and finishes. I think the aging and distressing look has earned its place but the trend has passed in favor of more lighter, cleaner lines and finishes.”

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Kitchen Trends—Color

• Brooding blacks and tree bark browns 
• Color blocking 
• Blues and cool neutrals 
• Gray as a backdrop on walls and cabinets 
• Warm neutrals anchored by mocha and golden sienna 
• White on cabinetry and walls for a modern vibe

Julie O’Brien

“White kitchens are big. Again, I think the real trend here is the response to fussy, traditional design and the strength of contemporary and transitional choices.”

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Kitchen Trends—Material

• Swirled marble 
• Aged metals patina effects and hammered 
• Brass enters with hints of warm and aged gold’s 
• Alternative solid surfaces vs. granite 
• Seamless surface 
• Molded plastic plumbing fixture emerge 
• Embedded lighting for drama and surprise elements

Julie O’Brien

“We’re moving away from rustic stones to crisper floors including porcelain and marble. Calacatta marble—white with gray and gold veins—white and clear glass tiles … they’re very hot right now.”

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Kitchen Trends—Finishes

• Ultra high gloss especially in reds 
• Driftwood grays continue to gain momentum on cabinetry 
• Satin nickel increases as brushed nickel declines 
• Painted whites on wood 
• Clean mid-tones with a nod to lighter stains

Julie O’Brien

“Metal finishes are moving away from the bronze tones; and the cooler silver, pewter and nickel finishes have been gaining popularity for some time. But now, gold—not the real stuff—is showing up again and this includes brass.”

What drives a customer’s selection?

Any number of things can factor into the choice of color, finish and material. Faucets and basins for example can drive a design thru to finished project. “Lots of homeowners will start thinking about design only after being emotionally inspired by a single piece of the puzzle—like a fixture design or a color. The homeowner will hold onto it as a focal point rather than think of the bigger picture,” O’Brien says.

A designer will accept their clients’ inspiration but then consider a whole host of other factors including the rest of the house; the budget; practicality and of course trend. When homeowners, on the other hand, take on the design they tend to opt for a safer route. White cabinets, for example, make it easier to understand how everything else will come together. “There are lots of parts to consider.”

INSIGHT:

“Kitchen trends parallel trends in furnishings, color, fabrics and fixtures. Color trend forecasts, for example, are made on a regular basis—sometimes years in advance of public awareness. But then those trends are continually being amended as reality becomes evident. The public is not 100% foolproof though predictions over the long haul have always been very close. It takes a while to see if the public agrees—and their response is usually an emotional one. Ultimately I think, manufacturers have kept up with the speed of projected adoption”—Julie O’Brien

I welcome your comments, questions or more discussion.

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