Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2016 - 15

Trends

Corp., adding that stones, wood and glass are
frequent requests. "And whereas before uniform
color was used throughout the kitchen, clients are
now choosing a different color of upper cabinets
for contrast."
With a variety of finishes available, walnut and
cherry woods are favorites for accent pieces along
with white and gray painted cabinetry.These tones
help neutralize a space, and the many different
shades available for both offer an array of designs.

Photograph Illustration by TKTKTKTKTK

CUSTOMIZING COMFORT

Resources like Houzz and Pinterest have helped
inspire clients and designers to take on all of these
different tones and styles of cabinetry, and manufacturers have responded by developing customizable products.
"Customers are all about customizing their
kitchens to meet their busy and demanding lifestyles," said Doug Durbin, founder and CEO of
nuHaus. "We're constantly looking for new ways
to make the cabinetry appear as if it's part of the
existing home and wall space."
Whether a cabinet should emphasize aesthetics, storage or function depends most on the individual client. Most clients want a distinctive look
that reflects their taste while also having the latest
in storage and function, so combining various face,
door and finish options with storage and accessibility provides for an individual kitchen.
"Consumers can maximize storage capacity
with swing-out or pullout storage options," said
John Troxell, Wood-Mode's director of design.
"This isn't exactly new, but the technology continues to be refined and reworked in new materials
and customizable applications."
More tech centers and integrated mudroom
and laundry areas have appeared in the kitchen,
alongside more varied and customized appliances.
Built-in seating and locker storage are also growing in demand.
"Homeowners want it all," said Heather
Hickok, an in-house designer at Canyon Creek.

"They are better educated, so the trends seem to
develop at a faster pace."
INNOVATING STORAGE

The fastest-growing innovations involve integrated interior LED lighting, charging stations
inside drawers and cabinets and touch-to-open
features that eliminate the need for pulls. Remote
mechanical operation of cabinet doors and drawers also assists with ease of use.
"Interior drawers give clients an ergonomic
advantage when they use their kitchen," said
Birkenfeld. "Bi-fold wall cabinetry, electronically
operated drapery and servo-drive
mechanisms make opening cabinetry very easy."
As the population ages, accessibility to hard-to-reach places
has inspired products like deep,
wide drawers with a peg-andboard system and narrow pullout cabinets for point-of-use
items. Inserts can allow a seated
user to move interior shelves
down, and accessories in a corner base cabinet can help bring
out deep items.
"Last but not least, we must
consider the family pets," said
Ahearn, who emphasized that
cabinetry catering to pets has increased. "Ergonomics works for
pets, too."
Tilt-down bins can hold large
or small kibbles near where the
animals eat. A drawer base cabinet with pullout bowl trays on
full-extension drawer glides can
be customized to a pet's feeding height. Other drawers can
house toys and accouterments
- all in one dedicated and designated spot.

ABOVE LEFT Design-Craft Cabinets by ELKAY has launched the
Remnants Collection, which features textured melamine. The
collection emulates the tones and character found in naturally
timeworn woods.
ABOVE Deer Park (shown), Joliet and Riverside make up a family of

door styles with applied molding in a two-step, raised panel door from
WOOD-MODE FINE CUSTOM CABINETRY. Available in squareedge or profiled exterior, Deer Park is a solidly traditional upscale look.

BELOW NUHAUS tailors cabinets and drawers to meet individual

client needs, such as this custom cabinetry that fits seamlessly
with a La Cornue range.

Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2016

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