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It's not going away any time soon, and not just because the temperature is below freezing in many parts of the U.S. and Canada. White has long been a frst choice of designers, builders and homeowners in kitchens and baths, and it's fair to predict that as a continuing forecast for 2016. "To put it simply, white is one of the most important colors in a designer's palette," says Stephanie Pierce, senior manager of the design studio at MasterBrand Cabinets. She notes that white shows up across style trends, from tradi- tional to contemporary. Paint giant Benjamin Moore even named Simply White its 2016 Color of the Year, sur- prising many in the business. "Through our global travels and research, we were struck by the strong use of the color white – whether white on its own or white used to frame and highlight other (at times bold) colors," observes Andrea Magno, manager of the Benjamin Moore Color & Design Studio. "Each day we are inundated with messages that create the need for a place to pause, and white has the ability to accomplish this," she shares. "Kitchen and baths are great examples of rooms where simplifying and refo- cusing on what is essential may be important," she points out. So white is showing up in more ways than ever before, often in the same space. WHITE IN THE KITCHEN "The light and airy feel a white kitchen provides will be forever classic and neutral enough to stand the test of time," Pierce observes, adding, "The décor, textures and fnishes that pair with it are what will continue to evolve. I believe we will continue to see many shades of white and of- white in 2016, as well as an infusion of warmer grays and taupe tones in both paint and stains to pair with it." White is a perennial favorite for kitchen cabinets, but only recently has shown up in the upscale appliance segment, where stainless and paneled fronts have fooded the scene for the past decade. Perhaps inspired by the iPhone, a furry of appliances with sleek white glass appliance fronts have been showing up in high- end contemporary kitchens. Miele has been leading the way in bringing it to North America with its Brilliant White series, though other manufacturers have also shown glass fronts at European shows. White has long been popular on apron- front sinks, subway tile and marble (and, more recently, marble-look quartz) countertops. You'll still see those elements in 2016, but paired with some newer ones. "Historically, the trend has been to mix a dark stain with white cabinets for striking contrasts," notes MasterBrand's Pierce. "The current trend for white pairings [uses] lighter or more muted tones, such as pale wood stains or grays. In both of these instances, these lighter pairings highlight metallic accents in appliances or hardware more signifcantly and enhance a three-tone palette," she says. Pierce is also seeing of-tone white cabinetry that appears slightly grayer or khaki. "Textures were a big design infuencer in 2015, and that will continue for 2016. However, there may be a shift from high gloss to matte sheens on opaque fnishes that adds a new dimension to texture mixing," the cabinet brand designer says. "While gray and white/of-whites are [the] most common kitchen color schemes, mixed col- ors are emerging. About 60 percent of respon- dents said they did two or more color schemes," according to the recently released 2016 National Kitchen and Bath Association Design Trends Report. "NKBA members reported pairing creamy whites with charcoal, and other light/ dark combinations. White painted and gray painted cabinets top the list of most popular cabinet fnishes. Dark natural is the third most popular," the report reveals. Those additional col- ors often show up in backsplash tile, wall paint and the occasional accent cabinet or appliance. National home builders are often reliable mass market trend predictors, as they have to bal- ance new styles with a wide range of homeowner tastes. Misty Vickers has been a design consul- tant for David Weekley Homes for 12 years. "As a whole, shades of white throughout the home are most popular," she shares. She's also seeing a Trending Right Now: The New White BY JAMIE GOLD, CKD, CAPS With its classic look, light and airy feel and ability to work with nearly any design style, white continues to be a hot trend, with new incarnations ofering a fresh update on this timeless color. White is often paired with color pops and gray. White has also reappeared in appliances, but in sleek glass this time. Kitchens often blend multiple white fnishes and textures. Photo: Courtesy of Poggenpohl/Photo by Jill Broussard Photo: Courtesy of Benjamin Moore Photo: Courtesy of Miele 30 Kitchen & Bath Design News • February 2016 TREND SPOTTING