Kitchen Trends 2007 Continued - From KBIS
Continuing a discussion of the seminar I attended today at the KBIS conference, at the end of the meeting relating to kitchen trends, representatives of selected product manufacturers, Libeherr, Kraftmaid Cabinetry, Kohler, Dupont and Saeco (sponsors of the seminar) spoke about their products and what trends they are seeing.
One trend discussed, documented in the New York Times from time to time as well as in other reports, that I have read as well, is the trend of baby boomers moving either back to, or first, to the city (any city). This changes everything, for example, as seen in the typically smaller kitchens that are prevalent in Europe...smaller, yet highly innovative, appliances now become more of a factor in the marketplace than every before. As a result, the U.S. market is seeing more variety in appliances such as sizes in refrigerators, for example, enabling creativity within the kitchen design, something we know baby boomers want!
A continuing trend, growing ever stronger, is the growing wine "culture". New refrigerators incorporate separate wine, freezer, and food areas, into one appliance, or moving toward enormous, as seen in the wine vault by GE Monogram. Ever creative wine storage solutions are being developed, and desired.
We are seeing second sinks that are more fluid and organic in shape. These sinks are easier to clean and easier to fit table ware within. It's fresh, it's creative, and it makes sense.
There was talk of the lines being blurred between pure eco friendly and synthetic materials. We are seeing granite that now has a permanent sealing process, changing the composition of the product itself and traditional synthetic materials such as corian, having renewed interest, as some of its composition is indeed from natural materials. The news here is that one will pick and choose countertop materials not only for their green composition, but, perhaps choosing a combination of green and synthetic materials, depending on their use and function in the kitchen, the bottom line being a choice made about what green means to YOU.
Tomorrow starts the first day of the show exhibits. See you then!
Monday, May 7, 2007 at 07:33PM
Reader Comments (2)
Countertops are such a challenge when it comes to green. If you find a new product out there, let us know!
A client recently told me of a stone tile that was permanently sealed as well. Have to look more into that.
Thanks for the info! Very interesting.
AbbeyK
Thank you for the update on trends. I live in a house in the Missouri countryside that is five years old. Your trends report makes my kitchen sound already out of date.
I would love to redo the base corner cabinets so they wouldn't be such a waste of space. It would be great to have deeper and thicker counter tops. I would love to add that enviro-friendly touch too.
What can I do to keep up with the Joneses, but not take out a home equity loan to do so? Your reply appreciated. Keep up the good blog!