Kitchen Cabinet Trends

While furniture looks remain popular, according to area cabinet experts, some agree that there is some movement toward less decorative details. Jeff Hayden of Chris’s Custom Cabinets agrees that the latest trend is toward designs with small amounts of decorative treatments. “They’re not so formal,” he says. “We all want a kitchen that is liveable but we still want them to have their own distinctive character. We always put the homeowner’s signature in the design process.”

Noting two trends in the local market is Shannon Erwin with Hantel Kitchens & Baths. “I am seeing a contemporary look with a sleek, clean look. This is usually seen with dark wood finishes and little ornamentation,” she says. “The other trend remains a more traditional ‘Old World’ look that still encompasses a soft color painted cabinet with a glaze or distressed wood finish. Customers usually gravitate one way or the other.”

Reed Thomas with Thomas Kitchen & Bath reports he’s seeing some of the more popular looks are more sleek and simple, “streamlined.” “Shaker styles or slab door looks are increasing in popularity,” he says. “The traditional door styles are still very popular, with some accent trim. The heavy, ornate looks are not as popular.”

According to Stacy Tompson of The Curious Gourmet, “Kitchen cabinetry is stacking up! We are seeing a traditional wall cabinet at 41-in. high with a 12-in. high stacked cabinet topped with a layer of moulding and crown. The stacked cabinets, although out of reach, still serve as a design element with glass doors for display with interior lights, solid wood doors, or old school latches for hardware. The ‘furniture’ style cabinet is popular as ever especially in the islands and maybe for a focus base cabinet like the sink base to have a decorative toe or ornate sides.”

Rochelle Coll of Nashville Glass reports, “We’ve seen an increase in patterned glass installed in kitchen cabinet doors. We have more than 30 patterns that range from designs that are simple to stripes, flowers, leaves, or abstract designs.”

Noting that although she sees a furniture look remain popular, “we’re seeing requests for a little less detail. Most likely we’re headed toward sleeker, less cluttered looks,” says Claire Bradford of Source1 Cabinets.

The preference for furniture styled cabinetry is being driven, according to Karen Jones of Kitchen Solvers, by the fact that kitchens are “open to a great room and are an integral part of the home. I don’t see the trend diminishing,” she says.

According to Melinda Dupree of Boyce Cabinet Solutions, “Design trends in kitchen cabinetry have definitely taken on a ‘style plus function’ attitude. The ‘furniture’ look comes out in many ways due to the growing wish of homeowners to convert the kitchen into a ‘family room.’ The mix-and-match approach to finishes and styles is seen in free-standing or the appearance of free-standing china hutches and buffets. The locker-room style incorporates staggered heights and resting cabinets on countertops.”

Annah Hill of Brentwood Granite and Cabinet Design Center says, “In our region I believe that the trend is still going toward the furniture look. Current trends that we see include a lot of mixing and matching of colors, finishes, and door styles. Some kitchens might have a white island, a painted moss perimeter and a stained wood hood mixed in.”

Hill adds, “we design lots of cabinetry with feet, columns, pilasters, and valances for a decorative appeal. Adding glass doors adds a great decorative effect and transom cabinets are growing in popularity.”

Karen Merritt of Silver Stone Designs says adding a kitchen island adds workspace and much needed workspace. “Homeowners can make the island a focal point by introducing a second countertop color or a multi-level island for an eating area combined with a separate work space,” Merritt says. She adds that homeowners continue to be interested in a “green lifestyle” and are showing an interest in recycled resources such as quartz countertops.

There are a number of sources in the Greater Nashville area for kitchen cabinets, including:

A-1 Appliance Co
Nashville
503/ 999-0517

Boyce Cabinet Solutions
Brentwood

615/ 376-9727

Brentwood Granite & Cabinet Design Center
Brentwood
615/ 376-6122

Chris’s Custom Cabinets
Nashville
615/ 385-4044

Curious Gourmet
Franklin
615/ 866-8407

Designs by Anna Aycock
Brentwood
615/ 794-7561

Hantel Kitchens & Baths
Nashville
615/ 292-3070

Kitchen Solvers
Brentwood

615/ 376-6100

Lancaster Cabinetry Inc.
Hopkinsville
615/ 885-4814

Nashville Glass
Nashville
615/ 254-1345

Silver Stone Designs
Hendersonville
615/ 431-2037

Source1 Cabinets
Nashville
615/ 405-2238

Thomas Kitchen & Bath
Lebanon
615/ 449-6554