KBB - January 2014 - (Page 25)

Kevin Anundson MCR, CKBR, Owner of Assisted Remodeling and President-Elect for National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) What is your outlook for the kitchen and bath remodeling market in 2014? During the last ﬁve years, we have had a large number of people wanting their bathrooms remodeled. During those more challenging economic times, they wanted to do some kind of renovation, and bathrooms are a smaller space - it's a fast renovation that is less expensive than a kitchen renovation. This past year, we have had a signiﬁcantly higher number of requests for kitchens and additions, which is much stronger interest than in the last four years. What factors do you see affecting growth in K&B remodeling in 2014? Everything that affects the consumer conﬁdence level, such as the growth of jobs versus the lack of them, will affect growth. Technology in appliances, new materials and a positive view of the economy all push the K&B market toward further growth, and we're seeing each of those factors increasing our business. Are you seeing any design trends relating to a speciﬁc generation? Not as much as we used to. Once in a while we may get a request from an older client for raised-panel, oak cabinets, however, most clients regardless of age are trending toward the ﬂat-panel or slab-style doors, with oak cabinets being almost non- existent. Clients are not wanting as much fanciness and heaviness, and one reason is the ease of cleaning the simpler doors. Older, more experienced clients do not want to have to clean the cabinets, so they want cabinetry with no grooves. Younger generations want the more transitional look, and there is less of a need for it to be as heavy. Kitchens are no longer the workhorse of the home - they are the center and heart of the home - so they need to operate like a lightweight tool. What kinds of kitchen design trends do you foresee for 2014? We are located in the Midwest and tend to lean toward the stained wood cabinetry, therefore we install fewer painted and laminate cabinets. The trends we are still seeing are the contemporary designs and styles Stained wood cabinetry is still popular in the Midwest, as are granite and granite-type countertops. like ﬂat-panel cabinets. We are not super fast to jump onto the European trends but are deﬁnitely getting into the contemporary, sleek, clean looks. The granite-looking countertops are still very popular, and laminate and quartz countertop manufacturers are making their products look more and more like granite. People have more material options and a wider price range to select from. What kinds of bathroom design trends will be prevalent in 2014? We are seeing a trend toward more reasonably sized showers - less like locker rooms. They did this in the 80s and 90s with the large tubs. People now want a single-person soaker tub that is comfortable enough for one person. We will see this with showers too.Technology will include lower water volume with a better feel. Body sprays consume too much water, which affects people and their water heaters (and water cost). We remodel quite often using the existing footprint, and the right selection of materials can make a bathroom absolutely stunning. There are some amazing things you can do with tile, lighting and heated ﬂooring. Bathrooms will begin to be fun without feeling super heavy; for instance, they can offer a spa-type atmosphere, but do not have to be "library" quiet. People want to feel good about being in their bathrooms. For the last few years, earth color tones have been popular because they are comfortable, and we have also seen a lot of white. Grays are also gaining in popularity. What style of design do you feel 2014 will represent? I would say people are not nearly as afraid to go contemporary in a bathroom anymore. In the kitchen, they are a little more conservative because that is a place they gather with friends and family and is quite often a little more conservative. The kitchen still has to be comfortable and warm, but people tend to pull out the stops in a bathroom and do something more contemporary and fun. Bathrooms do not cost as much to renovate, so if a look gets dated, they can renovate more often. www.kbbonline.com / January 2014 + K BB 25 http://www.kbbonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - January 2014

KBB - January 2014
Contents
Online Contents
Editor’s Note
Show Director’s Note
Celebrity Design with...Taniya Nayak
All Abroad
Trends
Industry Outlook
Tech Savvy
KBIS Countdown to Design & Construction Week
Products
Design
Cover story: Historic kitchen revisits its roots in major update
Learning Corner

KBB - January 2014