Trends

As with any industry, the popularity of materials and styles grows and wanes over time. As we publish this blog post, here’s what’s hot and what’s not in Sarasota kitchen remodeling:
WOOD SPECIES

Exotic veneers are very hot in Sarasota kitchen remodeling and bathroom remodeling. Rift-cut white oak, zebrawood, figured maple and lace wood, are all popular. Here in Florida we are still seeing an increase in cherry and mahogany. Maple continues to be strong although slowing a bit. Birch is picking up while red oak, ask, hickory, and pine remain flat.
For custom-built furniture, we are beginning to see a lot of Wenge, Sapele eucalyptus, and Purple Heart, Bird’s Eye maple, Figured maple continue to be a factor as well as plain sliced maple (still popular for paint and glaze and stain and glaze finishes).

STYLE AND DESIGN

Contemporary design is coming back strong in Sarasota kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling and as furniture additions. Exotic veneers, simulated wood laminates, metal laminates, and trim are all very popular right now. Sleek, clean lines, floating shelves and floating base cabinet are all a part of this trend. Zen design, incorporating natural materials such as stone, metal, and wood, is also very popular now and can be a beautiful mode of contemporary design. Another idea in current contemporary design is the running of wood grain on flush cabinetry horizontally as opposed to vertically. Instead of accentuating height, running the wood horizontally helps make smaller spaces appear larger.

A new design idea from Europe is the combination of cabinetry with and without hardware. As opposed to incorporating the hardware-less “channel” throughout the kitchen, the channel is used just below the countertop only (At the tops of all doors and top drawers). All other drawers have a piece of hardware that compliments the color of the channel.

WHAT’S NEW FOR COUNTERTOPS?

Quartz surfaces such as “Cambria” and “Caesarstone” are approximately 95% stone and 5% pigment and epoxy. They have a granite look, but don’t require nearly as much maintenance as granite and have a more consistent pattern than granite. Lots of colors/patterns are available and you can see them on display at our showroom. Quartz surfacing is becoming more popular as the popularity of solid surfaces (Corian, Avonite) is declining.

APPLIANCES IN SARASOTA KITCHEN REMODELING

In the area of appliances, built-in coffee/espresso makers are becoming part of more and more kitchens. They are very attractive and convenient, in that you can brew just one cup at a time. Steam ovens will become more popular as consumers move toward healthful cooking. Warming drawers, which have been around a long time, are now becoming as much a standard as microwaves. We seem to be putting one or two in almost all of the Sarasota kitchen remodeling we do. Another great convenience item is a pot filler, a faucet installed close to a large professional-style range, used specifically for filling large tall pots. Finally, we will start to see “smart appliances” such as Internet refrigerators with the screen built into the refrigerator door. It won’t be long until our appliances and computers are networked together!