Contemporary Kitchens and Bathrooms Surge in Popularity

Below is the latest industry bulletin from the NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association) regarding popularity of products and trends being seen within our business. We agree – we are seeing clients selecting more in the gray and white colors than ever before. In years past, design trends that became popular across most of the U.S. seemed to take forever to become accepted by Midwesterners (Michigan). But with the growth of the internet and the use of social media sites like Houzz and Pinterest, we are starting to see quicker acceptance of design trends than ever before. Clean and contemporary is now very popular, with a neutral color-choice for cabinets and a “design statement” selection for backsplash and accessories to carry the color and the design theme. Something that is very amusing to us – floating vanities are coming back into style. For years, clients all wanted the “furniture piece” vanity – now they want the vanity that floats on the wall – a much more contemporary style change.Kurtis Kitchen & BathAccording to the 2015 Kitchen & Bath Design Trends report from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), transitional styles are most popular in kitchens, with contemporary not far behind. Transitional and contemporary are tied for most popular bathroom styles. The top 10 overall kitchen design trends NKBA expects for 2015 include:

• Clean with an overall contemporary feeling
• European-styled cabinets
• Multiples of appliances in one kitchen
• The rise of steam ovens
• Furniture-look pieces
• Outdoor kitchens
• Fewer standard kitchen tables, replaced by counters or tall gathering tables
• TVs and docking stations
• Wine refrigerators
• Focus on the user experience, from easy maintenance to accessible design

For the bathroom, NKBA cites these top 10 trends:

• Clean, white, contemporary designs
• Floating vanities
• Open shelving
• Electric heated floors
• Purple haze
• Trough sinks
• User experience (ease of use and maintenance) and accessibility
• Amenities
• Innovative storage
• Showers and freestanding tubs

White is the most common color scheme for both kitchens and bathrooms. Designers reported that kitchens with multiple color schemes are emerging. White and gray are the dominant colors for bathrooms, specified by more than 70 percent of respondents in 2014. Half expect to see gray continue to grow in 2015. Interestingly, several comments referenced purple, lavender and lilac.Source: Kitchen & Bath Business, kbbonline.com , 1/28/15