What's hot for kitchens and baths?

Got cabin fever yet? I know I do. I'm spending way too much time in my kitchen these long, cold winter nights, and it's not a pretty sight. The walls need painting, the cabinet hardware needs replacing, and the light fixture belongs back in the '80s. Ugh.

If your space also could use some sprucing up, here's some news from the National Kitchen & Bath Association, which recently surveyed more than 100 designers to come up with emerging trends that are "poised to take hold in 2011."

For kitchens:

1. Shaker-style cabinets.

2. Dark natural finishes.

3. Wine storage. (not necessarily wine refrigerators, which seem to be on the decline, but built-ins where bottles can be stored unchilled.)

4. French-door refrigerators.

6. LED lighting.

7. Trash or recycling pull-outs.

For baths:

1. Quartz countertops.

2. Green. (Not green as in eco-friendly but literally green, as in color palettes.)

4. Satin nickel faucets.

These are overall trends across the U.S. and Canada, the NKBA says, and may not necessarily appear in all markets. It'll be interesting to take a look locally, once the Builders' Association Spring Preview opens next month, so see if all these trends are showing up here. (If you want to read the NKBA's entire release, it's at www.nkba.org/press_releases_20110208.aspx)