The NKBA says cherry has been the most popular species, followed by maple, and predicts alder wood will make a resurgence. “Cherry has been replacing maple as the species of choice; alder has replaced hickory,” says Andrew Thomas of Designs by Thomas, an offshoot of Thomas Building Center in Sequim, Wash. But at Wellborn Cabinet, maple is toppling oak and cherry comes next.
With the fall of oak comes the popularity of maple. Maple has a cleaner look because of its tighter grain, O’Neill says. Cherry, a premium over maple with an even closer grain, is the next most popular species for her company.
Finishes and Colors Maple doors hold paint well and accommodate the popularity of paint finishes, O’Neill says. White paint finishes have been most popular.
“A clean, white, open space is nice,” says Tosha Di Iorio, manager of marketing and communications for Armstrong. “If you go light, if you have a small kitchen, the room will look bigger.”
Dark glazing on top of a white paint finish can help introduce another color into the space without being too hectic, she adds, and many consumers have been exploring this option. “You can take a painted maple cabinet and add brown or pewter glaze,” she says. “It ties in with your appliances, the pewter glaze, and it’s one of the reasons we brought that on board.”
However, simple glaze finishes also remain popular. These finishes have more of a natural feel that many homeowners desire, manufacturers say. Medium- and dark-tone brown glazes are especially requested. Using bright colors in the rest of the kitchen can keep a room modern and cheery, even with darker cabinets.
“The floor is light, the countertop is light, and backsplash and tile are bright,” Wellborn’s O’Neill says. “And you have a brown, dark Shaker door. It looks very clean.”
“Currently, most of our customers are asking for either dark stained wood cabinets or cabinets painted with a glaze,” says Dan Hughes, millwork manager at Kuiken Brothers, which has its headquarters in Fair Lawn, N.J. “In some cases, they even combine the two in the same kitchen for dramatic results!”
Having a mostly white kitchen with darker accents, such as a dark island and range hood cover, can make the most of this look, and ensure the mixing does not look overwhelming, designers say. Some homeowners have also started to mix the colors of their base cabinets and upper cabinets, though this is less common.
Quality Cabinets is introducing Twilight, a dark brown finish with black overtones, in October. It blends well with other contrasting finishes, the maker says.
Just as homeowners have shied away from busier cabinet doors to more basic styles, they are also picking cleaner finishes and moving away from distressed surfaces.
Additionally, open shelving, floating shelves or shelves behind glass doors have become popular in kitchens, and can help promote a cleaner look, manufacturers believe.
“It opens up the room and breaks it up, so you don’t have just a room full of wood,” Di Iorio says.
On the Horizon While Universal Design and the green movement are talked about, they may result in more questions from consumers than sales, according to dealers and manufacturers. Still, since customers want to learn about product options that follow these trends, it is wise for dealers to have lines available to meet these demands.
“We regularly talk about sustainable wood products, and some clients are embracing the green revolution,” says Marie Beckham, a designer with Bolyard Lumber in Rochester Hills, Mich. “Our suppliers are offering more green products than ever before. People are becoming aware of their personal responsibility to the planet.”
Wellborn has FSC-certified products and has revamped its manufacturing processes to be more sustainable, and Armstrong offers its Origin line that can qualify for LEED points. Still, both manufacturers say consumers who are interested in green products may not end up buying them, though the customers do appreciate having a green option.
Aristokraft uses sustainably-certified woods for its products, says Andy Wells, vice president of product design and merchandising, and consumers notice the lines’ green characteristics.
Similarly, Universal Design spurs a lot of talk in the design community, but results in more sales for multi-family projects than residential homes. However, manufacturers and dealers have been seeing some interest, due to aging homeowners, multi-generational households that include younger and older generations, and some younger customers who are thinking about the future.
“It’s not a strong percentage of our sales, but it’s enough of a demand that we needed to add our product to it. We named it Active Living,” O’Neill says. Keri Henley, a kitchen designer at ProBuild’s Showplace showroom in Charlotte, N.C, says some aspects of Universal Design are important to include in every kitchen, such as having large enough passages in the kitchen. But she tiptoes around the issue with older customers and doesn’t discuss Universal Design with younger clients.
