10 Trends in Kitchen Design 2011

What’s ‘In’ and ‘Out’ in the Kitchen: 10 Trends to Watch

On March 14, 2011, in Home Trends, by Melissa Tracey

Share|

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Kitchens are going dark, LED lighting is gaining steam, and trash is getting more attention–all are trends in kitchen designs this year, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association, which surveyed 100 designers at the end of 2010 to reveal the hottest kitchen trends. (Last week, we highlighted NKBA’s 4 Bathroom Trends to Watch.)

The following is a list of what’s cooking in kitchen trends for 2011, based on NKBA survey results of which kitchen designs are increasing in demand and which are losing favor.

Maple kitchen; Photo credit: Courtesy of KraftMaid Cabinetry

1. Cabinetry

Gaining steam: Maple cabinetry

Losing steam: Cherry cabinetry (Cherry dominated kitchens in early 2010 but was overtaken by maple cabinetry this year)

Kitchen cabinets in Sonoma Maple, Midnight with Bristol Maple, Pebble; Photo credit: Wellborn Cabinet Inc.

2. Kitchen finishes

Gaining steam: Dark natural finishes; light natural and colored painted finishes also remained fairly common, inching up slightly in use.

Losing steam: Medium natural, glazed, and white painted finishes are on the decline and the use of distressed finishes has dropped significantly in the last year.

Photo credit: Miro Dvorscak

3. Color

Gaining steam: Grays, beiges, and bones

Losing steam: Brown tones, whites, and off-whites

O’Neil Cabinets shaker style; Photo credit: Courtesy of O’Neil Cabinets

4. Design styles

Gaining steam: Shaker style, which is characterized by its simplicity, un-ornamented yet functional, finely crafted style. (Shaker overtook contemporary style this year as the No. 2 most popular kitchen design style). Traditional style remains the most popular kitchen design, although it has dropped slightly in popularity compared to last year.

Losing steam: Contemporary style

Kitchen from Huntwood Cabinets features an island with built-in wine cubbies; Photo credit: Alan Bisson

5. Cabinetry upgrades

Gaining steam: Unchilled wine storage (yet undercounter wine refrigerators are losing favor)

Losing steam: Tall pantries, lazy Susans, appliance garages, and pull-out racks are declining slightly in popularity.

DuPont Corian solid surface in Sorrel; Photo Credit: TC Studios

6. Countertops

Gaining steam: Solid surfaces, a low-maintenance countertop surface, has grown in popularity, but granite and quartz continue to hold dominance. Other countertops surfaces increasing in niche use include butcher block and marble.

Losing steam: Laminate

Liebherr’s 2060 series

7. Refrigerators

Gaining steam: French door and side-by-side refrigerators

Losing steam: Freezer-top refrigerators and freezer-bottom models

Thermador’s Masterpiece Series 36-inch Silver-Mirrored Induction Cooktop; Photo credit: Thermador

8. Cooktops

Gaining steam: Induction cooktops are closing the gap on gas and electric models; double wall ovens are increasing in use.

Losing steam: Gas cooktops are still popular but their use is falling slightly in favor of induction and electric cooktops. Single wall ovens and warming drawers are also on the decline.

Photo credit: Kichler Lighting

9. Lighting

Gaining steam: LED energy-efficient lighting options

Losing steam: Incandescent lighting and CFLs (compact fluorescent lights)

Photo credit: Rev-A-Shelf, LLC

10. Trash

Gaining steam: More designers are taking into account trash considerations in kitchen designs, with trash or recycling pull-outs, garbage disposals, and trash compactors on the rise.

Losing steam: Not considering where the trash goes in the kitchen

Melissa Tracey

Arrange a room

1. Find a focal point -- a fireplace, a large window, or an entertainment center -- and build the furniture design around it. The focal point should be anchored to a wall. Move your furniture away from the walls to create an intimate grouping.
2. Place chairs no more than 8 feet apart to encourage conversation.
3. Position a table within reach of every seating piece. If possible, place a lamp near each seating area.
4. Allow ample legroom by placing the coffee table 14 to 18 inches from the sofa.
5. Choose side tables that are about as tall as the arm of the chair or sofa they are serving.
6. Create traffic lanes that are several feet wide to allow easy movement through the room.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH A "WIDE OPEN" FLOOR PLAN OR MULTI-PURPOSE RM

1. Give each area in a multipurpose room a dominant feature. For instance, focus your dining area on a large hutch and your sitting area on an entertainment unit. If possible, place these elements opposite each other to create equal weight in the room.
2. Create a natural divide using furniture placement. Face a sofa or a pair of chairs away from the dining area. Or, use a folding screen to separate the areas.
3. Aim for harmony by balancing two or more smaller items against a large one. Pair chairs and even accessories for balance.
4. Use area rugs to define each grouping.
5. Allow at least 3 feet of space around the dining table to leave room for comfortable sitting, as well as a wide aisle for traffic flow.
6. Clear the entry of furniture, and direct traffic toward the dining and sitting areas.

BEDROOM FURNITURE PLACEMENT

1. Angle furniture to give your room drama: This arrangement works well in rooms with many doors and windows. It also helps cozy up groupings; furniture that's placed around the perimeter often results in arrangements that are too far apart.
2. Anchor the space with an area rug or small runner placed on the same angle to emphasize the diagonal.
3. Pair side tables at each side of the bed to create balance. For a sitting area, position tables at each side of a sofa or between matching chairs.
4. Create traffic options in tight quarters with diagonal furniture placement. This also helps the room appear larger and more complex.
5. Play up the bed as a focal-point. Position baskets, a trunk, or a bench at the foot of the bed. If you don't have a headboard, create one with a folding screen or old shutters.

