Well, I have been working in a show house this week and this is what I saw. Casual but formal all at the same time. Sort of a relaxed formal. The paint colors were again the grays. The open areas were Benjamin Moore Shenandoah Taupe, the halls Cape Hatteras Sand and the living room was Ashley Gray. All BM. The kitchen cabs were a more or less linen white with very subtle glaze and the granite in every room was of varying type. The kitchen granite was delicatus paired with a Carerra marble 2 x 4 small brick subway. Looked great although doesn't sound like it would. One of the bathrooms had gorgeous glass and marble tile used as a frame that blended right up from the back splash and looked like all one big huge thing. Neat in person. Lots of the same as we see here on GW. I thought to myself gosh I know all about all this stuff already having been on the GW site for awhile. The fabrics were either Ikat linen or mohair in the more masculine areas. Lots of unusual accessories and lots of books used as fill in places just stacked under a sofa table that was against the sofa back, some french books without covers that were tied with raffia and stacked in a copper weathered wood bucket by the fireplace. There were these quartz logs in the fireplace (not to be burned) but it was in the upper '80's today so they were just for show and beautiful. There was a hanging bed with huge pillows and bolster on the open porch attached to a wood ceiling. Looked like it would be fun to lay on it or even to use as a sleeping porch, it was about the size of a double bed. Fun! Lots of variations on the color blue. Lots of paintings of seascapes and florals but not in a stuffy way, in an abstract way. There were lots of rustic with modern things thrown together but somehow it all worked and was very beautiful. Upholstery is light in color with airy rugs with light backgrounds and gray or tan outsized fleur de lis. Pretty much what GW has been in touch with I'd say. Fun to see it in action. Lots of hardwood floors and in the terrace level stained concrete for flooring.

In terms of GW kitchens, I'd say still lots (and lots) of white cabinets, marble counters (are we seeing less soapstone lately?). Definitely some gray on the walls. SS appliances still dominate, still lots of granites too, esp. brown like antique brown and the white-like granites and quartzites. Still seeing bling particularly in the lighting. Maybe fewer small pendant lights? Still big islands too, typically in painted differently from the main cabinets.

There is lots of interest in more rustic country style kitchens, but they are still relatively few and far between, from what I've seen. Not many modern spaces, maybe 5% of what we see? 10% maybe? Still a good number of modern and/or transitional IKEA kitchens too.

I've been around GW 3 years I guess, I haven't seen much of a shift in that time in GW kitchen trends, apart from I think I've seen less soapstone lately??

In kitchen design mags - lots of rustic modern, no upper cabinets, more open shelving. And still lots of white kitchens too.

I think we're seeing more variety in kitchens here than we did two years ago. For a while it seemed that everything was the "One True Kitchen" but lately we've been seeing more kitchens with individual character. (Which is not to say that there weren't some of those all along, just that there were so very many white/marble or white/soapstone kitchens). I've seen several people looking at using patterned tile recently (leading to the recent patterned tile design-around-this).

Not a kitchen trend, but a kitchen forum trend: I've seen a lot more people doing mood boards for their kitchens, or getting help from other forum members creating mood boards to help try out different ideas. Given that some of the biggest kitchen disappointments seem to result from a failure to visualize how all the components will work together, I think this is great.

gr8day, that sounds lovely. I can't quite picture that bathroom backsplash though. I would LOVE having a hanging bed, especially if it had something to wind up and keep it swinging a little. ;)

I should have said it was the frame around the mirror in tile that continued from the vanity backsplash up around the mirror. It was so pretty because it was the emperador dark marble with blue/green glass tile, the long thin type. There was another color with it in glass too, an off white that matched the veins in the marble. That blue and brown thing but with a slight twist, it wasn't a blatant dark brown and vivid blue, more soft colors and with the marble veining it was a wow! The glass tile was also in the shower in a picture frame mode with stained travertine. Gorgeous. I will try to take a picture the next time I am over there. There are 26 designers represented at the show house and they all seemed to work well together. The house is 5500 square ft and sometimes when you have that many people working on it the rooms don't flow at all but even without really coordinating with each other they made a very cohesive final result in the house. Someone must have liked it a lot because it sold! It has a beautiful view of the mountain so great location as well.

I'm thinking the trend for back splashes that is coming will be moving away from white and into more color. I was told that right now the editors at those kitchen design mags we all see everywhere are passing on a lot of kitchens with white back splashes. Same with the dark ones we had been seeing.

