4 Kitchen and Bath Design Trends

by Steve Kleber, president of Kleber & Associates

The recent 2011 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) held in Las Vegas proved spirits are rising and purse strings are loosening a bit. A better turnout than last year, the show exuded enthusiasm and excitement for new design and innovation. We saw design take form in shapes, textures, color and restoration. Functionality and organization also proved to be must-haves in any kitchen and bathroom. Here are four design themes we observed:

Organization Through Design
Since the kitchen and bath are two of the most used rooms of the home, you can understand how organization and design are vital. A trend in organization I noticed was utilizing space to the absolute maximum. Three brands in particular showcased vertical-lifting cabinet doors for both safety and the consideration of space. Each with their own technologies and preference for design, Hafele, Blum and Jay Rambo highlighted their individually unique systems for undercounter and drawer space with dividers, shelving and out-swinging storage. Hafele even had a desk that can be converted to a bed… all without disturbing the items on the desk!

Repurposed Beauty

Truly, one of the most unique products at the show was The Allstone Group’s fossilized wood sinks. These are made from petrified wood, which is transformed into stone with a hardness equivalent to quartz. You need to see these to get the full effect, but the sinks look like a slice of wood cut from a tree on the outside and has a beautiful, smooth stone bowl, yet keeps the unique aesthetic characteristics of wood.

Any wine-lover will swoon over Native Trails’ new Vintners Collection, which takes old wine barrels and repurposes them for sinks and mirrors. Each is unique in its own right, as each barrel still boasts an original wine maker’s stamp and beautiful stains.

Color & Texture
Introducing a new line of Viatera quartz surfaces, LG Hausys showcased the many color options and applications available. These surfaces have more than 90% natural quartz and are a non-porous material, making it more hygienic and stain-resistant. Moreover, LG Hausys is the only company to manufacture both acrylic surfaces and quartz surfaces exclusively in the United States.

Also debuting a new line at KBIS was Rocky Mountain Hardware, which showed off its Textures designer collection of door handles, knobs and push/pull sets. With seven different textures to choose from, this line allows users to mix and match knobs, levers and keyholes for a door set perfectly fitting a desired style.

To spice up a kitchen or bar area, Element Designs displayed its new eluma DecoPanel product, which is textured or decorative glass that is illuminated over a backsplash of seven different colors that can either cycle through or remain one color for complete customization.

Affordable Home Luxury
With outdoor living spaces becoming more popular, DANVER offers everything needed for entertaining and relaxing. DANVER displayed its stainless steel outdoor cabinetry and kitchens, and with warmer weather upon us, it’s a great opportunity to maximize a backyard or patio area with an outdoor kitchen, fire pit or stove. Additionally, DANVER recently began offering an insect-control system, keeping outdoor living areas free of mosquitoes and other pesky bugs.

Moving indoors, Amerec steam showers offer an escape… either to start the day off right or end it on a high note. Rejuvenating, relaxing and therapeutic, Amerec showers can now be enhanced with high-end sound systems – whether they have steam capabilities or not! A new waterproof iPod docking station and remote control puts music at users’ fingertips, all while keeping MP3 equipment safe.

While most appliance manufactures have opted for the Consumer Electronics Show in lieu of KBIS, Dacor recognized the opportunity to show and made a splash with its new Distinctive line, a collection of affordable cooktops, ovens and dishwashers.

Overall, this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show reinforced the notion that the kitchen is the hub of the household, where families gather to celebrate companionship, cuisine, and cutting-edge design.

Check out Steve’s post about the small spaces design trend.