(ARA) - If people in different areas of the country can dress
differently, eat differently and talk differently, wouldn't
they also design their kitchens differently, too?
While there are many kitchen trends that hold true from coast
to coast, kitchen designers say true regional differences do
exist in kitchen design, if you know where to look. "There are
certain things that hold true everywhere. In general, kitchens
are more often treated like the hub of the family home, and
are designed as such, with more expensive furniture-like
cabinets, larger and more open floor plans, more windows and
display cabinets, and better use of lighting," says Cathy Hitz,
marketing manager for Decora´ Cabinets, a maker of semi-custom
cabinetry sold through 1,000 dealers nationwide. "But once you
get past those similarities, regional looks can vary a lot,"
she adds.
Western Kitchens-Trendy and Unique:
Kathleen Tish, CKD, of Kitchen & Bath Solutions,
Fountain Valley California combined vibrant green, Asian
contemporary styling and a very dark finish to create
this clean, modern new West Coast look.
According to Kathleen Tish,
kitchen designer for Kitchen & Bath Solutions in Fountain
Valley, Calif., West Coast customers are more likely to try
whatever's bold and new. "My customers are often attracted to
trying the newest materials and trendy colors, even in more
permanent, pricer items like cabinets. For instance, I
designed a showroom vignette recently with vibrant, 'green
martini' colored solid surface countertops and very modern
cabinets that feature a nearly black teaberry finish over oak,
which made it look like an exotic wood. I designed it that way
to brighten up a perpetually dark corner in the back of our
showroom. Since we've put it in… I've been amazed. People walk
to the back to see it first, and we've designed several
kitchens now with that same cabinet color/finish combination,"
Tish says.
In hotter portions of the dessert West, kitchen designs are
often dominated by cool tile flooring and cathedral ceilings.
While modern looks are growing in popularity, the earthy look
of Tuscan kitchen design, with its cool neutrals and tumbled
marbles, is also a big seller in the Western States, Tish
says.
Midwestern Kitchens: Sensible and Beautiful:
This Midwestern kitchen was designed for a new home
designed to look like an old farmhouse by Jill Ross of
Drexel Interiors in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
Practicality and informality
rule the day for Midwestern Kitchens, according to Jill Ross,
kitchen designer for Drexel Interiors, in Oak Creek, Wis.
"Midwestern customers want to create a 'come on over and bring
a dish' atmosphere in their homes. Finishes are touchable,
spaces are open, gracious and unpretentious. And the emphasis
on the traditional dominates. I often find myself designing
kitchens in new homes that customers have built to look like
an 100 year old authentic farmhouse, or in older homes where
they want to preserve its period design," Ross says.
Ross stresses that customers in the Midwest tend to put the
emphasis on their island or socializing space, creating a more
informal look. Cabinets are less likely to sport exotic colors
or finishes, with adventures in color usually reserved for the
walls or decorative items. Kitchens often feature a lakeside
living, or "cottage style" look, even when the houses aren't
by lakes or cottages, Ross says.
Southern Kitchens-Entertaining Elegance:
Southern kitchens also put
their emphasis on gathering spaces, which are most likely to
be a table or island. But where they differ from Midwestern
kitchens is in formality. "Southern clientele are more likely
to make their kitchens into entertaining showplaces…it all
goes back to the idea of Southern grace and hospitality," says
Bonnie Settle, kitchen designer for Cornerstone Design, in
Atlanta, Ga. "You'll see more showy items -- darker woods with
more glazes, more mouldings, more intense wall colors and more
shiny or gilded accents. And the table is always impeccably
dressed," Settle says.
Eastern Kitchens-Timeless and Tasteful:
This classic black and white Northeastern kitchen was
designed by Glen Lumia of Creative Design Construction,
Inc., in Northvale, New Jersey.
While modern kitchens are
often the choice for upscale city loft dwellers, traditional
kitchens still dominate in the East, but with a decidedly
different look, according to Glen Lumia, kitchen designer for
Creative Design & Construction in Northvale, NJ. "Customers in
the east love to use accent color in their cabinets,
especially the combination of white or cream cabinets, and
with an island with black, red, or even deep cherry cabinets.
When they are going for the all-wood look in cabinets, most
customers are still using lighter woods with light glazes," he
says.
Lumia also notes that Eastern customers love the look of
beadboard, wainscoting, and columns, to give the kitchen a
timeless feel. "Kitchens in the East also tend to put their
emphasis on the kitchen hood or hearth, where all the cooking
takes place, as opposed to the island. Wood floors, and stone
tiles in very traditional patterns are big for flooring, too,"
Lumia adds.
Designed by Rochelle Horn, Republic West, Inc.,
Scottsdale, AZ, this gourmet kitchen makes the most out
of Southwestern design, elegantly framing the cathedral
ceilings and offering the cool tile floors so popular in
the desert climate.
Mary Jo Peterson, kitchen
designer and writer for Kitchen and Bath Design News, an
industry kitchen design trade publication, notes that kitchen
design trends are "like politics… trends tend to start on the
coasts and spread to the center of the country."
But what matters most about designing your kitchen is fitting
it to your lifestyle, not what your neighbor may be doing.
"Regional trends happen because people in the same area tend
to have the same values and lifestyle, and that's reflected in
their homes. Design a kitchen that's a reflection of you, and
you'll never regret your decision," Peterson adds.
For more regional kitchen looks, visit
www.decoracabinets.com .
Courtesy of ARA Content
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