2011 Design Trends for Kitchen and Bath

A recent survey by the National Kitchen and Bath Association revealed seven kitchen and four bathroom trends to watch in 2011.

KITCHENS

1. Shake It Up- Shaker-style cabinets supplanted Contemporary as the second-most popular style. Traditional remains the most popular style.

2. Dark Finishes- Dark natural finishes overtook medium natural, glazed and white-painted finishes.

3. A Place For Wine- Wine refrigerators seem to be on the decline, but unchilled wine storage is growing in popularity.

4. Bonjour Refrigerateur- The French-door refrigerator has strengthened its position as the type specified most often.

5. Inducting a New Cooktop- Induction cooktops haven't overtaken gas and electric models, but they're closing the gap.

6. LED Lighting- LED (light-emitting diode) lighting use has increased from 47 percent to 54 percent while incandescent lighting continues its journey to obsolescence.

7. Trashy Design- A greater emphasis is being made to address trash considerations. Some 89 percent of kitchens include trash or recycling pullouts.


BATHROOMS

1. Quartz Countertops- Quartz continues to take market share from granite in relation to bathroom vanity tops.

2. Green Bathrooms- Not eco-friendly spaces, literally green bathrooms. A year ago, green color palettes were used by only 14 percent of NKBA designers, but at the end of 2010, that figure had risen to 24 percent.

3. A Worthy Vessel- Undermount sinks continue to dominate newly remodeled bathrooms; however, vessel sinks have become the clear second choice.

4. Satin-nickel Faucets- This trend relates to bathrooms and kitchens. From the end of 2009 to the end of 2010, the percent of NKBA designers who specified a satin-nickel faucet rose from 41 percent to 63 percent in the kitchen and from 45 percent to 57 percent in the bathroom.