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42 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | February 2015 Product Trend Report K itchen sinks and faucets are a functional necessity, but the aesthetic appeal of these elements cannot be overlooked. As homeowners strive to create personal and unique spaces, designers must be tuned in to the options available to create exactly the right look. "With the popularity of the 'home chef,' kitchens are not just a central gathering place for family and friends, but are trending toward chef-inspired luxury," says Lou Rohl, CEO and managing partner of ROHL, LLC in Irvine, CA. As such, spaces are flled with luxurious amenities, from top-of-the-line appli- ances and large prep islands to commercial-grade sinks and faucets, all of which create a space that can handle elaborate meal preparation without sacrifcing style, he says. "Livable design" is a leading trend in kitchens, according to Tim Maicher, director of marketing for German-based BLANCO, which has U.S. headquarters in Lumberton, NJ. This design style is transitional in feel, he says, but has organic lines that are naturally inspired and ofer durability and easy- to-clean performance. "It's not enough to walk the line between traditional and modern. Today's styles must also be performance driven – they need to save water, last longer, be easy to use and easy to clean. They also need to ofer organic lines – gently sloping and easy to match with today's surfaces, cabinetry and fooring. Even modern cabinetry is reliant on nature's palettes and textures, so the fxtures must match," he says. The style of kitchen sinks and faucets selected varies greatly depending on the personal taste of each client. However, across the board, homeowners are looking for clean lines and efcient use of space, high functionality, accessories that customize their experience and the freedom to make a design statement all their own. So say manufacturers recently surveyed by Kitchen & Bath Design News . PERSONAL SPACE Designers aren't creating spaces to blend in with the crowd. Instead, their clients are demanding elements, including sinks and faucets, which refect their own personal style. To achieve this, manufacturers must ofer a wide variety of options to suit many diferent preferences. "We're seeing that consumers ultimately want to better ex- press their personal style, which means they're in need of even more design choices when selecting products for the kitchen," says Andrea Conroy, senior director of marketing, wholesale, for North Olmsted, OH-based Moen, Inc. "Increased options allow them to fnd just the right solution," she says. "Most people use their kitchen sink and faucet between 10- 30 times a day. That's probably more than any other appliance in their kitchen," says Rohl. "Because of the variety of styles, fnishes and colors that are available in the market, consumers now have the ability to truly customize their water appliance based on their needs." This current trend of customization includes the use of multiple fnishes in a space, a mixing and matching of styles, and a push to achieve a more "historically relevant period look," says Jonathan Wood, v.p./sales and marketing for Brasstech, Inc. in Santa Ana, CA. "There is more freedom in design and the use of materials now than we have seen in years past," he adds. "The desire to have a mix of modern convenience and period design has allowed consumers to really customize their space." INTEGRATED ACCESSORIES Design that caters to individual needs is prevalent right now, and the accessories homeowners choose directly correlates to how they will use the sink/faucet area, meaning it's dif- ferent for each end user. Manufacturers agree that, whatever By Elizabeth Richards Spotlight Flawless Function & Personalized Style Kitchen sinks and faucets are showcasing organic lines, durable performance, warmer fnishes and a host of stylish matching accessories. The Dahlia Double Bowl kitchen sink from Barclay Products is a farmer sink handcrafted from natural marble with a sculpted relief front. A recessed front panel emphasizes the carving of the projected foral design. The double-bowl sink is 33" in length and is comprised of a 20" large bowl and an 8" small bowl. The sink is available in either Polished Egyptian Cream Marble or Polished White Thassos Marble. Circle No. 155 on Product Card Graf has introduced three kitchen and bar faucet collections – Conical, Bollero and M.E. 25. In each collection the bar faucet is a smaller version of the kitchen faucet. The Bollero (shown), incorporates distinctive lines, a swivel spout and pull-down spray head. The water-saving Bollero faucets are available in Olive Bronze, Polished Chrome, Brushed Nickel and Polished Nickel. Circle No. 158 on Product Card Strom Plumbing by Sign of the Crab presents a reproduction of the original farmhouse drainboard sink. This piece includes a 5' sink with cast iron and porcelain features, with a large drainboard area on both sides. Circle No. 157 on Product Card New in Onyx stainless steel PVD, the Vela D from MGS features a single lever mixer, and is equipped with an integrated sleek dual hand-spray ofering a minimalist design. MGS has also added a matching fltered water dispenser and stainless steel soap dispenser in Onyx stainless steel PVD. Circle No. 156 on Product Card