Time will tell I guess. I can't imagine the trend going back to Corian though.

I've always liked brass, though I like antique brass better than shiny brass, and I've never really liked the oiled metal look, whatever that's called.

I volunteer at Habitat Restore. Jeesh, now we have treasures which meet the styles of today. One of the military bases is totally redoing all their living quarters and we are the receiptients of full oak kitchens, counters, hardware, brass, white appliances. Everything is like new and very well cared for. If MS oak gets out as the latest trend we will be swamped with customers.

We also have the shelves of white square tiles and all the trim accessories which are a poor seller and almost give them away for 10 cents a piece. I'll have to take this article into the boss.

As for thermafoil, yeah it can make you want to take a double look. We got some wood cupboards(call it paper covered) ones in and I did have to take a second look. The corners are wearing off, you can definitely tell it is paper once figured out. But they sure do a good job of duplicating the real.

Painted cabinets? I can go for that and a lot of people can without buying a new kitchen. I do like the layouts and added options shown. The glass cupboards with a shelf below and drawers are a new idea and look great. And if this can lead to new kitchens for those that couldn't get one before, then a plus. But I'm not going to follow this, just did my kitchen counter and blacksplash...yup, trashed the white tile. Far too much work to keep up with in the real work of kitchens. Gads I hate it when they change things.

Definitely interesting and even more so following what results they will see in selling this. Are there really that many MS followers?

On one hand I'm happy that there will be some visual changes in how kitchens are styled--I am so very tired of the current looks and everyone in the real estate market acting like life without granite isn't worth living.

On the other hand, once a new trend is the new "requirement" I will probably get tired of people tossing out their current kitchens for that, too.

LOL leafy02, "the new requirement". I can't believe how people jump on the band wagon for the new thing when the old thing is perfectly fine, and often better quality than new.

We'll be making some changes in our kitchen in the coming year (months, hopefully) and I've been trying to figure out how to take down my old 4x4 gray tile and reuse it. Not just because I'm cheap (lol) but because I really like it.

No Corian for me either. And none of that hot orange and turquoise color scheme either. I might consider the 4 inch squares of wall tile though. In white of course. Maybe instead of the subway tiles. The cape baths up north could use those nicely with the black and white octagonal tiles on the floor, and it would suit the era of the house. Built in 1948. Either that or all beadboard on the walls. I'm getting really revved up over beadboard. It is my favorite thing going into my new master bath down in Alabama, might think about it for wainscoting up north too.

I'm not planning to be a slave to trends, never have been, don't plan to start now. Any move back to the future with the house we plan to sell will only feature things which are on top of the trend, not ahead of it. No need to install something that nobody yet realizes is THE future trend. I do not plan on granite anywhere in any house. I do plan on Silestone quartz counter tops. Black stuff they call STAR GAZER for the bath vanity, with sparkleys in it.
We already have the STELLAR SNOW on the kitchen counters up north, I think the same or similar on the sink side of the kitchen down south too. I'm still planning stainless steel counter top on the stove side of the kitchen, and of course all appliances will be stainless. As far as I'm concerned, I MUCh prefer stainless to white enamelled or epoxied finish. Just white fixtures in the bath please.

I've not followed trends either. We've always done what pleases us. We've lived in our little cottage now 37 years. Yes, we've made changes but not because of what the latest trend is, but because of something we wanted to change. Trends are just to get people to spend money and keep up with the Joneses.

Just my 2 cents worth.

FlowerLady

I've always liked antique brass hardware, too. And painted cabinets.

My grandmother would have loved this post :)

When I used to talk to her about home decor, she would just smile and say do what you love...don't be a follower. Once everyone gets the "new" fashion, they will become bored with it and run to the next "new" fashion. It's not special, once everyone has it. She'd laugh and say it's kind of like 'sneetches and stars upon thars'. I think she had a point! LOL

Can't afford to follow trends, in fashion, vehicles OR home improvement. We've had off-white painted cabinets for 16 years. I plan to repaint and take them a shade lighter, because 16 years ago we had ALMOND appliances, now they are BISQUE. The kids are (mostly) gone, but I still can't go for bright white. I think I'll sprinkle in some more green here and there, on my baking cabinet, and maybe on a couple of chairs.

However, I love stone, and if I'm not too picky about a few etches, my second-hand marble should do nicely. I'm not a shopper, so Craigslist has been more influential than the latest fashion trends.

I checked out the pics on the Martha thread--would love to have those cabinets, but alas, the budget says 'no.'

Thanks for the info, moccasin.

I just stay with the same old stuff, and sooner or later it's trendy again! LOL I've only lived in one house with actual varnished wood cabinets. Everywhere else I've lived, it's painted cabs, and that's what I prefer. I love beadboard, too, and made beadboard doors for our white kitchen. I like plain white and black in kitchens and bathrooms, with a little bright color here and there. I'm bad with colors, so I guess white suits me. We've always had white appliances, and our SS dishwasher always needs to be wiped down. We only got SS because it was on sale.

I've done the polished brass look, and never cared for the oil-rubbed stuff. It looks too much like something that is new trying to look old. I'm pretty happy with our brushed pewter on the cabs.

My first choice in counter tops would be maple, with formica second. I never got on board with granite or solid-surface. I could go for soapstone if we dig up gold when we excavate for the new house.

