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Lights! Cabinets! Wine!
Take a look at what’s hot for kitchen in 2014 By Yuliya Nemykina CTW Features itchens in 2014 are all about lights, cabinets and wine, according to the U.S. National Association of the Remodeling Industry. To find new trends in kitchen design, association staff reviewed 127 entries to the 2014 Contractor of the Year Awards program, along with design work posted on home design site HOUZZ. Here are the trends they say to follow in 2014:
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Cabinets
• Built-in cabinets that look like furniture, with decorative details like crown molding and feet • Mixing and layering of woods and finishes — combining white or ivory glazes with natural woods like cherry warms up a traditional kitchen, said Jennifer Runner, a designer at Normandy Remodeling in Hinsdale, Illinois. Remodellers seeking a contemporary look may combine glass and metals with either ebony-painted woods or natural woods with a light colour, ur, like honey maple. • Light cabinets with darker countertops • Bright-coloured cabinets in orange, blue, green or brown — richly coloured cabinets can draw attention to the island, or ground the room through lower cabinets while the other cabinets are painted a lighter colour, said Runner. • Cabinets with glass doors either for displaying accessories or simply to “break up the monotony of wood,” Runner said. • Fewer upper cabinets to avoid obstructing the view of other rooms
Lights
• A chandelier that contrasts with and softens modern appliances and countertops • Decorative task lighting — lighting that both serves as decoration and for a practical purpose — especially when lights can stretch to more than one spot on adjustable arms • Under-cabinet lighting for ambiance • Pendant lights above kitchen islands to “bring style into the mix” • Black, brass our iron-coloured fixtures • A large light fixture to centre the room
Wine storage
• Cabinets specially built for wine bottle storage • A “butler area” where guests can enjoy drinks and converse with the cook without distracting them from work — originally, a corridor between the kitchen and the dining room to serve as a buffer and allow the butler to stay close while keeping drinks and dishes close to him Today, this might be a countertop with a cabinet with glasses and utensils away from the fridge, sink and cooking area where guests can enjoy pre-dinner cocktails without getting in the way of the cook, said Runner. It might even be the island. • Coolers, from under-the-counter to refrigerator size, with features such as UV-blocking glass to dual-zone designs that allow storing red and white wine in different temperatures However, Runner cautions from buying one as an accessory for a few new bottles. “It’s a big investment,” she said. “The nice ones can be very expensive, and, typically, people have them to display their collection. So, if you just have one bottle of wine in it, you probably shouldn’t have bought it in the first place.” © CTW Features
Top: Combining cabinets with different finishes and modern chandeliers in a transitional kitchen. Photo by Normandy Remodeling, Hinsdale, Illinois, CotY award winner Bottom: Two chandeliers provide elegant exclamation points in a traditional kitchen Photo by DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen, Saint Louis Park, Minn., CotY award winner