Kitchen and bath trends: What are homeowners choosing?

What determines trends? Is it what the manufacturers are selling? Or what the designers are designing?

Professional Remodeler magazine asked a different question: What are the homeowners choosing? A recent article, Kitchen and Bath Trends, is based on a survey of remodeling contractors across the country, who revealed these trends:

— Oak cabinets are out, cherry and maple are in, and hickory is getting there. White cabinets are still popular, the magazine says, as are "stylish Asian fusion" cabinets. (And if you know what "Asian fusion" means, please tell me.)
— Islands are in, especially those of a color or wood that contrasts with the rest of the cabinets. No matchy matchy wanted. Check out this Tennessee kitchen for a great example of this concept and read the family's blog on the creation of the kitchen.
— Granite is by far the most sought-after countertop, the article says, with homeowners more likely than in the past to make a trip the stone yard to pick out their slab.
— Energy Star appliances are enjoying a new cache.

— For bathrooms, wide-open spaces are way in, with glass shower enclosures taking the place of tiled stalls. For busy couples who may want to use the bathroom at the same time, commode rooms with opaque glass doors fill that need.
— Heated floors and TVs are in. Brass knobs are way out, nickel and antique bronze are way in, and chrome still shows up.
— Finally, indoor air quality is becoming a concern, and more homeowners are opting for new and quiet exhaust fans to draw out moisture and bring in fresh air.

(Photo: This Westlake Village bathroom was designed by Heidi Toll and Velvet Hammerschmidt, and built by Plaskoff Construction. It has maple cabinets, a green granite counter, slate floors and walls, and chrome lights.)

Comments

[tammy]

Can you post some links to commode rooms with opaque glass doors? I'd love to see what that looks like. Thanks!

[Kathy Price-Robinson]

Tammy, the bathroom shown in the post has such a room. I've added a photo to show it. The door in the far right leads to a private room with a toilet. There is a small window in there, as well, but it could easily be done without a window, but with a good ventilation system.

One note: doors with opaque glass can be very expensive. A Sherman Oaks homeowner I spoke with bought inexpensive single-light French doors, which is the industry term for a door with one large piece of glass, and took them to an auto glass shop to get the opaque film added. A Los Angeles couple I interviewed used opaque glass doors on all the bedrooms and bathroom, and the light coming through made a formerly gloomy hallway bright and welcoming.

[Kitchen Range]

Why didn't you highlight the need to use more environmentally friendly material such as bamboo on kitchen flooring?