Cherry wood cabinets. Granite countertops. Stainless-steel appliances. For years, they've been the holy trinity of materials in upscale kitchens.
Every Parade home seemed to boast such a kitchen -- and every homeowner aspired to having one.
But there are signs that we're ready to move on from our obsession with look-alike trophy kitchens. The latest trend survey from the National Kitchen & Bath Association reveals a hint of fatigue, at least with cherry and granite.
Cherry is still extremely popular but "designers are slowly shifting away from it," according to the survey. While 80 percent of member designers specified cherry in late 2010, that figure dropped to 72 percent in 2011 and to 69 percent for the final three months of the year. On the rise: oak, walnut, birch and bamboo.
Granite remains the No. 1 choice for countertop material, but its lock released ever so slightly, from 91 percent to 87 percent in kitchens and 84 percent to 71 percent in bathrooms. Quartz, at No. 2, also waned just a bit, from 71 percent to 69 percent in kitchens, and from 56 percent to 53 percent in bathrooms. On the rise in bathrooms: marble and glass. (You can read the survey in its entirety at http://www.nkba.org/press/releases/pressreleases2012/12-02-16/NKBA_Reveals_Top_Kitchen_Bath_Trends_for_2012.aspx)
How are you feeling about cherry, granite and stainles steel these days? If you don't have them, do you still want them? If you do have them, would you choose them again today -- or try something else?
