What's Hot In Kitchen Design? Maple, Walnut, Cherry
By Matthew Fite
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) held a design competition this year, and out of this emerged the top design trends that incorporate solid wood into their design.
These winners in the 2010 NKBA Design Competition were announced at the NKBA’s 2010 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show recently in Chicago.
The winners and their choice of wood species are:
This Sapele Butcher Block and Bar counter are by Qwinique: Unique Wood Surfaces, McHenry, Illinois.
1) Concealed kitchens are represented in a design by David Heide of David Heide Design Studio in Minneapolis, Minn. According to NKBA, “Kitchen design has reached a new level of integration. The quiet incorporation of the kitchen into the home’s primary living and entertaining rooms provides homeowners with far more flexibility in their lifestyles.” In his design, Heide included a cabinet with Cherry at the base and the upper part of Walnut.
2) An example of beverage stations is seen in a design by Peter Ross Salerno, CMKBD, of Peter Salerno, Inc. of Wyckoff, N.J. NKBA says that a beverage station is “usually comprised of an under-counter refrigerator and wine refrigeration, as well as a coffeemaker, which can be as varied as the homeowners using them . . . “In his design, Salerno included an island made of Cherry with Walnut stain and chocolate glaze, furniture grade, 5/4. Cabinets on the perimeter of the design are of Maple, paint grade, 5/4.
3) Scaling of elements is carried out in a design by Kirsti Wolfe of Kirsti Wolfe Designs of Bend, Ore. “Shapes, actual and implied textures, along with the placement of fixtures are being used to create scale,” says the NKBA. Wolfe employed furniture from Ben’s Cabinets in her design. The furniture is of Birdseye Maple and Quarter Sawn Maple, both veneered with a 1/16-inch Walnut inlay separating the two types of wood.
4) Color with energy is demonstrated in a design by Adel Visser, CKD, CBD of All About Kitchens & More in Sacramento, Calif. The NKBA observes that, “Bold colors are creating a vibrant splash in room palettes for 2010, with rich blues, purples, greens and citric yellow making their confident appearance in kitchens and baths.” Visser’s design includes cabinets of composite veneer of quartered Cherry, in medium color. The bar counter is of Sapele Mahogany, Select. The chopping block is of Sapele.
5) Soft geometry incorporates rounded shapes such as the edge of a counter or island top or an arched entryway. Earl Lawson of V6B Design Group in Vancouver, B.C., executed a design using Birch, Select & Better, ¾-inch thick with a ¾-inch thick applied moulding.
6) Design framing allows designers to bring artistic details to new heights. “A seemingly simple detail, such as the use of a soffit along the ceiling or a width of wall space surrounding inset cabinetry, can call out the item being framed as a focal point while also providing visual balance to the room,” NKBA notes. Tanya Rentzos of Andros Kitchen & Bath Design in Mississauga, Ontario, used Walnut and Maple at least ¾ inches thick for furniture in her design.
Photographed here are Brookside Composite Veneer’s Brookline Veneer Series manufactured from quartered Cherry.
7) Varying heights of island tops, countertops and partial walls offer more family interaction in the kitchen and greater functionality and balanced space in bathrooms, according to the NKBA. Robert Kinsley of Kinsley Design Group in Highland Park, Ill., created a design illustrating this concept. He used four-inch, No. 2 Walnut flooring, ¾-inch thick. Reclaimed Douglas fir timbers were used for the kitchen hutch (one-inch thick) and the kitchen table (1-3/4 inches thick).
8) Japanese influences “can be seen very subtly in clean lines, open spaces and neutral color palettes with bold splashes of color in select areas,” the NKBA says. Japanese design can also be more pronounced, according to the NKBA. Leslie J. Jensen, CMKBD of Signature Woodworks, LLC of Tacoma, Wash., executed a design with a cabinet of furniture grade Maple, the doors and face of which are ¾-inch thick. A decorative wall is also made of furniture grade Maple, 3-1/2 inches thick.
9) Art integration focuses on a cherished piece of art, whether it is a sculpture or a painting. Savena Doychinov, CKD of Design Studio Int’l. Kitchens & Bath, LLC, in Falls Church, Va., carried out a design according to this concept. She used Birch with custom driftwood stain, employing furniture grade veneer.
The National Kitchen & Bath Association is a non-profit trade association with nearly 40,000 members. For more information, go to www.nkba.org.
