Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
Issue link: http://kitchenbathdesign.epubxp.com/i/406129
Publisher Paul DeGrandis Publisher Emeritus Eliot Sefrin Editor Janice Anne Costa Managing Editor Anita Shaw Group Editorial Director Patrick O'Toole Contributing Writers Kim Berndtson Joe Dowd Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS Elizabeth Richards Denise Vermeulen Columnists Ellen Cheever, CMKBD, ASID, CAPS Hank Darlington Leslie Hart Bruce Kelleran, CKD, CPA Stephen Nicholls Ken Peterson, CKD Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD, CAPS Sarah Reep, CMKBD, ASID, CMG, CAPS, IIDA Bryan Reiss, CMKBD Eric Schimelpfenig, AKBD Art Director John Sidor Media Production Rep Connie Wolf Editor, ForResidentialPros.com Andrea Girolamo Web Site Manager Thamaraj Udomwongyont Circulation Manager Mike Serino Reader Service Manager Jeff Heine Administrative Assistant Marie Snow Sola Group Inc. Copyright © 2014 by Sola Group Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be produced in any form, including electronically, without written permission from the publisher of Kitchen & Bath Design News . ® November 2014 ForResidentialPros.com | 5 Facebook.com/KitchenBathDesignNews @KBDN Editorial { Janice Costa, editor } N ovember has always struck me as a wast- ed month – too late for colorful fall foliage, too early for holiday cheer, just a series of blah days that are more often than not grey and gloomy. This is the time of year that makes me won- der if the bears have it right – hibernating until spring and re-awakening when the world comes to life again in April. I've always been more of a summer person anyway, but it's not just the arrival of cold weather that makes November such a downer for me; it's the lack of color. Color has always had a profound impact on my state of mind; when things are good in my world, I tend to gravitate toward color. When things are not so good, safe and reliable black becomes my go-to choice for everything from fashion to furniture. My happiest memories are edged in warm, sunlit gold, spring green and pool blue – colors that speak to me on a personal level. And apparently I'm not alone. Numerous studies show that color not only impacts how we feel, but prevailing color trends can actually make a powerful statement about the mood of the country as a whole. When times are tough, people tend to favor darker shades, hibernating behind closed doors, subconsciously creating dark, cave-like ha- vens to ride out the storm… or, they hide behind stan- dardized "safe" colors that maximize resale value, living in permanent "pause" mode as they wait for things to stabilize. When times are better, however, colors get lighter and brighter, with more de- mand for bright colors that speak to us personally, rath- er than to some anonymous future buyer. As the economic climate has improved, consumers have been looking to add color to their world, being influenced by everything from modern cuisine to furniture (see related Color Trend Report, Page 42). They want pops of vivid red or warm gold or cobalt blue, set against lighter backdrops of creamy white, warm, me- dium-tone woods or shades of grey that run the gamut from mushroom to silvery pearl to rich charcoal. In the kitchen, consumers are trading in stark, all-white kitchens for warmer off- whites jazzed up with notes of color on a countertop, cabinet interior, appliance or high-contrast island. Stainless steel has evolved to warmer fnishes in graphite and soft shades of grey, and woods are getting lighter and more di- mensional, with red-browns being replaced by those with soft grey undertones. In the bath, tile takes center stage, with nature-in- spired colors and cool blues creating a mood that is both soothing and invigorating (see related story, Page 32). There's also a growing demand for "experiential" colors – rich, textured colors that bring to mind a feeling of another time and place – outer space, or underwater environs, for example – and this speaks to a consumer base that is gaining conf- dence and more interested in experiencing the world through design. Color is even turning up in unexpected places, like the once-utilitarian laundry room, which is increasingly being personalized with everything from granite countertops to colorful stacked cabinets with glass doors and interior lighting to pet amenities (see related story, Page 39). As with many design trends, color preferences vary by age, with younger consumers generally more willing to embrace color than their parents' generation. Yet even older consumers seem more willing to inject a little bit of color into their home spaces right now. And that suggests an optimism that bodes well for the kitchen and bath industry. While renewed interest in color doesn't guarantee a home remodeling boom, it does suggest that consumers are done hibernating. Rath- er, they are awakening to a more positive outlook on the economy, their homes and their lives – one rife with the possibilities of color, beauty and design. And when that's the case, can interest in a new kitchen or bath be far behind? Color Trends Refect Growing Consumer Confdence The newest color palettes suggest a growing optimism, as evidenced by the willingness to embrace color and invest in personalizing the home – all of which bode well for the kitchen and bath market. "As the economic climate has improved, consumers have been looking to add color to their world, being infuenced by everything from modern cuisine to furniture."