Individuality is the word in kitchens today, as consumers look to create spaces that reflect their tastes and lifestyle.

 

Gone are the days or lining up cabinets in a neat row along a wall. Thought you had to use the same countertop materials throughout the kitchen? Not anymore.

 

The design mode is much more relaxed, with a focus on mixing and matching materials and textures. Then accent the new visual line with molding, pillars and built-in hutches to add a furniture presence.

 

What’s Driving This Trend?

Whether such trends originate in the home renovation industry or through new home designs is difficult to determine. Consumers may see a design idea at the Parade of Homes, for example, and incorporate it into a new house or when remodeling their existing house, said Bryan Patchan, director of communications for the National Association of Home Builder’s Remodelers Council. The ideas also may originate from a magazine article or a television show before spreading to a wider consumer base.

 

"What's driving this is human nature," said Sue McDowell, vice president of McDowell Exteriors and Remodeling in St. Charles, IL. "If we have black colors for a long time we want white. Ten to 15 years ago it was a cleaner look, cool and sleek, and now we want more detail and warmer tones."

 

Mixing Materials and Finishes

Greg Rekett, vice president of sales and marketing for Northfield, IL-based Ferris Homes, said buyers are using varying countertop materials and cabinet finishes to create a distinct look and adapt spaces to their tastes.

 

"We are seeing more and more people looking for very unique kitchens for everyday and for entertaining," Rekett said. "They're using granite, which is a very sophisticated look, on the center island and a solid surface on the work surface--you can remove scratches and dings and it is easier to work with."

 

The mix and match approach also is prompting consumers to combine colors and finishes, and add surfaces not traditionally associated with a kitchen or bathroom. "You may use the corner cabinets in an accent color and pick up the same color on an island," said Kim Craig, public relations manager for KraftMaid Cabinetry, Inc. in Middlefield, Ohio. "You might make a hutch a different color (than the cabinets) and pick up both colors in the molding."

 

Increasingly, wood cabinets are being paired with stainless steel and glass doors and door handles, with concrete countertops to blend, contrast and create visual appeal.

 

Years ago, consumers typically put oak cabinets with an oak floor. Today, you may see hickory cabinets with a maple floor, then hickory accents in the floor to blend the two spaces together.

 

Adding Individuality

Renovators also are adding unique stove hoods and commercial ovens.  Beth and Scott Brady added a commercial-style stove to a new house in a northern suburb of Chicago. The stove features four oven cavities, each reaching a separate temperature ranging from 150 to 450 degrees. The ovens are left on continuously to keep a constant energy source instead of forcing the oven to go from a cold to hot temperature each time it is turned on.

 

The couple became familiar with the stove design while living in England and wanted to add a unique feature to the kitchen, Beth said. "It gives a nice warmth to the kitchen."

 

When Christina and John Stammen remodeled the kitchen of their seven bedroom brick house in St. Charles, IL they added furniture accents in the cabinetry and a center island as a focal point for the room. Instead of building in seating at the island, they designed the island to abut an old farmhouse-style table where they eat meals. With five children, this design makes passing dishes and interacting during meals easier, Christina said.