Kitchen Design Trends for 2013

Kitchen Design Trends for 2013

Hot & Trendy - an Atlantic Design Center bi-monthly newsletter

at Atlantic Design Center ~ A Bi-Monthly Newsletter

NOTE: This is a re-post of a popular newsletter from July 2013.
Be sure to contact one of our designers to see what kitchen designs are currently trending.

Kitchen Design Trends for 2013

Thinking of remodeling a kitchen, but unsure of what colors or materials to consider? Want to know what some of the most popular choices people are making today and what industry experts see as trending for 2013? Here are some things to consider:

kitchen photo - York Kitchen - white cabinetry style
tan kitchen

Don’t be afraid of the dark!

More and more we see that cabinetmakers offer darker color choices in their palette of stains. Many people are hesitant to go with these deep hues for fear that it will make their space feel smaller. But, with proper and adequate lighting, this is not the case. In fact, a darker finish can give a room a warmth that cannot be achieved by using lighter, cooler colors.

Brighten your life with L.E.D.

As consumer awareness of energy efficienty has risen, it comes as no surprise that light-emitting diode, or LED, lighting is increasing in popularity as the choice for kitchen task lighting. Also, significant advances in technology have given LED lighting a much improved brightness that, in some cases, rivals that of halogen lighting. So you benefit by achieving similar lighting effects without the heat and expense. Recent numbers suggest that this trend has serious staying power.

Classic White or Shades of Gray?

Here in New England, the white painted look has been one of the most popular choices. Given its remarkable upward climb over the past three years nationwide, it’s clearly no “fad”. The popularity of white-painted cabinetry jumped from 47 percent to 59 percent in 2012 and further increased to 67 percent so far this year, according to the NKBA.

However, there has been a strong push within the last year towards gray tones, as evidenced by the release of many new finishes by manufacturers.

warm wood kitchen with lighting
dark kitchen with LED lighting
slim colored tiles backsplash

Make a splash with glass!

According to NKBA data, the preference for glass splashes has grown dramatically over the past three years. Natural stone tiles showed consistent growth during recent years, however usage trailed off a little this past year. Ceramic or percelain tile still holds the top spot as far as popularity.

Ask the experts!

At the Atlantic Design Center we make it our business to stay current with industry trends. This allows our designers to offer forward-thinking solutions for your project, whether large or small. Make an appointment to speak with us and use our expertise to help you realize your dream.

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Jason Barna

Jason has been designing custom kitchens and bathrooms for over 16 years. With a long history in the kitchen and bath industry that began in his family’s custom cabinet shop, he learned every aspect of the business…from building cabinets, doing installations and eventually designing and selling. This unique background gives Jason the ability to look at projects from a different perspective than many other designers. With every design he does, he tries to think of how it translates into the field. This ensures a smooth and trouble-free job for the installers. He believes that when talking with clients, everyone and every situation is unique. The best thing you can do is listen to what they are telling you, enabling you to identify both their wants and needs. Jason excels at transforming the clients’ vision into a job that exceeds expectations.

Jason has designed several spaces for regional design show houses and his work has been featured in publications such as DesignNJ.

When Jason is not at work, he enjoys running, surging and playing hockey. But, his favoite pastime is spending time with his wife and two children.

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Surviving a Kitchen Remodel

Surviving a Kitchen Remodel

Hot & Trendy - an Atlantic Design Center bi-monthly newsletter

at Atlantic Design Center ~ A Bi-Monthly Newsletter

kitchen photo - before & after

Surviving a Kitchen Remodel

Timing is everything – so planning the timing of your project is just one of the keys to a successful remodel. Do you wait until the summer so you can do the cooking comfortably outside on the grill? Better yet – how about having the contractor start the tear out, the dirtiest part of the project, while you are at camp? Or do you wait until the fall when the kids have gone off to college and all your summer guests have gone home? I’ve even had clients plan their remodeling project knowing that they would not be ready for Thanksgiving – that way they knew they didn’t have to host it!

Once you’ve decided on a start date, you can now begin to get organized. A large notebook or an expandable file will do. Start choosing all the finishes and items as soon as possible. There is nothing worse than getting a call from your contractor saying, The electrician is arriving tomorrow so we need to know what lighting fixtures

you are using” or “the painter is here – do you have those wall colors picked out?” which means you have to drop everything to go to the store to make hurried decisions.

