Kitchens and Cabinetry early 30s and have young children. They’re leaning toward clean and functional, and not ornamental, even though they’re not going all-out modern. Inset framed cabinets are probably our number one request. That doesn’t always work out because that style is the most expensive. A sizeable percentage of people want to take cabinets to the ceiling which is getting more difficult because of ten-foot ceilings. In those cases, box cabinets can be stacked with a piece of molding to cover the seam. Custom cabinets that tall can be broken up with both small and large doors. Hobson: There are quite a few televisions, in lieu of cabinets, being installed above refrigerators. Some of the newest kitchens stagger the heights and depths to provide dimension to the cabinetry. And they further distinguish it by adding glass to some of the doors. Morris: The last few cabinets I have done have had simple Shaker doors. They’re easy to dress up with a sleek stainless or a hefty bronze pull. Sonne: It seems as if so many people think about only what cabinets look like on the outside and don’t consider what’s on the inside. They may not realize that when they get wet, cabinets with particle board on the outside will swell and the screws will pull out. Mixing and Matching Hobson: There’s considerable mixing of materials, such as different species or colors of wood for cabinets, glass and stone on backsplashes, and a combination of granite, quartz and solid surfaces on the perimeter and island. Miele: We’re finding that having one finish on the base and a different finish on wall cabinets is replacing what has been a trend of the island and perimeter having different finishes. Species, Stains and Colors Smith: Mostly cabinets are white or cream. The focus is on the quality of the cabinets themselves.
Bauer: Gray is becoming important. Many manufacturers have increased their gray options whereas in the past they expanded the browns. Sonne: About 60 percent of our cabinets are painted, typically white. Gray tends to be the second choice. Nix: White will always be here. A white kitchen with a black island can be a great look. However, black is giving way to gray, not a heavy gray, but a lighter shade. The new mochas and espressos? They’re more brown than black. Burkhart: Painted cabinetry is still one of the most called for finishes. And white seems to be a common choice. I think glazing has kind of died out in favor of solid colors. Morris: White cabinets are coming back. The good thing about white is that it can work with contemporary or traditional or country. Jones: Painted cabinets haven’t lessened in popularity although, generally, they have a higher price. In my experience, glazes are still strong in the Louisville market. And, of course, espresso is very much in style. Hughes: We’re still glazing, either on paint or on stained wood. Customers are coming around to using a maple with a dark stain. I’m very traditional and like cherry, so I always explain how its redness will come out as it ages. Bond: It’s a challenge to balance the interest in exotic woods with sustainability issues. We usually stick with veneers for those woods. That being said, we were able to accommodate a client who wanted Siberian larch. It has fairly straight lines and a natural blondish color. We cut it at certain angles to get an interesting texture. That, along with steaming and dying it, allowed us to make a one-of-a-kind piece. Mahogany, particularly South American mahogany, is very popular. Top grades of it have extremely small capillaries, making it very resistant to expansion. You can’t find a wood that’s more suitable for a kitchen. But it’s important to be aware that low grades of mahogany can come from Cuba, Africa and the Far East.
Galante-Dickman: A cream or white painted finish remains the most popular. For me, it comes down to space. In a larger space, I’d stay with a lighter finish to create an open, airy feel. Dark finishes make the room feel smaller. A larger kitchen allows some playing around with a variety of finishes. Some people want what’s out of the ordinary. With custom cabinets they can pick any paint color. We’re starting to see the use of more colors, such as blues and greens. Reece: Gray, gray and gray! It’s the really big color right now. But it’s being popped with yellow, tangerine and mint. And there’s a lot of tone-on-tone, such as light walls and white or light gray cabinets. That doesn’t give much contrast, but contrast can come through granite. I don’t think clients love brown glazes as much as they did in the past. However, we tested and came up with a gray glaze that’s beautiful and is going over very well. Hobson: Shades of gray are absolutely the new colors although white and off-white aren’t going away. august 2013 19