Hot trends in kitchen remodeling

Kitchens are the most popular renovation project in America — and for good reason. That’s where the party happens — where friends and family congregate.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelors Council members do a lot of kitchen design and remodeling. In their experience, following are some of the hot items your savvy neighbors are putting in their kitchens:

Creating the Open Look

•Open up the kitchen space into the adjoining den or dining room to create the illusion of a bigger kitchen;

•Make the kitchen family and child-friendly or keep an eye on an aging parent while preparing meals;

•Add windows, skylights;

•Add large, uncluttered picture window in breakfast area to highlight view;

•Tubular skylights, usually two for the average kitchen, for a warm glow;

•Replace furr-downs near ceiling with wide, narrow windows over cabinet to provide indirect natural daylight.

Lighting, Electrical Ideas

•Cool, small, colorful pendant lights over islands and bars;

•Xenon strip-lights are hot in under-cabinet task lighting applications;

•Recessed cans with polished metal or white baffles for ceiling lighting;

•Plug strips on upper cabinets replace outlets on backsplashes;

•Hidden switches on kitchen cabinets for clean-look backsplashes;

•Wider use of high-tech slide dimmers;

•Lighting inside upper cabinetry.

Plumbing Fixture Ideas

•Adding a second or a third sink allows two people to work at once;

•More high-end gas appliances, such as stoves with six to eight burners;

•Farm sinks;

•Pot-filler faucets behind burners;

Kitchen Flooring Trends

•Stained concrete;

•Polyurethane cork;

•Contrasting borders and inlays in wood floors;

•Bamboo floors;

•Multicolored slate, sealed with black stone inserts.

Cool Countertops

•Engineered stone (quartz) tops;

•Stainless steel is still very hot. Reflective surfaces create visual interest and magnify the space;

•Stainless steel with seamlessly integrated stainless sinks;

•Concrete;

•Multiple height or lower countertops, and other ergonomic considerations to reduce bending and stretching;

•Granite & natural stone.

Backsplash Ideas

•Tumbled marble backsplashes with granite inserts;

•Tile or granite bordering the entire window over the kitchen sink;

•Stainless steel and glass tiles.

Fresh Cabinetry Ideas

•Display shelves at end of cabinet runs and island, to hold cookbooks, baskets, and knick-knacks;

•Stained wood cabinetry is making a comeback, especially in the lighter maple colors;

•More prefabricated high-end cabinetry than site built, especially in lighter color natural wood looks;

•Furniture-grade finishes that make cabinets look “antique”;

•Distressed finishes and multi – layer finishes (paint, stain and glazing combinations);

•Anything that rolls is in — rolling islands and workstations;

•Upper cabinets that rest on the countertop — you lose some counter space, but it creates an eye-pleasing look;

•Beveled glass cabinet doors to showcase items;

•Glass fronts on oversize drawers for a “general store grain bin” look;

•Pull-out shelves in base cabinets to hold small appliances normally cluttering the countertop;

•Lazy susans in corner cabinets;

•Narrow pull-out shelves in upper cabinets to hold a bevy of spice bottles;

•Sculpted metal upper cabinet door inserts.

Top-Notch Appliances

•Wine chillers, displays;

•Counter-depth refrigerators – prevents it sticking out into kitchen;

•”Disappearing appliances” with fronts matching the adjoining cabinets;

•Large granite-topped islands;

•Front controls on gas ranges;

•Ranges with built-in microwave drawers;

•Custom stainless steel art fronts for jazzing up refrigerators;

•Very quiet dishwashers;

•Commercial grade gas cook tops;

•Three-rack dishwashers; energy-efficient, low-water-use dishwashers;

•The “retro look” — new energy-efficient appliances that look like older units.

Fancy Flourishes

•Arches matching cabinets over the windows, hiding vent hood;

•Rope lighting in the toe kick, above cabinets, in troughs made of crown molding;

•Open plate racks;

•Islands with fancy feet and furniture-like pilasters;

•Stainless steel hardware (i.e. cabinet knobs) for harmonized look with stainless appliances.

Home Show April 30-May 1

To find great ideas for your next remodeling project, visit the upcoming Spokane Home Builders Premier Home Show ‘05 at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center April 30-May 1 brought to you by Presenting Sponsor GMAC Mortgage.

For show information, call SHBA at (509) 532-4990 or visit our Web site at www.shba.com.