What’s in and what’s out for kitchens and baths

A big part of homeownership is keeping your home updated, so it’s important to know what trends are upcoming–and what’s becoming outdated.

This is especially true when remodeling your home. You don’t want to make choices that will be obsolete within the next year or two! To help you stay in the know, we’ve compiled notes from local experts on what kitchen and bath trends are going to be big in 2015…and what 2014 trends are on their way out.
 

Shower or Bath?

A hot bubble bath or being massaged by a jetted tub has long been a way to indulge in a relaxing, spa-like environment. But today, showers have become the new bubble bath, with a variety of showerheads as well as steam-, light- and aromatherapy options available.
“You still need at least one tub in the home for the little ones,” notes Robin Lamonte with Rooms Revamped, adding that if you must have a tub for yourself or for resale value, choose a freestanding tub. She explains that the new trend is, “large walk-in showers with a built-in bench and two showerheads, one handheld.”

You should note that this does not mean spa-like baths are a dying trend (in fact, the opposite is true). Instead, it’s the type of spa-like amenities that are changing. “What’s out for baths are spaces where you just use the facilities,” says Bridgit L. Taylor with BTaylored Designs. “What’s in is a place where you can unwind and relax for hours with all of the amenities of a luxury hotel—soft area rugs, luxurious towels, ottomans to place a nice robe, etc.”

David Drexler from Drexler Shower Door sees 2015 as a year for curbless showers, along with antique mirrors. “I would also say that brass hardware may be making a comeback,” he adds, “especially unlacquered brass.”

Color Me Chic

The easiest way to update a room is to paint the walls a new color—the same is true for kitchens and baths. For 2015, bathroom colors are trending away from neutrals and toward a richer hue. “While earth tones are subtly working their way out, golds are making an entrance in a new, fresh way,” says Michelle Fee with Change Your Bathroom. 

For the kitchen, paint colors themselves are a trend for 2015. Chelsey Wynn with Wellborn Cabinet notes that the most common paint colors for cabinetry will be whites and other neutrals, such as gray. Taylor agrees: “Clutter and dark kitchens are out. What’s in is clean lines, painted cabinetry and airy and bright spaces that make anyone want to be in a kitchen, preparing a meal or socializing with friends and family.” 

In addition to the neutral tones for painted cabinets, Wynn says that homeowners also want splashes of color on their cabinets to serve as an accent piece in the room. Brittany Gardner, a certified kitchen designer and registered interior designer with the Georgia chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, notes that another trend is two-toned cabinetry, where the upper cabinets are a different color than the base cabinets.

Backsplashes have long been the area where homeowners can add a bit of pizzazz and personality to the kitchen, and Drexler sees this continuing in a new way: back-painted glass backsplashes, where the paint color shows through the transparent glass.

Gardner notes that mixing materials and textures will also be a big trend for kitchen and bath walls in 2015, combining “stones, metals, fabrics/wallpaper and styles (traditional and modern) of cabinets and lighting,” she says. 

Cabinet Changes

“Kitchen design is still heading in the direction of transitional,” Wynn says. This means cabinetry is trending toward simple, clean lines and away from door styles with a lot of mouldings and embellishments, although Wynn won’t say traditional styling is on its way out. “’Out’ is not a term that we use because there are still people that are in the market for traditional kitchens,” she explains. This is especially true among Southerners, though many are discovering that the trend of glass-front doors is not the way to go.

“Our clients realize they don’t have enough nice stuff to display,” Lamonte says. This speaks to the focus on function (rather than pure style or display) in kitchens, which was a trend for 2014 and will continue into 2015. Look for cabinets with built-in electronic charging areas and other customized storage. “Pots and pan drawers,” Lamonte forecasts, “and lots of pullouts!”

Zone Design

Traditionally, kitchens are designed with a triangle in mind: one point is the stovetop, the second is the refrigerator and the third is the sink—the three most-used items in a kitchen. However, beginning in 2014 and moving into 2015, kitchen designers are using a different approach: the zone design. “Zone design is the process of grouping together kitchen activities to better fit the need of the clients—multiple cooks, kid’s activities, etc.,” Gardner explains.

“Instead of just focusing on the range, refrigerator and sink (triangle design), the zone design approach focuses on the kitchen as a whole, from the new appliances and plumbing fixtures to the activities now taking place in the kitchen: homework, charging gadgets and entertaining.” She adds that the primary zones are still based off of the triangle method—prep, cooking and cleaning—but there are also auxiliary zones for things like baking and beverage and communication centers. “Designers can tailor the kitchen to the client’s needs by combining zones and eliminating ones that do not fit their lifestyle.” 

Quick List of 2015 Trends
How many of these are you going to incorporate in your own kitchen or bath renovation?

• Stacked cabinets to the ceiling

• Professional appliances

• Painted finishes: grays, whites/off-whites, beiges and taupe

• Master baths without tubs (if there’s a tub in another bathroom)

• Customized storage (pullouts, wine, charging areas)

• Floating cabinets

• Open shelving

• Built-in/Integrated appliances

• Large walk-in showers (spa-like!)

• Mixed materials and textures (mixing stones, metals, fabrics/wallpaper and styles like tradition and modern) 

• Two tones (different color upper cabinets, for example)

This list is courtesy of Brittany Gardner, the NKBA Georgia Chapter President Elect 2015-2017. [embed:fc:field_portfolio:1443:fc_portfolio_node_embed]