CB January 2011

The recession has had a major impact on kitchen design. Gone are the ornate and formal styles with travertine marble flooring and intricate decorative trim. Clients today are moving toward cleaner-looking cabinet faces and richer, more rural themes. These are among the latest trends in kitchen design.

New research by Custom Builder magazine provides insights into client profiles, home specifications, and top business challenges. Among the findings: homes are getting smaller, purse strings are tightening, and move-up buyers rule the market. Check out our full report.

Last month, the U.S. Census Bureau released the first batch of the freshly collected 2010 census data of the nation. The big news so far: The official resident population count increased 9.7 percent over the 2000 census to 308.74 million people (the slowest growth rate since the Great Depression), with most growth occurring in the South and West regions, led by Texas.

The CoreGuard Sink Base from Merillat completely rethinks the construction methodology of traditional sink base cabinets by specifically addressing issues such as minor spills and plumbing leaks.

Media Life from Wellborn Cabinet integrates live TV, personal photos, music, DVDs, podcasts, movies, home videos, family schedules, recipes, email, and web into one convenient location.

Germany’s premium kitchen manufacturer, Poggenpohl, has developed a new design of side profiles, pull-outs, and drawers for the tall and base units in its Porsche Design kitchen. The pull-out sides consist of smooth, right-angled profiles just 8mm thick from top to bottom, both inside and out — providing a clean, sleek look.