Kitchen Resolution

Kitchens. Originally intended to be utilitarian, they have become the hub and command center of any home. And, hopefully, a warm and inviting space for guests to gather.  Since the beginning of the year 2000, homeowners have had a love affair with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, cherry cabinets, and tile floors. This look is classic and should stand the test of time, but as we enter 2010, bold trends are emerging—and they start with color, color, color.

IN LIVING COLOR 

We all remember the colors of the 60s and 70s kitchen—margarine yellow, crossing guard orange, and avocado green. Those hues forced us into a gleaming white period only to be replaced by those bridesmaid-dress colors of mauve and peach of the 80s. From there, we entered the neutral phase where most of us have lived happily ever since. As we hit the 10-year mark of the Millennium, color is making a comeback.

According to BHG.com, color is turning up in backsplashes (think turquoise mosaic tiles) and in countertops, like Dupont Corian’s new Illumination series. The material allows much more light to pass through shades like Arctic Mint and Lime Ice, creating an effect that’s positively glowing. Famous cook Rachael Ray has made Brady Bunch orange popular again and you can find it in Silestone’s Life Series line featuring colors like Orange Cool and Magenta Energy. If you’re not quite ready for that, you can go Zen with warm brown and berry tones or stick to shades of gray with the Platinum line.

Nina Som of Cardinal Construction, Inc. in Pleasanton says while her clients still love traditional and Old World decor for their kitchens, she is seeing trends of color and clean lines inching their way in. Homeowners in Livermore went with a decidedly more modern feel with light, frameless cabinetry and a countertop that combines recycled glass and cement. It’s available in hues ranging from neutrals to blues, greens and ambers. Gray is the new brown, says HGTV.com, but you can put both colors together for a cutting edge look. Other sizzling combos are red and white and silver and green.

COLOR INFUSION

If a complete remodel isn’t in the budget in 2010, you can still kick up your kitchen by enhancing your existing cabinetry. N-Hance Wood Renewal in San Ramon can actually change the color of your cupboards. You can choose a color shift which warms up the color by a shade or two or injects new color into the existing cabinet tone. Or, you can opt for a complete color change. Turn lifeless oak to brilliant cherry, warm walnut, airy maple, or even off-white with an antique glaze. Greg Overfield of N-Hance says their service allows customers to stretch their makeover budget by saving on the cost of cabinet replacement. You can save those dollars for new appliances, lighting and flooring. N-Hance promises no mess, no dust, and no odor and most jobs are completed in a day! No matter what color you choose, you’ll be “green” since N-Hance uses low VOC, water-based finishes and they save good wood from being sent to the landfill.

Another way to spice up your kitchen without calling for the demolition truck is to consider colored appliances. 

No, not the split pea green oven your mom had when you were growing up. Companies like Viking offer ranges and refrigerators available in 24 drop-dead colors like Mint Julep, Plum, and Lemonade. These shades are not for the faint-of-heart but for someone who wants their kitchen to make a dramatic statement.

MIX IT UP

A new way of thinking in the New Year is to not be so “matchy-matchy” when designing kitchen spaces. A client of Nina’s in San Jose went with natural maple on the upper cabinets, a couple of shades darker on bottom cabinets, and a rich espresso tone on the center island. Another dreamy option is off-white cabinetry mixed with sage green or black. Mixing colors creates a furniture-like feel and can turn your kitchen from functional to fabulous!

Just like we’ve been taught to match our jewelry pieces, we tend to match our faucets and hardware. Nina says it’s absolutely okay to mix, as long as they have a complimentary tone. For example, you can pair a brushed nickel faucet with black cabinet hardware because silver and black look good together. Glass knobs can be a nice juxtaposition to stainless, marrying vintage with sleek. Knobs and pulls on upper cabinetry can be different than those on islands, as well.

Ring in the New Year by turning up the volume in your kitchen. To find out how Cardinal Construction, Inc. can help you transform your space, call (925) 426-8854 or visit their Website at http://www.cardinal-construction.com. To learn more about enhancing your existing cabinetry with N-HanceWood Renewal, call (925) 820-1019 or visit their Website at http://www.trivalleywoodrenewal.com.