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America’s kitchens are getting warmer … and cooler.
Warm wood tones and cool blues are stand-out trends in kitchen cabinet décor for 2019, according to design experts contacted by Surface & Panel.
Eight representatives of kitchen cabinet manufacturers and decorative surface companies each stated his or her case for what is already hot or is heating up as popular color and woodgrain options in decorative laminates and painted finishes. Expect to see these trends make a splash at KBIS, the AWFS Fair and other industry trade and consumer events throughout the year.
Stephanie Pierce, director of design and trends, MasterBrand Cabinets, Jasper, Indiana
“The introduction of color into these spaces continues to remain strong. Blues are top hues, but we also see green tones picking up the pace. Blue paints can be found across almost all our cabinetry lines. Although these are darker, there are no boundaries to this color’s potential in cabinetry. From dark to light, all shades of blue are up for consideration.
“We certainly see an opportunity to continue to grow our laminate products in both framed and frameless cabinetry. Kitchen trends still have a strong modern influence, and slab laminates are a perfect complement for any style that blends modern elements into the design. Mid to light wood grain tones that derive color influences from nature such as weathered grays, bleached whites or warm walnuts are key.
“The evolution and growth of islands continues, as well, with multipurpose work areas that serve typical kitchen functions but also work as central hubs for family interaction, dining and socializing.”
Jeff Wolfe, director of marketing, Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry, Kreamer, Pennsylvania
“Color trends in the kitchen continue to shift from all white to softer palettes of gray, blue and taupe. As part of the shift away from the sterile, all-white kitchen is the trend to mix smooth matte or high-gloss finishes with textured, weathered finishes or metallic finishes. Accent pieces, such as an island, become a focal point when applying a sand-blasted walnut or a cerused rift-cut white oak. High-quality HPLs also provide contemporary design solutions for this trend and are available in a wide variety of looks from woodgrains to metallics to ceramics.
“Extremely low-sheen super matte finishes that are velvety smooth dominate the European contemporary market and are making their way to the U.S. These super matte surfaces have the quality and durability of HPL but also have an anti-fingerprint finish. The latest HPL technology incorporates a surface texture that is synchronized to the pattern, creating a visual and tactile effect that is barely distinguishable from solid wood or veneers. Wood-Mode’s introduction of high-quality laminates in luxury kitchens means even the edgebanding can be customized with unique end grain creating the authentic and natural look of a solid wood slab door in every detail.”
Angela O’Neill, director of marketing, Wellborn Cabinet, Ashland, Alabama
“Designers keep telling us they want to bring color back that is warm and inviting into everything. We have seven new paint colors being introduced in our standard paint collection that are warmer, including white, off white, blue, green and red.
“Under stain, it’s brown, brown, brown. Our walnut brown has no yellow or red. Also, the gray stain is still popular. Acrylics and textured laminates also are warmer. All of that graining under the TFL is warm.
“Lighting cabinet interiors is becoming very hot. We have a partnership with Häfele Loox Lighting. Every time a door and drawer is opened at our display at KBIS, the entire interior will be lit.”
Cindy Draper, marketing manager, Canyon Creek Cabinet Company, Monroe, Washington
“Kitchen cabinet trends that I see continuing to make their mark in 2019 include:
“Industrial-inspired kitchen design with concrete, burnished metals and copper accents.
- Unexpected pops of color with appliances and cabinets.
- Matte finishes for cabinets.
- Kitchens moving toward simpler designs.
- Mixing vintage pieces with modern cabinetry.
“The Curated Surfaces Collection for our premium Millennia frameless cabinetry line was designed to capture the textures, colors and materials that are popular in today’s kitchen and bath designs. This selection of muted tones extends across a wide range of wood grains, matte finishes and high-gloss surfaces. Late last year, we added three new thermo-structured surface patterns to Katana, our budget-priced frameless line.”
Chris Stookey, director, Huntwood Industries, Liberty Lake, Washington
“In our primary markets (western U.S. and western Canada), the ‘big’ sellers are painted finishes, textured TFL with woodgrain patterns, super matte TFL and acrylic slab door styles. We’ve added a series of slab door styles in a variety of textured TFL colors and a couple of door styles in super matte finishes.
“Our expectation is that we’ll see a greater demand for heavily textured TFL in woodgrain tones that are modern in color, such as gray and ‘cooler’ colors and some charcoal and black tones, as well. We also expect to see a significant increase in off-white slab door styles with super matte finishes.”
Christina Lambert, product manager, Uniboard, Laval, Quebec
“Navy, (such as Uniboard’s Wave Blue TFL), appeared from all sides in 2018 and is a color story that will last well into 2019, becoming one of those instant classics. One trend that has been growing slowly is the return of warmth to wood tones. This is achieved by keeping the colors on the mid to dark range while always having a neutral tone underlying the color. Wood with a black charred feel or flint colored, first seen in metal household components such as hardware, faucets and deco pieces, are migrating over to wood designs.
“We added several new designs to our 2019-2020 collection to touch different design segments, such as mid-century modern and sophisticated rustic trends.”
Bill Lane, decorative surfaces and distribution services manager, Stevens Industries, Teutopolis, Illinois
“I continue to see more warmer colors mixed with something that ‘pops’ in the overall design. This could be either a very contrasting color used intermittently or a mix of materials. Even the traditional all-white colors are being dressed up a little by the introduction of white woodgrains that are picking up in popularity. They’re still very clean but now have a little more play and attractiveness to them.
“It seems ‘fingerless’ super matte finishes are still growing in popularity. They’re pretty cool in door applications and offer a ‘warm’ feel when touched.”
“We have several new designs coupled with matching synchronized textures to provide the realism that consumers demand matched with the latest on-trend colors. They include synchronized HPL for countertop and post-laminating requirements.”
Amir Bakhtyari, sales manager, Synergy Thermal Foils, Coral Springs, Florida
“I thought high gloss was dying, but it seems to be bigger than ever with white representing over 50 percent. It could have to do with kitchens getting smaller so people want more of an impact. When you see a high-gloss yellow, orange or green, you’re probably not going to forget that.
“Blue is the next gray. We have a dark blue called Deep Blue Sea, but customers are already asking for a range of blue from light to navy. That’s how gray started. We began with one gray, and now we have four.”