ACCESSORIZE

When it comes to successful displays of collectibles and accessories, the odds are with you. As a rule, odd numbers of items create more interest than even numbers (things grouped in 3's tend too look great). Likewise, a variety of shapes and sizes catches the eye.

Check out Better Homes and Gardens to Arrange your Room!!
http://arrangearoom.bhg.com/arrangearoom/

We moved into Mobster History

I came across this on you tube and had to laugh! My in laws home is the focus but look closely and you'll see our house right across the street! Yes, my in laws live in Sam Giancanas old home! So, I suppose were not in the "Frank Loyd Wright District" but the "Mobster" District! Great! HA!!!!

Love of Oak Park

Perfect Console Table

traditional buffets and sideboards design by Ballard Designs ....Can you believe this is only $399!! ...Gorgeous piece for the price!

Not So Muddy MudRoom

contemporary entry design by new york interior designer MuseInteriors

Rooms to love 1

traditional entry design....I love this rug (want it for my dining room)! I also like the color of the floors and wainscoting

Furniture placement 3

traditional living room design by chicago interior designer Michael Abrams Limited

Furniture Placement 2

traditional living room design by birmingham interior designer Colleen Price

Furniture placement 1

div>

contemporary living room design by new york interior designer MuseInteriors

breakfast room

traditional dining room design by chicago architect Becker Architects Limited

Beautiful Bathrooms 1

traditional bathroom design by atlanta interior designer Niki Papadopoulos

A Coastal Mud Room

traditional entry design by portland interior designer Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc.

A Kitchen Must Have

traditional kitchen design by san francisco architect Gast Architects

Beautiful Bedrooms 1

traditional bedroom design by atlanta interior designer Janie K. Hirsch, ASID

Entry

traditional entry design by atlanta interior designer Brian Watford ID

Kitchen Island

This is just about the size of island we need in our kitchen! We do have 7 people in this family after all!! We'd have to have at least 5 stools! I can just hear the arguments now.......

Coffered Ceiling

traditional living room design by

American Brass and Crystal

My Perfect Color

Sag Harbor Gray HC-95

http://www.myperfectcolor.com/ Another site to check out! It's the BEST and sooo useful! After you create a free account it allows you to add/delete colors to come up with the perfect color scheme! Thank You myperfectcolor.com!!!

Vision Board: Dining Room

http://youtu.be/03xYzcN90UY

These are the floors I'd like throughout the whole first floor. This alone will have the biggest impact on the space. It will be the canvas in which everything else will "pop"!!

Dining Table from Crate and Barrel. LOVE! I ordinarily don't like things from stores like this but I love the antique farmhouse look (Cheap also) paired with more "fancy" things!

This is the wall color. Benjamin Moore Monroe Bisque..turned out great!

Things I LOVE today........

I'm on the search for the perfect settee!! As I said before I have a love for furniture so don't judge me when I when I go on about the gorgeous shape of this piece. I "need" this because my formal living space is 14'x28'..Very Challenging! I have to make the one space 2 spaces that flow. That's where the settee comes in! It can sit in the middle of both furniture groupings allowing the 2 groupings to feel like one! I desperately need a trip to the furniture mart to find the perfect piece...I just know your out there waiting!!So, we just had the dining room painted. The first step in many to finishing off the space! Above. is EXACTLY what I want on the walls . I have to be patient because when we renovate the kitchen/family rm it will inevitably ruin the walls! Sooo when it's finally done the walls will hopeully look like this. I would like the style of this space (and the house as a whole) to be "Casual Elegance". I just completely made that up but that is what I want the space to be! So, now we have a new definition of style....Casual Elegance!! I LOVE it! Having 5 kiddos I can't have the space be too "elegant"! We NEED causal, easily cleanable elements to all rooms in this home! For example...Gorgeous metallic damask walls paired with an espresso rustic dining table with a bench and chairs w/modern lines but easy washable fabric! More on "Casual Elegane" later...........
I'm LOVING drum lights. I'm a very traditional person at heart so the shape of the drum for me says "modern" but the crystals cascading from the drum are more traditional. Above is an example of the shaded chandeleir in a dining space and of the kind of chairs I'm "loving" right now! Paired with a more dark walnut rustic table (meaning they've already started the scratching process for you, Ha) and an upholstered ,easy to clean, bench makes it more "casual"....for me anyway!

The Lighting Trend:
Well, just about every lighting site you go to says that shaded chandeliers or drum shades are the "hottest" thing in lighting right now! These are VERY expensive (pic above is $2,000) so that scares me a bit to spend so much money on something that is trendy! So, the verdict is out whether I do something more timeless or trendy? What do you think??

Lighting style and finding the right size

traditional kitchen design by

There's a few tricks for choosing the right size decorative fixture. We'll use your dining room for example....If your room is 10x12 your fixture should be about 22" wide (add the dimensions together). Some designers will tell you to use your dining room table as a guide and do about half the width of that. Either way is fine and maybe both is the best way to get the best fit (especially for wide open floor plans)? As for height, your ceilings will play apart in this but remember the bottom of the fixture should be about 36" from the tabletop.