With a white and black kitchen, plain old chrome goes well, and it's been around for many years, so it's an appropriate look in a period house. It's also probably the most durable finish on plumbing fixtures.

Flgargoyle- LOL! I think we have many of the same ideas on design. I ordered a new dishwasher over the phone the other day (ours bit the dust) and the salesman couldn't believe I would order it sight unseen. I said, I want the same brand we had before, in white...do you have it? Probably the easiest sale he had all day.

Mama goose- I'm with you on off white over bright white. I would love to paint my cabinets a warm white with a few green or blue accents. Unfortunately, my faux oak manufactured home cabinets go with all my faux paneling :)

Maybe if we remodel the old farmhouse!

Wow, I'm SO curious to see these collections...Somehow I'm really glad though that these more "classic"/dated looks are coming back, just to stem the flood of stainless steel :)

It is really pretty but it's EVERYWHERE!

You know, I've always loved white appliances, and that is what is going in my new home. I never liked stainless.

Our home that we sold last fall had solid light oak cabinets, and I had soft white corian countertops, with the integrated corian sink. (They were purchased before corain cheapened up their product). The counters were a cinch to clean. I also added inexpensive white 4 by 4 tile backsplash. We put it "on point" and added a few scattered tile fruit motifs, in white, within the tile pattern. That kitchen looked like a million dollars and was a big factor in selling that house. Our house sold in less than a year from the time it was listed. And it was not an inexpensive home.

I do what I like, which is typically classic and homey in design. I guess I'm cottage style, and English and French country, with some unusal things thrown in the mix, such as hand painted murals. I could care less about trends.

I am considering soapstone counters this time around, because I like natural materials. However, I have not priced it yet, and we may find it is completely unaffordable. My portable island will have solid (boos block) maple. Some people like marble to roll dough on. I love to roll dough out on maple. Works great and my dough never sticks.

I hope I didn't insult the stainless lovers when I said I didn't like it. Maybe I should clarify....the reason I don't like it in MY kitchen is because it takes a bit of primping to keep it looking nice. Some people lovingly enjoy doing that. I hated the constant smudge battle. They do look sharp though, in the right kitchen.

However, I don't mind taking extra care with cast iron cookware. Some people hate THAT. It's all in what we like.

Has anyone seen the vintage reproduction appliances? I think it is Elmira Stove Works. (It's Elmira something). Now those I like. They are pricey enough I won't be able to afford them though, at least not for a long time.

Sandy

Sandy- I don't like stainless steel, either. It's too industrial and reminds me of all the restaurants I worked in, while going through school. I keep expecting a head chef to yell at me :)

I agree with you that Elmira has some very nice stoves!

I am looking for contact paper in a dutch tile pattern--originally came from william sonoma--they no longer have it. it is a german product from konrad hornschuch ag 74679 weissbach. I have found this company on the internet but their presentation does not indicate that they have this anymore. Any info or help will be appreciated.

I have honey oak I plan to paint green. I might paint the bottom cabinets in a blue of the exact same tone. The walls will be sunny yellow. I'm going to make one of the sections LOOK like a kitchen hutch. It will be my regular cabinets modified. I will mount my own mosaic tile designs (made with broken tile and plates not store bought glass squares). I'm going to replace the formica with off-white 4" tile and standard back splash. My plan also includes a marble slab next to the sink for cooking/baking. I will be getting rid of the over the stove microwave and putting in a regular vent. The "microwave vent" is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. You don't actually vent cooking vapor from the home leading to condensation problems in winter.
I don't like solid surface or granite. I've always liked ceramic tile. I've seen trends come and go. My mom never decorated for trend and I've followed her lead. I want my house to look like MY house, not a designer knock off that someone else came up with.

I remember that contact paper. I haven't seen it in a long time though.

I'm loving this thread! Having lived a good many years(67), one sees trends come, and go, only to return again. I grew up in a turn-of-the-century house in a big city, with white appliances and painted cabinets. That was the only option. There was a huge walk-in pantry and the only true cabinet in the kitchen was at the sink. Oh, and it was a farmhouse sink, with faucet mounted on the back wall. The stove was 4 burner gas with a wood-burning heater on one side to heat the kitchen. We cooked with cast iron and stainless steel. All floors were dark varnished wood with area rugs and a runner down the hall, other than the kitchen... it was linoleum. Windows had roller shades, with either lace or sheer curtains, that could be pushed aside, for lots of light and privacy control.

During the past many years, I have gone through white, coppertone, harvest gold, almond, bisque and have returned to WHITE. Cookware started with stainless... then 'modernized' to teflon, silverstone, 'lifetime' non-stick (hah!), and now back to stainless and yes, cast iron. My furniture has ranged from 50's modern, mediterranen, transitional, contemporary to currently a mix of collected traditional pieces that are timeless.

As so many have said... ignore trends, go with what you love, and keep 'practical' in mind. Save money and don't follow what is hot at the moment. If what worked long ago keeps reappearing, it must be for a reason...

kitykat, your house sounds neat, especially the kitchen stove. I'd love to hear more about it. I grew up in a house built in 1955, but I don't recall any of my friends or neighbors having anything except painted cabinets either. Plain, flat cabinet doors, probably made of pine.