Sleek shiny and new: Designers share top picks for color, form and function

It's Kitchen & Bath month, time to learn what shiny new products are out there when we're lucky enough to remodel our kitchen or bath or maybe install a kitchenette in another room.

Obviously cost and the economy are affecting many of us, but on the other hand, we are staying home more and are less likely to move to a new house. So designers and others in the industry are hoping we'll be inspired to make our kitchen, baths and the whole house the best we can.

Since they see new products all the time, we asked them to point out their favorite trends and treasures.

Cabinets. Remember when the more elaborate and intricate cabinets were the better we liked them? You might still like that look, but many are going for a clean, sleek one. Custom cabinets by Plato Woodwork Inc., a Minnesota company that says its operations are green, is a favorite at Kitchens, Baths, & More in Park Ridge. Designer Abbey Henning likes the inset doors of the company's new line, which means they are flush with the front of the cabinet. Despite that clean, sleek appeal, they have a bevel on the edge of the door that gives extra depth. Henning says Plato keeps prices reasonable by making many features standard. For example, the bottom rail of the door is designed to hide the under-cabinet lighting because with a contemporary style door homeowners would probably not want to add an additional piece of molding.

More Cabinets. And just in case you're pining for a painted cabinet in relatively neutral colors such as mushroom or olive, of course, you could be hitting a new trend, said Judith Caldwell, president of Kitchens, Baths, & More.

Lifestyle. The biggest trend these days is kitchens that fit our lifestyle, said Laura Barber, senior designer at Insignia Kitchens & Baths. That means simple, convenient and easy to care for. One product she puts in this category is Cambria, quartz with dye and resin that is used for countertops. It gives the look of stone without the need for routine sealing, and it is nonporous, she said. Barber is excited about Cambria's new line that looks like marble rather than the traditional granite appearance. “You see in magazines beautiful, white Carrara marble, she said. “Everybody loves it. But you want to have your kids enjoy themselves and have friends over and not have to be a maniac worrying that someone will spill red wine.

Double oven. Let's say you want to replace some appliances, but the kitchen just isn't going to stretch to allow for a mega range. Dan Novak of Novak & Parker Home Appliances in Mount Prospect has a solution. Companies that include General Electric and KitchenAid make ranges that fit into that 30-inch spot but give you two ovens, says Novak. They come in gas, electric or both. And yes, one of the ovens is large enough for that turkey you're planning for Thanksgiving. Two ovens come in handy when you're entertaining and need two different temperatures for various dishes. These ranges average about $1,700 retail, he said.

Faucets. Another product that's a hit at Kitchens, Baths, & More is faucets that turn on and off when you touch them. Thus if you're working with raw chicken and need water, you don't have to stop and wash your hands or worry about spreading contamination. Just nudge the spout or the handle with the back of your hand, and it's on or off. Delta and its premium brand, Brizo. Both have these. You also save water because it's not left running as long, said Judith Caldwell.

Refrigeration. Refrigeration might seem as old as your grandmother, but Liebherr lets you put components with different temperatures in different areas to make your home work more efficiently. For example, you can have a wine cooler in one spot, the regular refrigerator in another and the freezer in a third. And designers swear that Liebherr and Subzero might seem expensive, but they are so good you'll save money because you won't be throwing out fresh fruits and veggies. Novak said designers do great things placing refrigerator and freezer columns just like they do dry pantries, not to mention freezer drawers on their own rather than attached to refrigerators. But he admits this is a high-end product.

For the bath. A product called MarbleStone is made from ground-up waste marble and looks more like that stone rather than granite, said Joyce Zuelke of Basswood Construction in Arlington Heights. Zuelke likes the look of the product, but she has not used it yet.

Americans are only using MarbleStone in bathrooms now because it is porous and can stain, but Europeans like that aged patina effect and also use it in kitchens, she said.

It gives the look of marble while holding up to stains better and costing less, said the designer. And it's green, too.