What's Trending Now in Kitchen Design?

Simpler lines, such as those in these "Shaker" cabinets,
are one of the trends in kitchen design nationwide. 
Photo: KBDC

Warm wood tones continue to be popular in the Northeast.
Photo: Compass Marketing

Kitchen and bath designers are always looking for new inspiration and keeping up with trends in their geographic area as well as those that are popular across the country.  Kitchen + Bath Design News recently compiled a list of what they have found to be some of the hot design trends by geographic area. As designers, we can make recommendations, of course, but the designer must ultimately listen to the needs and wants of the client.  So what is hot now in the world of kitchen design?  Read on to learn what Kitchen + Bath Design News has found to be the latest trends across the country.  Overall, it has been toward simpler lines and less fuss, perhaps a reflection of our times economically.

White cabinets are still hot in the
Northeast.  Photo: KBDC

The color gray and cool blues, with their calming effect, are popular colors out West, both in cabinetry, tile and wall color.  According to this article, folks in the Southwest, rather than moving to larger accommodations, are staying in their current homes longer, opting to remodel the existing space.  They are looking for greater storage and creative uses of space that might otherwise have gone unused.  The Southeastern portion of the United States is seeing a trend toward kitchens coming out of hiding and becoming a showpiece of the home. Furniture styling and again, clean lines dominate in homes that often have an open floor plan.  The Southeast is seeing an up swing in the use of lighting design with a greater use of LEDs.  Here in the Northeast, white, in all of it's variations, is still a hot color along with the warm tones of wood cabinetry.  Simpler lines and a more modern look are also in favor.  Finally in the Midwest, the sensibility is also moving from a more traditional look toward a more contemporary one, along with an increased use of LED lighting and integrated appliances which give the space an open and inviting feel.  What look do you want for your new kitchen or bath?

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Happy Holidays to You & Yours From KBDC!

We here at KBDC give thanks for the many friends we have made throughout the year. 

 Wishing you peace, joy and happiness now and always!

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Lorey Cavanaugh, Qwner of KBDC, Featured on National Public Radio’s Ground Breaking Small Business Project with Harriet Jones

On Monday, 8/20, I had the pleasure of meeting Harriet Jones, business reporter with WNPR, here in my West Hartford showroom, to discuss the current housing market and signs of recovery.  I had quite the story to tell her, first giving her some background on myself, then recounting KBDC’s journey through the economic collapse of just a couple of years ago, to where we are now.  The segment aired Tuesday morning, 8/21, and will re-air Tuesday afternoon on 90.5 f.m.  You can go on-line and listen or read the transcript any time by following this link:

wnpr/housing-market-recovers-small-businesses 

What do you think about today’s housing market?  Are you considering taking on a remodeling project to update your home rather than purchasing a newer house?  I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

As an aside, our popular Continuing Education seminars through West Hartford and Farmington Continuing Education Departments will be taking place at the end of September and early October.  Bathroom Planning Guidelines will be held on Thursday, September 27 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. and Kitchen Planning Guidelines and Trends, a two-part seminar, will be held on Thursday, October 4^th and October 11^th, also from 7-9 p.m.  Seminars are held here in the showroom at 13 Sedgwick Road, West Hartford.  Space is limited.  To register please call the West Hartford Continuing Education Department at (860) 561-6900 or the Farmington Continuing Education Department at (860) 404-0290.

Hot Kitchen & Bath Trends for 2012

This spring, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) released results of a survey that more than 350 NKBA members took part in to mark what they feel are the hot trends in kitchen and bath design today.  These trends might not be evident in every market, but are a representation of the top10 trends being used by designers across the country:

Kitchens:
1. The use of cherry wood, usually vying for top place with maple, has seen a decline being replaced in popularity by such wood species as oak, walnut, birch and bamboo.

Darker Wood Finishes

2. Darker finishes are easing out light and medium stain finishes while white remains the most popular trend in painted finishes.  Distressed finishes have also begun to make a comeback.

White painted finishes remain popular

3. Glass backsplashes have eased ceramic tile backsplashes out of the top spot.  Granite and quartz are gaining use as backsplash material to match a granite or quartz countertop.

