Top Kitchen Trends for 2010

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR Magazine

So what’s cooking in the kitchen this year? The National Kitchen & Bath Association surveyed designers to reveal the top design trends for 2010.

Among the trends gaining popularity this year: Hide your appliances in kitchen drawers, whether dishwashers-in-a-drawer or undercounter refrigeration (drawers being used as refrigerators). More home owners are opting to tuck their appliances away so they don’t interfere with the design.

Also part of the appeal to dishwashers-in-a-drawer is their convenience with the capability of washing small loads of dishes in each drawer, which saves water and electricity.
Here are some of the other top kitchen trends for 2010:

Color: Shades of white and off-whites are the most common kitchen colors, followed by brown, beige, and bone hues.

Cabinetry: The most popular wood for kitchen cabinetry remains cherry, followed by maple. In the decline: Painted cabinetry and light natural finishes and distressed finishes.

Design style: Traditional is the most popular kitchen design with contemporary following closely behind. Read more

From NKBA: Contemporary Design Edges in Slowly … and Optimistically

By Barbara Ballinger

ATLANTA—Traditional design is safe, secure, long lasting. It represents timeless appeal whether it shows up in sturdy cherry cabinets with elaborate corbels and fluting or old-fashioned-style freestanding white ceramic bathtubs with claw feet.

So, a plethora of contemporary designs at the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s annual industry show in Atlanta, which just ended Sunday, represented a big breath of optimism.

Concern that the stagnant economy would put a kibosh on modern styles in favor of what’s more familiar didn’t prove true. Yes, traditional design may have reigned supreme, but the buzz by many was over the sleek, swank tubs, showers, and toilet seats with lots of bells and whistles; the kitchen equipment in playful lively colors—blues, reds, and greens—that looked like they had been painted in an automotive shop; and elegantly simple bamboo cabinets with and without modern hardware.

Encourage your contemporary-minded buyers and sellers to watch for these—and other—selections:

• Contemporary design has edged into the Universal Design tub niche, with acrylic models that don’t look institutional and have lower thresholds to make them easier to use. (Here’s one example from Safety Tubs.)

• Frosted or clear curved shower doors with minimal or no frames can serve as a contemporary alternative to rectangular stalls (www.fleurco.com).

• A new line of laminate cabinets in four colors mimics modern wood doors but is more affordable and can appear even more contemporary with stainless steel banding (www.wellborn.com). Read more

Your Best Staging Ideas: What You Had to Say

A few weeks ago we asked the Styled, Staged & Sold blogging community to submit their best staging ideas and the responses flooded in! You can find some of your great responses featured in the April issue of REALTOR® Magazine. Find even more ideas online from your peers with the REALTOR® Magazine Online feature, Staging on a Budget. You can find ideas for sprucing up the living room, bedroom, bathroom, exterior, kitchen and more.

After you read the responses, tell us what you think! What’s the best tip you learned, or share your own favorite staging tip here!