If you can’t find a kitchen cabinet trend to follow, combine designs that you already know and love. Hybrid kitchens are a big part of the trend, according to HGTV. If people are doing it, it’s a trend.

In Arizona, homeowners are blending Asian styles with large armoire-style pieces. On the east coast, homeowners are finishing kitchen cabinets in—you guessed it—whatever they want. That means cabinets are painted chiffon yellow, earth greens, reds, and black! It means people are buying exotic hard woods on one end of the scale, or wheatboard and strawboard on the “green” side of trends. Actually, The Trend seems to be “whatever you like”.

Fashionably Extreme Kitchen Cabinets

Ask Hangzhou Huierbang Kitchen Company about trends, and you’ll hear that Tuscany or distressed effects are hot. Then ask HGTV’s designers, and they say “heavy distressing” is definitely out, in favor of painted finishes.

Old European frills in the patterns in molding, door panels, or drawer fronts and heavy hardware work just fine in a kitchen with bright colors and hanging woks. Exotic trends are always freeing and you know the correction is coming. But for now, play!

If antiques or era styles are your thing, you can bring Victorian influences into your kitchen cabinets and countertops. You’ll pay on the higher end of the scale for mahogany, alder, maple or, on the green front, sustainable softwoods.

As for paint, don’t be surprised when seeing bright reds or contrast colors on cabinets, doors, and drawer fronts. There’s one rule: homeowners should match the kitchen design scheme with the organizing style of the home. Please, no gargoyles in my ranch kitchen!

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gasses released from chemicals during routine use in American homes. Concentrations of VOCs in your home can be as high as a hundred times stronger than the level of toxic gasses in the outdoors. They’re present in paints, paint strippers, lacquer, solvents, and cleaning supplies.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), VOCs are known to cause internal organ damage, nausea and headaches, dizziness, and irritation to eyes, nose, and throat. After a paint stripping project, your home may have 1,000 times the levels of VOCs indoors than in the outside air.

Minimize VOC Exposure with Green Counters

Get With Green reports that solid-surface countertops have few or no issues when it comes to VOCs. You can also use ceramic tile, as long as you install it with a low-VOC adhesive. Even some binders in elegant Terrazzo countertops may emit VOCs.

Composite countertop materials made from recycled products are typically bound together with resins. If you plan on using a composite, ask to see the manufacturer’s certifications for use of low-VOC resins in the binder.

Paints and stains—as well as the adhesives—all can contribute to the levels of off-gassed VOCs in the home. Laminates made of recycled plastic and held together with non-toxic glues are a good choice. But you should make sure they’re glued to a formaldehyde-free substrate. For people who are considering wood butcher block counters, be sure to inspect the materials information for the use of toxic formaldehyde.

Fortunately, if you’re concerned about VOCs, there are plenty of options for you in counters and cabinet laminates.

Nothing seems inexpensive to me anymore. I recently read that per-linear-foot prices for laminate kitchen counters averaged between $10 and $30. And if you have a taste for granite countertops, you should consider paying as much as $200 per-linear-foot.

Thinking it over with the wallet corner of my brain, I decided to investigate current pricing for new countertops. Materials are priced by the linear foot or square foot. I started with Demesne, publishers of books on architecture, interior design, and green living.

According to Demesne, you get what you pay for in terms of quality and workmanship. I harvested their reviews of the more common countertop materials and found the following price averages, from lowest to highest:

Laminate
The least expensive, with a top average cost of $20 per-linear-foot.

Tile
Varies from $35-$80 per linear-foot, based on your choice of glass, ceramic, metal or stone.

Marble
It’s expensive and ranges from $40 to $70 per-square-foot.

Granite
Also pricey. You’ll probably spend $60 per-square-foot, or more.

Wood
The cost may vary dramatically based on the type of wood you choose. Prices begin around $50 per-linear-foot.

Synthetic Stone
Approximately the same cost as granite at $60 per-square-foot, or higher.

Solid Surfacing
Now you’re in the big leagues. Expect to spend from $100 to $150 per-linear-foot.

Concrete
The price is as solid as the material. You may be charged as much as $300 per-linear-foot.

Of course, prices are always in flux, so shop around for the best deal. If you need more help evaluating kitchen countertop prices and features, we have timely advice. While you’re at it, mull over your countertop options.

Cabinet makers and home improvement experts often like to toss around the idea that elbow grease is always preferable in remodeling or restoring cabinets to the use of toxic chemical products. Arguments usually center on the familiar debate over whether time and patience produce superior craftsmanship. I know that it’s easy to paint cabinets with a sprayer, but the end result always shows up in quality when you take time to use a brush and painstakingly produce an even finish.

The same debate seems to circle around the use of deglossers. There’s hardly an argument that these so-called “liquid sanders” can remove the gloss from old cabinets. The question is, does exposure to the naphtha and toluene chemicals in the deglossers offset the elbow grease it takes to get out some TSP and sandpaper and do the work by hand? Many people insist on paint stripping with chemicals.

Ace Hardware contends that you can get the right tacky surface for applying new finish from a deglosser. I’ve heard cabinet makers say that the liquid does not provide the same kind of reliable surface as does sanding. And you have to continue to use fresh rags after a few minutes or you’re just smearing oils around on the surface.

I’d like to hear if you think deglossers are safe for prepping for a cabinet paint job. On the other hand, the National Institute of Health (NIH) certainly has reservations. In a Material Safety Data Sheet  on one such liquid sandpaper product, the NIH lists the following warnings:

• Harmful in contact with skin.
• Risk of serious damage to eyes.
• Possible risk of harm to the unborn child.
• Acute overexposure can cause serious nervous system depression.

Where do you stand?

Are you considering installing acrylic countertops? So many manufacturers are producing them these days that you have an exceptional range of choices in colors and styles. Maintenance is relatively simple, but you do have to follow some guidelines in use or you can discolor or burn the surfaces.

I’ve read that a quick way to damage an acrylic or other solid surface counter is to set a hot fry-pan or saucepan directly on the countertop. Instead, put your pots and pans on a trivet or solid cutting board. In fact, the cutting board is an acrylic countertop’s best friend. Use the board instead of cutting and slicing anything on the counter.

In some cases, if you burn the surface, you can call in a professional contractor/countertop fabricator to sand or buff down the finish. But not always. And repair jobs may void your warranty.

Countertops and Going Solid

Chemical giant DuPont first invented Corian for bathroom counters back in the 60s, and today’s kitchen countertops in the material can be cleaned with dish soap, soft soaps, and water. A mild abrasive may remove shallow cuts and scratches.

Products like Meganite clean up with water and dish soap. LG Surfaces are said to resist knives and, if you choose a matte finish, you can even use an abrasive cleaner. While LG’s High Mac surfaces are said to resist temperatures up to 225 degrees, they can yellow under continuous high heat exposure.

Other solid surface choices include Agonite, Formica, Centura,  Swanstone, and Royalstone. One of the best qualities of solid surfaces is that they’re extremely hygienic. In this day and age, that’s a great attribute.