You don’t want to be a slave to your kitchen. In looking at more trends for 2010, I noticed that while going green (choosing sustainable cabinet and counter-top materials) will be a popular trend, people appear more interested in keeping their cabinets and kitchen space organized and compact. That means no hunting around for a half hour in your kitchen cabinets, drawers, or pantry for the lost tureen Aunt Doris gave you for your wedding a decade ago.
Cabinet styles may include upward mobility—not in terms of cash investment, but in the use of stack-able or extended pedestal cabinet units that rise some 42 inches or more. The top shelf, of course, is reserved for Aunt Doris’ tureen and the vegetable chopper you bought at the state fair but never use. The lower drawers are for everyday utensils or china.
For those looking at a cabinet refacing project, there are green materials that can look great if you match them to the décor—or redo the décor entirely to suit the materials. Wheat-board and bamboo cabinet facings can make solid options as sustainable choices.
Trends Toward Furniture-grade Woods
Consumers seem to be interested in high-performance cabinet accessories, such as pull-down shelving and roll-away waste cans. For those willing to spend the money, furniture-grade wood for cabinets or even facings can finish up a room smartly.
More exotic woods like Canadian red birch, knotty chestnut, or French white oak make for unique tones and grain patterns that can set your décor apart from the ordinary. Heavily distressed finishes and treatments are trending downward in favor of lighter colors that make the kitchen feel expansive, light, and functional.