We are getting ready to go to a Parade of Homes this am. It features new construction as well as remodels. There are a lot of houses on the tour, I don't think we are doing any that had the kitchen reno'd. You all know that the TKO cannot handle those houses. But, I'll get back later here if I see anything that strikes me...but don't hold your breath. This is NOT a trend-setting area. lol

*sigh*

We are back. Only went to 6 homes. As suspected, nothing trending here in these parts.

Unless you consider leaving your counters full of junk while your home is on a Parade of Homes tour some sort of trend. These were mostly remodels/basements/additions, etc. Seriously though, you can't even put the phone books away? It was hard to see the counters in some homes. Really. And how about the cat in the kitchen coughing up the furball in the kitchen? Nice touch, right? "Oh, thanks, but no, I'll pass on that freshly baked cookie".

:o

Oh well. We did meet a really good guy who does outdoor patios/kitchens, so that was good. But it was a fun day out with my dh.

"And how about the cat in the kitchen coughing up the furball in the kitchen? Nice touch, right? "Oh, thanks, but no, I'll pass on that freshly baked cookie"."

I must be in because I have that trend!

I followed our cat yesterday around the kitchen as he hacked up on the hardwood floors. Pleasant sight, pleasant sound.

Whoops. meant to finish. I was wondering this myself a few days ago. We finished our reno 2 years ago on Sept. 15 and I still loooove my cream cabinets, SS appliances, GO granite and mid-tone maple floors.

But was wondering what the new trends were. I know that I like what I did as a basis and so that if I want to change it up I can change the pendant lighting and knobs/pulls. But that's way in the future.

Noticing a lot of two tone whites in cabinets (such as dove white cabinets offset in same run with brighter white corbels, decorative legs etc) as well as bright white trim (windows, moldings etc) with opaque off white cabinets.

One KD told me it is because there are so many whites out there, the industry is purmutating them. Maybe less monotony in runs, maybe to keep white kitchens in vogue to help profit, may just to charge it up a little.

Hey thanks everyone for responding to this! After reading your comments I started googling and couldn't find much besides glass for backsplash. Still lots and lots of what cabs (and yes still a lot of gray). Oh and I read more than one article about mixed materials and transitional kitchens.

When I was touring the Merchandise Mart last week, I was surprised by the Christopher Peacock kitchen on display. The cabinets were white, of course, but the finish was something I hadn't seen here before--it was a super glossy, high-shine laquered white. It appeared nearly indestructible! I took a stealth photo (no photos, please!) and it's a bad one, but you can see the super-shiney reflection of the cabinets. It was still all-marble, all the time, with him. Backsplashes too. There was a different edge on the marble counters and backsplash. It was like a raised, 2 or 3 inch border, all around the countertop surface edge. Made a lip on the counter, so liquids wouldn't run off. I havent' seen that before either. If you look closely at the photo, you can see it on the backsplash, too.
Maybe I'll do both of these things in MY new kitchen, just to be ahead of the trends :)
Here's the pic, awful as it is...maybe a better pic on the CP website...

Otherwise, nothing really surprised me. DiGuilio's looked like I though it would, with hidden sliding backsplashes and SS pantries.
There was LOTS of mosaic options in all the tile stores--not sure if that's new or not, but it sure is beautiful! I saw this in Ann Sacks, and sent an email inquiry about it for our small, 4'x7' entryway floor.
Ann Sack Artiste--san Sebastian:

The good news is, it IS available.
The bad news, it runs $528.93-$666.45/sq.ft.
So that's not happening...
Oh well, it's fun to dream :)

I love NOT following the latest trend, I want my kitchen to be an individual. As a matter of fact I waited many years to re-do my kitchen hoping to God that stainless steel would go away. I finally couldn't wait any longer. Due to limited funds, I had to concede a stainless stove, choosing the blackest looking stainless stove I could find, that was also dual-fuel and a stainless vent. But....I love my copper sink and copper-looking ceramic tiles behind the sink and the stove. The rest of my backsplash is beadboard painted Farrow's cream. My granite is colonial gold, which looks like a mix of coffee beans, cinnamon, deep rust splotches and sparkles (micah) scattered throughout. I have cherry cabinets, oil-rubbed bronze fixtures and cabinet hardware, hickory floor, brick alcove - my kitchen ended up looking very autumnal, coppers, oranges, golds and reds. It's always autumn in my kitchen! The other benefit - it always looks clean, clean, clean. Between the "messy-looking" granite and the copper sink and the copper (ceramic)backsplashes and oil-rubbed faucet fixtures - chaching! EZ PZ to keep clean! And to think I almost went with a biscuit sink.....

It's still not done because my husband is doing most of the work. It doesn't look like any kitchen I've seen on this site, but I did learn a lot from this site - thank you!!