Where To Shop: Kitchens

Where To Shop: Kitchens: KBS / Kitchen & Bath Source, located at 50 Virginia Road, in White Plains is a full service kitchen and bath cabinet, design, remodeling and installation center. Their 10,000 sq. ft. showroom features more than 40 hands-on displays, featuring cabinetry from Plain & Fancy, Medallion Cabinetry, UltraCraft, and KBS Signature – their exclusive line of affordable inset cabinetry. And KBS now offers stunning outdoor kitchens from Brown Jordan. They offer a wide range of products and services including: cabinets and cabinetry, countertops made of durable hardwood, granite, marble, exotic stone, Cambria, and Caesarstone, plus complete remodeling and installation services. Vice President of KBS / Kitchen & Bath Source in North White Plains, Rob Stonbely tells us what’s hot (and not) in kitchen remodeling.

What are the latest trends in kitchen design?

We still see demand for all kitchen styles: traditional, country, transitional and contemporary kitchens. If there is a change it’s that people are seeing kitchens as more than just a functional area of the house. Kitchens are the new family room and homeowners are looking to create warm, homey kitchens that reflect their personal styles and the style of the rest of the house. To that end, people are marrying modern and traditional elements, mixing materials and colors in new ways.

So it’s not just “I want a country kitchen” anymore?

Well, what kind of country kitchen did you want? English? French? Tuscan? Cottage, farmhouse, garden are all popular country styles that share a handcrafted homespun look. And they are still very popular. But we are definitely seeing people mix things up a little more than they used to, especially with transitional kitchens that can go in a lot of directions.

Does kitchen cabinet design still start with the door?

Not necessarily. The door profile is where it begins but with people looking to mix it up, the door choice may be informed by what else a homeowner wants to do with their kitchen. People may have an idea in their mind for a bold contrast they want to make with lighting, countertops, the sink and faucet or even the cabinet hardware, and that may steer them to where they go with the cabinet doors.

And kitchen cabinets are now viewed as furniture. So people are thinking about fancy furniture legs and feet, moldings, bead board panels, floral motifs, arches and other architectural elements that are being built into the whole floor to ceiling cabinetry concept.  So if it still starts at the door it certainly doesn’t end there anymore. But if you are asking about what doors are most popular we are seeing less of the flat panel door.  Classic door profiles are definitely in and the Shaker door is popular because it is so versatile in marrying traditional and modern elements in a kitchen.

Is white still the new black in kitchen cabinets?

White is still very popular. Partly because it works with every cabinet style, traditional, country and modern. We dedicate a whole section of our website to the white kitchen.  But gray is trending. And even with white kitchens people are starting to mix it up. We’re starting to see mismatched cabinets, an island, hutch or countertop in a different color or even white cabinets with a black countertop or wood as a trend in all kitchens. Not just white ones. And glass doors are big as a way to break up the monotony of a wall full of cabinets.

Is there such a thing as a “too big” island?

Islands are the biggest must have in kitchens today and they inform so many other decisions and involve all the other trends we have discussed here. When you talk about concept kitchens or kitchens that reflect a

homeowner’s lifestyle the ultimate design often revolves around the island.

Do you want a family kitchen, a cook’s kitchen, an entertainer’s kitchen or a showcase kitchen? A lot of the functional and design choices start with the island. So you see furniture design elements being built into islands. The island is a great place to use a contrasting color from your other cabinets. The island countertop is also a place people look to mismatch from other countertops in the kitchen. And because islands are often both prep areas and eating areas we see people mixing materials like stone and wood together on the island.

What are the hot kitchen amenities people want today?

Farm sinks are big and people spend a lot of time thinking about faucets. Wine coolers and warming trays are popular. But the really big advancement for anyone trading out of an older kitchen is how much cabinet technology and storage options have improved. It’s hard to imagine how you got along all those years with old cabinets once you have upgraded to doors with soft close hinges, pull out doors attached to shelves for pots and pans, garbage and recycling bins, or pantry racks. Customizing your drawers with inserts for knives, silverware and other kitchen tools or building in a thin pull out cabinet for baking sheets really elevates your kitchen lifestyle.

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