Glass tile backsplash

4. With the onslaught of "green" building practices and a general rise in energy conservation, the use of LED lighting is rapidly growing.
5. Pull out kitchen faucets have quickly become dominant, replacing the typical faucet and side spray option.  These faucets also work seamlessly into any kitchen design from traditional to contemporary.

Baths:

6. Medicine Cabinets, which had been swept aside, are replacing decorative wall mirrors, as homeowners are looking for the most effective use of space.

Kitchens and Baths:
7. The main design style for these rooms has changed from Traditional to Transitional.  The Transitional style is simpler than Traditional, but not as stark as a contemporary look.

Transitional style has replaced Traditional

8. Solid surfaces such as granite, quartz and marble are popular choices for countertops,  along with surfaces such as glass in the bathroom.
9. Polished chrome fixtures have made a come back in the kitchen and bathroom along with finishes like polished nickel.

Gray color schemes in both kitchen
and  bath have increased in popularity

Polished Chrome Fixtures are back

10. Grey color schemes in the kitchen and bath have increased in popularity over the last two years.  Whites and off whites continue to be popular however, followed closely by beige and brown.  In the kitchen bronze and terracotta, as well as green, have risen as a color trend with green also gaining in popularity as a color choice for the bath.  Blue is the fifth most popular color choice for the bath.

Hartford Habitat's Women Build Day May 12, 2012-An Enjoyable Challenge

Saturday, May 12th was a beautiful day! Getting together with a great group of female friends, I got out in the sunshine and spent the day working with Hartford Habitat for Humanity during their National Women Build Week. What an awesome experience. As the female owner of a construction company, typically a male dominated profession, it’s great to be able reach out and support other women in my community, both locally and at large. Last year was roofing on Laurel Street in Hartford. This year we learned all about hanging sheetrock at homes Hartford Habitat is building on South Marshall Street in the Asylum Hill neighborhood of Hartford. I have to say, I am glad that at KBDC we have a very talented subcontractor we use for our sheetrocking, because it really is no easy task. The day started bright and early at 7:45 with a safety talk and then we were assigned to our respective job sites. Drills and screws in hand, we set about our work.

For anyone that has never volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, here is what one of the members of my team had to say:

“Thank you so much for inviting [my daughter] and me to join you for the Women Build Day again this year! Although I didn't get a chance to thank you both in person, [my daughter] and I were honored to be part of your group! What a wonderful group of women. :) We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and added a new building skill to our repertoire. :) Hanging sheetrock is a lot harder than building a roof! It was an enjoyable challenge! [My daughter] feels so deeply about helping Habitat for Humanity that she is planning to contact Turquoise Blue [Hartford Habitat’s Volunteer Coordinator] and hopefully help on another build. Including her in your group has really made a difference.”

 I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity a number of times over the years, and each time I do, I am reminded of the power of collaboration and the cooperative spirit.








Deadline for “Ugliest Kitchen or Bath” Contest extended to Friday, May 18, 2012

THERE IS STILL TIME TO ENTER!! The deadline for the “Ugliest Kitchen or Bath” contest to benefit the Women Build program of Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity has been extended to Friday, May 18, 2012. There is still time to submit entries to this first contest which is a collaboration between Hartford Habitat and Kitchen + Bath | Design + Construction. Open to residents of Hartford County, the winning submission will be chosen by a panel of Habitat Board Members and Lorey Cavanaugh, owner of Kitchen + Bath | Design + Construction. The “Ugliest Kitchen or Bath” contest winner will be treated to a two hour in home design consultation (value of $350) with Ms. Cavanaugh, a certified Kitchen and Bath Designer with 28 years experience in the industry. The winner will also receive a materials selection presentation board (value of $150). To enter, submit an online entry, photograph of the space, and $20 entry donation for each project. Enter on-line at: www.hartfordhabitat.org. All entry donations will directly benefit the Women Build initiative of Hartford Habitat for Humanity. Off line forms are available at the showroom of Kitchen + Bath | Design + Construction, 13 Sedgwick Road, West Hartford as well as Hartford Habitat’s office located 780C Windsor Street in Hartford. Entries should be mailed to: Hartford Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 1933, Hartford, CT 06144. For more information, please contact Hartford Habitat, 860-541-2208, ext. 102 or Kitchen + Bath | Design + Construction, 860-953-1101.