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Contemporary Kitchens Surge in Popularity
According to Leading Trade Group
Streamlined designs, eclectic touches and multiples of appliances lead
2015 kitchen trends from the National Kitchen & Bath Association
KBIS, LAS VEGAS, NEV. (JANUARY 20, 2015) — Contemporary is the watchword for North
American kitchen design, according to the 2015 Kitchen & Bath Design Trends report from the
National Kitchen & Bath (NKBA). Here are the top 10 overall kitchen design trends NKBA
expects for 2015:
1. Clean with an overall contemporary feeling. A fusion of styles and multiple colors in one
kitchen.
2. European-styled cabinets.
3. Multiples of appliances in one kitchen.
4. The rise of steam ovens.
5. Furniture-look pieces.
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The National Kitchen & Bath Association • 687 Willow Grove Street • Hackettstown, NJ 07840
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The National Kitchen & Bath Association Announces 2015 Kitchen Design Trends
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6. Outdoor kitchens.
7. Fewer standard kitchen tables, replaced by counters or tall gathering tables.
8. TVs and docking stations.
9. Wine refrigerators.
10. Focus on the user experience, from easy maintenance to accessible design. Considering
the needs of all users in the space, including pets.
More than half of the NKBA designers surveyed expected to do more contemporary kitchens in
2015, running a close second behind transitional styles in terms of popularity. The rise of
contemporary and transitional kitchen designs have been swift. Both styles have increased in
specifications by more than 15 percentage points in just four years.
Versatile shaker styling is a popular interpretation of transitional, and almost 40 percent of
NKBA survey respondents said they will do more shaker-styled kitchens in 2015. Several
designers also noted the rise in industrial chic, while others cited momentum for mid-century
modern designs.
Traditional ended 2014 as the fourth most popular kitchen style, although a quarter of
designers will do fewer traditional kitchens in 2015. While decreasing in popularity, it remains
a dominant kitchen style with 63 percent of designers reporting that they did at least one
traditional kitchen in 2014.
White is the most common color scheme for kitchens, followed by gray. About a third of
respondents did black or blue kitchens in 2014, with about 20 percent expecting to do more
kitchens in those colors. Almost 40 percent did kitchens in green tones in 2014.
Designers reported that kitchens with multiple color schemes are emerging. ““I am seeing lots
of white painted kitchen perimeters with espresso stained islands and dark stained kitchen
perimeters with light colored painted islands. Lots of painted white kitchens with light
countertops and espresso islands and painted gray cabinets,” said Christine Shorr, AKBD, Morris
Black Designs in Allentown, PA.
“We’re doing color blocked kitchens, using two different colors in the same kitchen,” noted
Rosemary Saggese, kitchen and bath designer Red Interiors in Boston, MA.
“An eclectic mix of rustic and contemporary is today’s modern,” another survey respondent
noted.
Clearly passé are country/rustic, Tuscan and Provincial looks with distressed finishes, as well as
color schemes in reds, bronzes, and terra cottas.
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The National Kitchen & Bath Association Announces 2015 Kitchen Design Trends
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Solutions to make life easier in the kitchen abound. Pullouts and rollouts for kitchen cabinets
were specified by more than 90 percent of NKBA respondents in 2014. About 40 percent
expect to see pullout and rollouts increase in popularity in 2015. Ease of use extended to
accessibility, with more than half of NKBA designers specifying accessible or universal design
features into kitchens during 2015.
Easy prep, maintenance and clean-up features are in demand. Multiple designers report that
they install multiples of appliances—most notably two dishwashers—in the same kitchen. “It
appears that a lot more of our clients are aiming to create what could be considered a gourmet
kitchen,” said Jessica White of Kitchen Encounters in Annapolis, MD. “A lot of clients ask for the
additional refrigerator/freezer and dishwasher drawers for extra storage and more function."
About two-thirds of kitchens now have desks or home office areas, as well as flat-screen
televisions and docking/charging stations. “Kitchens have been, and still are, the hub of the
home and clients want everything in their kitchen, i.e., televisions, docking stations,
convenience appliances, etc,” said Donna Marie Mushinskie, D M Designs, Yucaipa, CA.
The hub of the home is increasingly centered on counter areas vs. kitchen tables, according to
multiple survey respondents. “Islands are replacing tables,” said Audrey Macdonald, Creative
Interiors By Audrey in Mississauga, Ontario.
“We have experienced an increase in popularity for incorporating furniture-styled dry bars into
kitchen designs,” said Tori Johnson, AKBD, of Geneva Cabinet Gallery, Geneva, IL.
Half of all NKBA designers specified an outdoor kitchen in 2014, up seven percentage points
from 2013, a statistically significant increase.
NKBA members specialize in full kitchen projects, both remodels and new construction. More
than half do kitchen projects in the $20,000 - $49,000 price range while another nearly 40
percent report that their average kitchen price is more than $50,000 for design, materials, and
labor.
“This report is so valuable because NKBA members are on the cutting edge of kitchen and
bathroom design,” said Maria Stapperfenne, CKD CBD, 2015 NKBA president. “It gives us the
point-of-view from the specialists who are on the front lines creating beautiful and beautifully
functional kitchens every day.”
The National Kitchen and Bath Association has tracked kitchen and bath design trends
throughout its 52-year existence. A version of this NKBA Design Trends Survey has been in
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The National Kitchen & Bath Association Announces 2015 Kitchen Design Trends
existence since the 1980s and this iteration has tracked trends since 2010. More than 400
designers participated in this study conducted online in late 2014.
More details, including product trends, are included in the full 2015 NKBA Kitchen & Bath
Design Trends report, available free to NKBA members on NKBA.org.
To find NKBA members near you for kitchen and bathroom projects, please visit
NKBA.org/PROsearch.
About The National Kitchen & Bath Association
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is the not-for-profit trade association that
owns the KBIS®. With nearly 14,000 member companies representing more than 60,000
individuals, the NKBA has educated and led the kitchen and bath industry since its founding in
1963. The mission of the NKBA is to enhance member success and excellence, promote
professionalism and ethical business practices, and provide leadership and direction for the
kitchen and bath industry worldwide.
For more information, visit NKBA.org or call 1-800-THE-NKBA (843-6522).
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