Plan on putting your refrigerator and microwave in a corner of an undisturbed room to create a makeshift kitchen. This allows you to at least make coffee and breakfast in the morning.

Expect the unexpected!!! If someone tells you it’s a three-week project, plan on six! Whatever you have budgeted for money, set at least ten percent aside to cover any surprises. I promise you will have some!

Please keep the end result in mind to stay polistive. Take “before” shots and lots of interim pictures for prosperity – it will all be worth it!

Counter Top Trends

A popular trend in kitchen remodeling has homeowners incorporating different countertop surfaces, allowing them to create a focal point for an island or a piece of furniture. Most designs include granite or man-made quartz countertops for the majority of the working kitchen surface area and then the complimentary surface is typically a beautiful mahogany or teak wood surface. Occasionally, we will see stainless steel for the more contemporary designs. Other options include gorgeous glass countertops, distressed metal surfaces and colorful concrete. Of course, there are also beautiful laminates available for the budget-conscious consumer which, when partnered with a stone remnant for the island, provides the perfect solution for creating your own unique and more affordable kitchen space.
Nancy Bither

Nancy Bither has a total of 29 years experience in the building supply business. For 21 of those years, she has specialized in kitchen and bath design and sales. As the Director of Design at Atlantic Design Center, Nancy oversees the design standards and project details for each designer. She is certified by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) for both Kitchen and Bath Design and was a founding member of the NKABA Main chapter. Nancy’s designs have been featured in national publications, in addition to an array of local designer show houses. As a designer, Nancy enjoys the challenge of making each kitchen unique to each homeowner. She especially loves designing other rooms in the home, such as laundry rooms, entertainment centers and home offices.

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Kitchen & Bath Planning – A Word to the Wise

Kitchen & Bath Planning – A Word to the Wise

Hot & Trendy - an Atlantic Design Center bi-monthly newsletter

at Atlantic Design Center ~ A Bi-Monthly Newsletter

kitchen photo - before & after

Kitchen & Bath Planning – A Word to the Wise

First of all, when it comes to any major project, you can never start too early in the planning process. If you are serious about remodeling your kitchen or bath, you should connect with a designer as soon as possible. That relationship is so important! You will be spending a lot of time with this professional, so you want to be sure that you feel confident in their experience and comfortable with their personality.

In deciding how you want to remodel a space, doing some homework ahead of time is beneficial to everyone. There are web sites to go to (my favorite is www.houzz.com), magazines to pour through and different retail centers to visit (i.e. appliance dealers or plumbing showrooms). You will want to have a collection of ideas to bring to the designer. One hint, though is to make notes as to why you have chosen that particular picture or idea. You would be surprised how easy it is to forget a month later why you selected it!

Another thing I suggest is to leave a pad of paper and a pen handy in the room you plan to remodel. As you cook in the kitchen or get ready for work in the bathroom, take notes on things that are important. Write down both the good and the bad issues you come across. Then, when you start the interview process with the designer, the more information that you have in the beginning about your wants, needs and “hope to haves”, the smoother the project will go,.

So – in conclusion – give yourself a chance to think about the changes you want and allow plenty of time to work through the design process.

Stay tuned for more tips and ideas…

Nancy Bither

Nancy Bither has a total of 29 years experience in the building supply business. For 21 of those years, she has specialized in kitchen and bath design and sales. As the Director of Design at Atlantic Design Center, Nancy oversees the design standards and project details for each designer. She is certified by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) for both Kitchen and Bath Design and was a founding member of the NKABA Main chapter. Nancy’s designs have been featured in national publications, in addition to an array of local designer show houses. As a designer, Nancy enjoys the challenge of making each kitchen unique to each homeowner. She especially loves designing other rooms in the home, such as laundry rooms, entertainment centers and home offices.

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Hot & Trendy Archive

flower tile mosaic

Magnificent Mosaics!

Adding Mosaique Surface to its line of tile vendors brought an array of detailed, exquisite and creative mosaic tiles to the offerings at Atlantic Design Center. Read more →