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Product Trend Report 44 | Kitchen & Bath Design News December 2014 as contemporary. However these days we're beginning to see a blending of styles in ways that sometimes defy the labels in the past," he adds. Steve Hirasawa, v.p. sales & marketing for Sugatsune America, Inc. in Chicago, IL concurs. "Looking back over 20- plus years of kitchen designs, what you fnd today in the North American market has existed in Europe for more than a decade," he says. Products like Sugatsune's SDS oferings were popular with the Italian and German kitchen manufacturers in the '90s, and are the predecessor to all of the soft-close cabinet door systems you fnd in the marketplace, he notes. Vecchiolla says that handless or European channel designs are also increasing in popularity. "You might ask us how we are making handless handles, but it's about creating attractive channel pulls that ft a European minimal design while still being functional," he says. "You still have to lead people by visually identifying where they place their hand to open the cabinet drawer or door." STREAMLINED AND SIMPLE Whether decorative or functional, the trend in appearances for hardware has moved to simple, clean lines. With hinges and slides, the goal is to have the hardware work so smoothly the user almost forgets it's there. When adorning the outside of cabinet doors and drawers, hardware still needs to be simple, with a clean design that complements the rest of the space. "We've seen increased demand for hardware with cleaner or simpler designs, and a decrease in demand for styles that are more ornate with intricate detailing," says Van Wyk. While there's still strong demand for knobs and handles with classic styling, they tend to be smaller and more understated, he adds. "We're seeing many liking simple, clean lines in a beautiful material such as bronze. The quality and detail are subtle, like a nice piece of jewelry," says Christine Pfau, director of mar- keting for Rocky Mountain Hardware in Hailey, ID. "In cabinet hardware, we've been seeing longer pulls that run the length or width of the drawer/door for a while. It adds nice detail without being too busy," she adds. Peele agrees that simple, minimalist design for hardware is on the rise. "It gives the cleanest possible look for a clean- lined modern kitchen. Continuous drawer pulls give a seamless, infnite feel and tie a series of drawers or cabinets together in linear fashion with greater accessibility along the length of the drawer," he says. These simplifed, clean designs are on the rise as contem- porary looks become more prevalent in the kitchen and bath says Vecchiolla. Pulls and handles are getting larger, he adds, to accommodate integrated appliances. SLEEK APPEARANCE How hardware looks is essential to the overall design, and has an impact on the overall feel of the room. "Hardware is often the fnal fnishing touch to a kitchen or bath, but it can also be the inspiration for everything else in the space," says Mihai Subran, product manager for decorative hardware at Richelieu. "It's often the frst thing the eye sees when you enter the space and the frst thing the hand touches. Hardware is so signifcant that it can dramatically change the feel of the whole space," he continues. " Well-designed hardware is a stand-out detail," adds Pfau . "It's amazing the diference that a beautiful bronze cabinet knob or pull makes to the space. It's these thoughtful details that complete the look," she says. Finishes that work well with the rising smooth, clean looks include stainless, chrome and silver fnishes, which manufactur- ers say top the list of preferences. Van Wyk sees a move away The Abella collection of decorative hardware from Liberty Hardware draws inspiration from fashion and textiles. The casual-style knobs and pulls are available in vintage nickel, soft iron and venetian bronze fnishes. Circle No. 183 on Product Card Glace Yar Stained Glass Design presents its new Cedar Street French door cabinet knobs, inspired by homes with French doors and windows. The stained glass frame is matched to the color of wood, creating a mini replica of a French door or window. Circle No. 180 on Product Card Outwater Plastics Industries has introduced heavy-duty, full-extension cabinet slides for tall kitchen pantries, vertical cabinet pull-outs and other pull-out storage systems. The soft-close cabinet slides are ofered in numerous sizes and able to accommodate load-bearing capacities of up to 475 lbs. Circle No. 177 on Product Card The ceramic line of decorative hardware from Nifty Nob includes a variety of shapes in over 30 colors. All of the hardware is hand cast and hand painted. Shown are pieces in shades of blue. Circle No. 179 on Product Card Reminiscent of a retro-chic design, the Jazz Collection of decorative hardware from Richelieu Hardware sports slender, geometric curves. Metal accents are paired with bright, translucent colors in four shades: black, white, orange and green. Circle No. 184 on Product Card The Omnia Traditions collection from Omnia Industries has been expanded to include cabinet hardware. Handcrafted of solid brass, the new pull and knob designs are available in six fnishes. Circle No. 185 on Product Card This Fleur-De-Lis Wood Knob from Notting Hill Decorative Hardware plays on the trend toward warm metal and wood fnishes. The knob is shown in a Dark Walnut fnish with Antique Brass decorative details. Circle No. 186 on Product Card The Full Access Quadro from Hettich America is designed for faceframe applications and meets requirements up to 75 lb. dynamic load for a 21" slide. The slide can be used for drawers designed with a 5/8", 1/2" or 3/4" drawer side thickness and is available with or without Silent System soft-closing function. Circle No. 181 on Product Card California Faucets' ergonomically designed traditional pulls ofer a textural style and are available in over 30 fnishes. The brass knobs shown complement the pulls and feature a classic button- center design with rope trim. Circle No. 182 on Product Card Rocky Mountain Hardware's new Flute collection of hardware for doors and cabinetry was created in collaboration with Roger Thomas of Wynn Design. Named for the futed detailing that characterizes ancient architectural columns, the collection includes 14 lever, pull, grip and knob designs in an array of sizes and 10 fnishes. Circle No. 178 on Product Card