Kitchens today are more organized, less cluttered

Practicality is the watchword for today’s kitchen consumers. The ornate and fussy kitchens we saw a few years ago with corbels and intricate moldings galore are gone, replaced by classy and very practical work spaces.

“Everyone’s lives are so busy today that people want kitchens that maximize their space and make working there more convenient,” says Laura Barber, senior kitchen and bath designer for Insignia Kitchen and Bath in Barrington.

Homeowners are sacrificing other accoutrements, in many cases, in order to get rollout drawers and specialized slots for storage of appliances and other things they want to tuck away. Items that once sat on the countertop are now considered unnecessary clutter that should be hidden away in the modern kitchen and only pulled out when in use.

“People today understand that a cluttered space makes a person feel disorganized. So they are trying to eliminate that with specialized drawers and cabinets that will help them organize and streamline their daily lives and feel more in control,” Barber says.

That trend toward simplicity also extends to the overall look of the kitchens and cabinet finishes that are popular today. Whether buyers choose traditional or contemporary styling, the customers Barber works with want lovely classic or “green” woods finished with either solid paint or a dark stain.

“It all depends on personal taste and the style of the home,” she says.

But overall, she is seeing customers choose painted finishes without the glazes that were so popular for years; classic cherry and maple woods; fast-growing “green” woods like Lyptus; or if they choose a wood like oak with a heavy grain, they stain it very dark so only a hint of the grain is visible.

If they have the space to do it, homeowners also replace those existing peninsulas with islands, Barber says, because they want the extra work space but consider peninsulas to be obstacles, not assets.

And when it comes to the walls of that kitchen, many are experimenting with the new so-called “chameleon colors” that appear different, depending upon the time of day and the quality of the light. Most are lovely neutrals that cross between warm and cool colors like beige and gray, Barber says.

Ÿ Insignia Kitchen and Bath, 1435 S. Barrington Road, Barrington, is a full-service, high-end design/build remodeling company with a 6,000-square-foot retail showroom that is best known for kitchen and bath remodeling, thanks to its roots as a subsidiary of Professional Plumbing of Barrington. For information, call (847) 381-7950 or visit insigniakitchenandbath.com.