Upcoming Kitchen Design Trends

Photo: HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo 2010
Seminar Kitchen & Bath Design Trends for 2011 - Sold Out
Dec 2, 2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

Kitchen Designs + Upcoming Trends

We all know that when renovating, a kitchen update adds some of the best value to a home especially when you're looking to put your home on the resale market. Even if you're not looking to add to the resale value of your home, a kitchen update will always help refresh a tired looking home.

Having just attended the Kitchen & Bathroom Update at the Homebuilder & Renovator Expo in the past week, we had the opportunity to see some of the latest trends coming out of Europe, and how they are influencing kitchen designs in the North American market. What we saw were kitchens that were very utilitarian; almost on the verge of an office space design. Some kitchen appliances such as fridges seemed to be conspicuously missing, but the fact was that they were now being hidden behind cabinets and walls which gave kitchens a very open look. Other design elements that were seen were floating shelves and lots of base cabinets which were in keeping with the open concept. Countertops and islands were sometimes stacked with other countertops of different thickness giving them an asymmetrical look. And the kitchen colors that were predominantly used were cream, white (it seemed to be everywhere) and gray. Stainless steel was still a big design element and was seen quite often in the designs.

In North America, where kitchens are somewhat larger and are more traditional in their styles, designers are doing what is called transitional styling. They are taking some of those modern European design elements and mixing them with our more traditional styling to come up with some very unique spaces. All in all it was a very inspiring seminar, and one which gave us lots of wonderful ideas to create kitchens with innovative design elements and still retain their functionality.

We at Wo-Built Inc. are excited about all the new trends that we saw at the seminar and are ready to apply some of these designs to create the kitchen of your dreams!

Lonya Miller,
Writer
Wo-Built Inc. - Innovative Design and Build

Information About Seminar
HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo, December 1-3, 2010
Metro Toronto Conventional Centre
Seminar: Kitchen & Bath Design Trends for 2011
Category: Design Trends for Residential Buildings
Code: T211
Description: Kitchen and bath design has been elevated to an art form, with infinite options and new technologies to maximize both comfort and space. See how both kitchen and bath aesthetics are evolving and influencing design, materials, finishes, and colors. How can the latest trends in cabinets, countertops, lighting, and fixtures be incorporated to create a functional and luxurious space?
Speaker: Margaret MacDonald, Senior Designer AYA Kitchens and Baths Ltd.
Credit: www.homebuilderexpo.com

Here are several photos from the construction expo floor:

Screenshot: HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo + Construct Canada
flickr.com: photos Toronto, Dec 2, 2010 @ Olga Goubar, wobuilt.com

links:
wobuilt.com: Kitchen Designs – Are We Missing the Boat?
wobuilt.com: Kitchen Upgrade – Plan Yours Today!