This past January I headed off to Las Vegas for the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s biggest event of the year – KBIS. This Kitchen and Bath show has vendors big and small for all things related to the heartbeat of the home. There’s been a shift in home building and remodeling to pull away from super huge sprawling homes with excessive amounts of square footage, and instead seeing homes with a slightly smaller footprint, but with more and higher amenities in those spaces. When remodeling or building a home, whether it’s while you’re moving in, or with resale in mind – don’t skimp on the kitchen or the bathroom! These areas are your top sellers of your home, not too mention the places we tend to spend the most time.
Color, color color!
I remember not that long ago, clients wanted nothing but polished nickel for every surface of their home. We wanted everything white and silver and gleaming. Then came a wave of rich walnut notes, brass and black finishes with a dash of grey or white. Steadily over time, more and more color-infused products started being developed. Again at this year’s show, I am seeing that color is growing and here to stay. Bolder choices of color have been infused into the kitchen and bathroom. Either in the color of the cabinetry, or in the kitchen, boldly colored appliances. I’m seeing a lot of emeralds and blues, but also plenty of reds and other jewel tones.
Granite sinks from Ruvati come in a slew of colors from neutral to bold. Likewise Elkay has a variety of colors in their Quartz line of sinks.
True Refrigeration was a show stopper with their bold colors and variety of finishes for appliance handles. Their incorporation of glass front refrigeration allows for a lot of different styling options.
Get inspired by this mix of walnut wood tones, brass hardware and hinges and stunning cobalt blue appliances.
I’m also seeing a lot more color in cabinetry. If you’re defaulting to a white kitchen, consider what some color can do to add richness and elegance to your space whether your home’s style is contemporary or more traditional.
Similarly in the bathroom…
I’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about colored bathtubs! I recently installed a matte black exterior freestanding tub in one of my client’s homes. Talk about a show stopper!
Mix and Match Elements
There’s also a very large growing trend of mixing finishes, even in ways contrary to what you would expect. I’m talking wooden bathtubs and leather on your bathtub faucet. Designers are pushing the limits. There are a few new plumbing collections that allow you to build your fixtures selecting from different metal finishes, inset materials, handle style and shape, allowing for a huge range of customization.
The Kintsu Collection from Brizo allows the buyer to select from various materials to inset in a few different handle shapes, including these intriguing V shaped knobs. Select from wood, concrete, mother of pearl, metal, or you could even have your own material custom made and inset!
Axor, a Hansgrohe brand also has a stunning line. The very minimal and contemporary lines have some warmth added to them with unique materials. Select your metal finish, and then an inset material like leather, marble, mirror and wood.
Rohl has some lovely lines coming out called “Miscelo” (Italian for “I mix”) and “Eclissi” (Italian for “Ecplise”) that also allows for the mixing and matching of materials. There aren’t many photos out yet because the product isn’t available for sale yet, but here’s some sneak peeks.
I’m also seeing the opposite of this phenomenon – lots of metal added and incorporated into cabinetry! Whether its small trim elements added around frames, or other insets, you can tell there is a push of creativity with mixing finishes.
Robern leading the way with these sleek Profiles vanities with options for metal edging on drawers, and panels made of mirror or a variety of colors.
The Cuzco vanity from Native Trails is steel with hammered copper or nickel, and even carrara inserts. You can even get a hammered nickel vanity top!
Technology Trends
I could go on forever sharing new products, but let’s not forget that everyone loves their toys. Smart technology continues to grow in the home. In the bathrooms, get a custom shower experience with DTV technology from Kohler. DTV stands for Digital Valve Technology. It allows you to completely customize everything in your shower from sprays, steam, temperature, even lighting and music all from an app based prompt screen. There are simpler more affordable platforms, or DTV+ opens you up to all the upgrades. Learn more by watching this video
Precision Cooking is also the new hottest trend from all the appliance companies. It’s excellent for people like me who are not chefs. Simply select from a touch screen menu what you’re cooking, it will set the temperature, tell you when to put in what foods and cook it perfectly. From Salmon, rice and green beans, to a baked potato, impress your guests and spend less time frazzled in the kitchen!
Miele’s Steam Ovens have automatic menu cooking. Just program into the touch screen what you’re cooking and it will tell you exactly how and where to put it in and make sure your entire meal is finished at the same time!
Café by GE has a gorgeous array of decorative designs, and their “Precision Cooking” technology allows for the same ease of food prep! Plus their French door design is a bit easier to use for shorter people since the more typical drop down door can make you susceptible to burns and a harder time reaching!
Azerocare
Everyone loves the look of marble when selecting natural stone for their countertops. It has beautiful veining, movement and colors that are very on point for today. However, it is a problematic material in that it etches very rapidly. Red wine, vinegar, citrus fruits can all start to eat away at the soft porous surface and stain or damage it within SECONDS. Antolini, an Italian stone distributor, has come up with a solution. Azerocare is a treatment that makes your marble essentially maintenance free. It’s not a wax or sealer that needs to be continually reapplied. It is a lifelong technology incorporated into their proprietary marble stones. I even got a presentation by one of their reps. He dropped some lemon juice on to two pieces of marble, one natural and one with Azerocare, about 30 seconds he wiped off both stones. I realized just how quickly marble can etch, and the other stone was absolutely perfect!
There’s never been a more exciting time to remodel!
With the growing trends, bold finishes and technology, there has never been a more exciting time to remodel. Get daring with your finishes and fixtures! I challenge you to go against natural instincts for stainless steel appliances, white shaker cabinetry and gray marble counters. You never know what you may LOVE if you look past what you know you like!
Katie Canfield is the founder and principal designer at Studio KC. Studio KC got its humble start in 2015 when Katie was just 23 years old. While she was freelancing with other interior designers in the NY and CT area she also became a go-to designer for local contractors and trades that needed a designer’s help for their clients whether it be for custom cabinetry drawings or plans for a gut renovation on an entire home.
Katie Canfield’s design aesthetic is eclectic and flexible. She delights in the marriage between old and new- keeping spaces approachable but still matching each client’s unique aesthetic and family narrative. Her passion for design keeps her motivated and constantly on the hunt for new trends and materials. Her broad experience includes an art history background, study at the Accademia Italiana in Florence, a stint with the renowned Manhattan firm Amanda Nisbet Design, as well as collaborations with builders and designers across the tri-state area. She’s seen it all: from gutting prewar Manhattan apartments to new construction in the ‘burbs.
