Cabinet Trends in 2011 | Kitchen and Bath Styles

If you are having trouble deciding what style of kitchen cabinets to choose during a kitchen or bath remodel these days, a variety of styles and colors on the market may reassure you that anything goes! In fact, you don't even have to settle for one homogenous style. Today's homeowners can have their cake and eat it too, by combining styles. The selection of wood species and stain colors has grown as well, creating more variety than ever - including several "green" cabinet options. The design gurus at Cornerstone Cabinet Company are here to make your kitchen or bath remodel as easy as possible, with our observation of current design trends this year.

The contemporary look is coming back.

Trends are pointing toward a softer, warmer feel. Contemporary kitchens have a smaller molding than the traditional kitchens—something like a 1.5-inch, double bull-nose molding to give a linear look. A great compliment to this would be a Shaker door in cherry with a clear finish, along with a flat panel and frame around the door. To modernize the aesthetic, handles that run from 8 inches to 30 inches from the top to the bottom of the door can be added. One can have a simple looking door, when such hardware is added to a simpler base, it makes a contemporary statement, and not a shiny or industrial one. It's still sleek and modern, but warmer.

Let the light in.

Home remodelers want more sunlight in their kitchens, so they're taking down walls to put in bigger windows, sometimes even Tri-pane windows. When this choice is made, usually the first things to go in order to make room are the cabinets. This happens more often along the coast where the view is more desirable. To make up for the lost storage space, ingenuity can help you put more accessories in drawers. Consider using partitions in deep drawers to store individual plates.

Change up the hardware.

Depending on the hardware that is used, you can completely change the look of your cabinets. A good example of smart hardware usage is a kitchen with stainless steel handles working alongside a modern style. You can have many different finishes on your handles, knobs and hinges, including rust and black. Hardware is a very popular redesign option because changing it can make the kitchen unique. There are whimsical choices—a lot of tubular and curved handles. In a more contemporary streamlined look, you'll see chrome, brushed chrome, and stainless steel. A traditional kitchen might have brass knobs.

Remember the moldings.

When it comes to moldings, remodelers with class are going for a more subdued look than in the past. A strong molding with no style in mind won't help to relegate your cabinets to any real style. Remodelers are not looking to make a statement with just their moldings and trim. With some new incarnations of cabinets, moldings are entirely unused.

Accessorize!

Inquisitive lookers with style in mind have stopped observing only the fronts of cabinets. With advances in modern innovation, accessories have never been a better idea. Homeowners no longer have to settle for the ubiquitous roll-out shelf. Now, cabinet interiors can be organized for plates, pots, and pans in heavy-duty rollouts. Any base cabinet with a door is expected to have rollout shelves. Recycle centers are also a huge demand. The potential to accessorize is limited only by your imagination!

Go environmentally exotic

Any stylist would agree: Exotic woods also are becoming popular. Oak, cherry and maple are strong and beautiful wood species, but the high-end market in particular wants designs out of the ordinary. Recent design examples found in high-end production include quarter-sawn white oak, Canadian red birch, Old French white oak and knotty chestnut in particular.

With all of this information in mind, we hope we have made your search for a newly remodeled kitchen or bath a bit simpler. Give us at Cornerstone Cabinet Company a call today at 480-710-7363 to get started on the remodel that you want!