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player ready...White cabinetry may be dominating America’s kitchens now, but watch for splashes or whole rooms of bright color to start showing up soon.
“Consumers are becoming more color-courageous,” according to Sarah Reep, who follows consumer tastes for home products manufacturer Masco Corp. Reep told a gathering at the recent Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas that though white color schemes led the marketplace in a survey of 400 kitchen designers, Generation Y consumers aren’t afraid to throw in a splash — or a whole lot more — of color.
“It’s a little rebirth of the ’70s,” she said. Or even the ’50s and ’60s, judging from the retro looks that popped up within the acres of kitchen products on display at the industry’s recent trade show.
Of course, it’s not all retro. A sampling of what’s just out or scheduled to be in showrooms in the next few months.
Return engagement
Can you say “Ozzie”? How about “Harriet”? Formica Corp. lined up noted designer, potter and author Jonathan Adler to create a line of laminate countertops that hark back to another era and are rich in color. Shown is Adler’s thoroughly retro Blue Malachite design. Formica.com.
Hot color
It’s coming: Cabinetry in thousands of colors. Wellborn Cabinet’s ColorInspire program has partnered with Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams and Valspar to offer cabinets in its Estate Collection that can be factory-finished in literally any color the paint companies offer. Wellborn.com.
Multitasker
Can your refrigerator make coffee? First, GE outfitted its Cafe series of French door refrigerators with the technology to dispense filtered hot water from a niche within the door. At KBIS, it unveiled the next step — a Keurig coffee maker in the door. Pop in one of the company’s K-Cup pods, press a button, and you have a single serving of brewed coffee, programmable in six-, eight- and 10-ounce settings. GEAppliances.com.
Narrowed focus
Liebherr was one of several manufacturers that emphasized 24-inch appliances, designed for smaller spaces such as condo kitchens. Its HCB 1060 model fits flush with standard cabinetry and features the company’s BioFresh Technology, which promises to keep food fresher for longer.
Come hither cabinets
So-called “motion cabinets” with shelves on lowerable or swing-out hinges have been popular in Europe for several years, and they’re starting to make an impact on American manufacturers. Rev-A-Shelf offered a wide variety of cabinet hardware that enables users to reach dishes and implements without stretching or climbing. Rev-A-Shelf.com