Each year, the National Kitchen & Bath Association produces a trend report, something they’ve been doing since 1952. But how do these trends, compiled from designers nationwide, compare to what we’re designing and building in our market?

We’ve pulled together our very own 2015 trend report to see if our homeowners’ desires are on trend for 2015. Up first is all things cabinets: styles, colors, finishes, wood species, accents, islands and storage.

Cabinet Styles
NKBA: According to designers polled by the NKBA, transitional style cabinets are most popular, followed by shaker. The greatest growth is in contemporary styles while traditional styles are losing ground, though still very popular.

Red House Remodeling: Turns out we’re transitional too. Our homeowners want fresh, clean spaces in which to relax and unwind. We’re definitely experiencing the surge in popularity of transitional style because its simple, clean lines are perfect for an unfettered lifestyle.

Cabinet Colors
NKBA: White/off white is still dominant for kitchens, followed by gray , then beiges and browns.  Gray is the new neutral and is expected to continue to increase in popularity, as will the use of multiple color cabinets in a single space.

Red House Remodeling: When it comes to painted finishes, white (in its many, many shades) is definitely a mainstay, followed by other neutrals like black, gray and greige (for those of us who can’t decide between gray and beige!). Homeowners are definitely open to incorporating multiple colors to differentiate islands from perimeter cabinets, or upper cabinets from lower cabinets, for example.

Cabinet Finishes/Wood Species
NKBA: Popular now: white paint, dark stain, painted and glazed, medium stain, stained and glazed, other painted colors, light stain, distressed. Growing: painted color other than white, white paint, dark stain. Declining: distressed, light stain, stained and glazed. Maple and cherry are the most popular wood species. Growing in popularity are maple, alder and walnut while oak, hickory and pine are declining.

Red House Remodeling: Ditto for cabinet finishes. When it comes to painted vs stained, our homeowners are split down the middle and most know what camp they’re in when we begin the design process. Black and shades of gray are the most popular paint choices besides white. Glazing, distressing and other finish options give homeowners the opportunity to take a typical finish and personalize it. As for wood species, maple and cherry are by far the most popular. Sorry, oak, we’re not missing you yet.

Cabinet Accents
NKBA: Furniture type accents are popular along with crown molding and doors with glass. In lower cabinets, drawers are more popular than doors.

Red House Remodeling: Skipping cabinet trim is like leaving home without clothes. (Almost.) We usually trim out our cabinets with crown molding and molding along the lower edges of upper cabinets because it just makes the cabinets look more finished and less … naked.

Furniture type accents are great to work into a space where the design permits. Glass doors can break up a long run of cabinets, and create a focal point. When a customer is using glass doors as a focal point, or to showcase a collection, we always include interior LED lighting in the cabinets.

Islands
NKBA: Islands are replacing kitchen tables. A larger island offers more storage and can seat more people, replacing the need for a table. If space permits, two islands are popular.

Red House Remodeling: Almost every kitchen has an island, some very small, and space for a table, which can also be very small. But guess what? There’s no mandate that a kitchen has to have both. We’re definitely expanding the island to replace the table when possible and when the homeowner prefers that option.

Multi-level islands offer a lot of flexibility: a counter height island with higher bar seating promotes interaction while entertaining while a counter height island with lower table height seating is perfect for family dining.

Storage
NKBA: The most widely specified include: trash/recycling pullouts, pullout shelves for tall pantries, lazy Susans, spice pullouts, wine racks and appliance garages.

Red House Remodeling: There are almost endless storage options. In addition to those mentioned above, our homeowners like mixer lifts, large base cabinet drawers, drawers with a peg system to customize storage, cabinet doors that open vertically, and tray dividers.

Whew! There are almost as many cabinet options as there are cabinets! With so many ways to personalize your kitchen, it’s clear why an NKBA member designer is beneficial. When you’re ready to begin the process, our project designer is ready to help. Click here to schedule a consultation or visit our Facebook page to see more of our project photos.

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