i+D - November/December 2018 - 46

The Future-Forward Kitchen - By Jessica Goldbogen Harlan

Design That Matters
The most popular styles of U.S. kitchens are, respectively,
farmhouse, transitional, and contemporary designs, according
to the 2018 Kitchen & Bath Design Trends Survey by the
National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). These three
styles topped the list for 73 to 79 percent of those surveyed.
In Canada, meanwhile, contemporary-styled kitchens are the
most popular, according to 83 percent of surveyed professionals,
followed by transitional, and mid-century modern.
This comes as no surprise to cabinet manufacturers like
Wood-Mode, Inc. "The overwhelming change we've seen in
the last couple years has been the move towards transitional
and contemporary styling," says Marianne White, director of
dealer development. Specifically, there's interest in clean lines;
minimized moldings; and a movement away from the turnings,
posts, and carved details that used to be popular. Interest lies
in the detail: textured finishes, such as cerusing techniques
or sandblasting on wood that highlight the grain, or laminates
with tactile effects.
Attention-grabbing finishes also are of importance at
SapienStone, which crafts countertops and other hard surfaces
from porcelain. Two new finishes are Rovere Baio and Rovere
Buckskin, designed to replicate wood surfaces. "When you
see and touch these, they have an actual inconsistency in the
surface," says James Amendola, director of national sales
and marketing for SapienStone. "They have the same look of
worn wood, and we use our full-body pigmentation technology,
so you can see the wood veining on the edges."
Open floor plans continue to be standard among home designs,
with the kitchen flowing between lounging areas, dining areas,
and fireplaces. But, White says while homeowners enjoy the
great room concept, there's a movement to minimize or conceal
the "working parts" of the kitchen when not in use. "In the past,
we might have had big, clunky commercial appliances that made
a statement," she explains. "But, today, we try to minimize their
impact on the design. People are putting integrated panels on
appliances so they disappear into cabinetry."

The result, adds White: "You end up closing off the utilitarian part of your kitchen, making
it look more attractive to the other end of the room where you might have your sofa,
fireplace, and big-screen TV."
David Nicolay, co-founder and principal of Evoke International Design Inc. in Vancouver,
British Columbia, Canada, agrees that the open-living floor plan of many homes is affecting
how the kitchen is designed. "Our goal is to make the kitchens seamless as a piece
of millwork well-integrated into the architecture of the home," he notes. And, today,
"major appliances are so well-designed and minimal that they become an asset in the
aesthetic of the kitchen overall." Sleek induction cooktops and kitchen sinks in solid
materials that integrate into the counters are among the ways that the kitchen can become
streamlined and more visually compatible with the rest of the home.
On the other end of the spectrum, some manufacturers are still opting to offer statement
pieces. "Rather than hiding the refrigerator behind a panel, designers are able to use it as a
statement piece," notes Andrew Shead, sales and marketing manager for True Residential,
a division of True Manufacturing. One example is the company's new cobalt blue finish,
which was recently shown on the True 48 side-by-side refrigerator with glass door.
Dickson also is seeing subtle changes to kitchen design that resonate with how people
live, cook, and entertain today. Microwaves have moved from over the range to a
wall cabinet, a base cabinet, or even a drawer. The desk area has gone by the wayside,
often replaced by a bar area or wine refrigerator, especially for frequent entertainers.
Countertops are no longer used to display the latest cool appliance or attractive set
of bowls; instead, these items are concealed in cabinets or appliance garages.

Open-living floor plans
call for kitchens that
seamlessly blend with
the architecture of a
home, as evidenced
in this space by Evoke
International Design.
(Image: Janis Nicolay)

"Our goal is to make the kitchens
seamless as a piece of millwork
well-integrated into the architecture of
the home...major appliances are
so well-designed and minimal that they
become an asset in the aesthetic
of the kitchen overall."
-DAVID NICOLAY, EVOKE INTERNATIONAL DESIGN INC.

i+D - November/December 2018

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