Barry Ripp ~ East Bay Area Real Estate

1. Cabinets
Cherry will remain the most popular wood for kitchen cabinetry, followed closely by maple, while alder increases in use. As for the finishes placed on those cabinets, medium natural, dark natural, glazed, and white painted will all be common.

2. Flooring & Counters
Ceramic and porcelain tile, as well as natural stone tile, remain popular kitchen flooring options, but hardwood will dominate the kitchen landscape more than ever in 2010. For countertops, granite continues to be the most popular option, but quartz will nearly catch up in popularity. For backsplashes, ceramic or porcelain tile and glass will serve as the primary materials.

3. Flexible Faucets
Standard kitchen faucets will become less standard in 2010 in favor of more convenient models. Pull-out faucets continue to increase their market dominance, while pot filler faucets will also become more prevalent. Kitchen faucets will most often be finished in brushed nickel, followed by stainless steel, satin nickel, and polished chrome.

4. Refrigeration
Bottom freezers and side-by-side refrigerators remain a popular option. A surprising trend is the extent to which under-counter refrigerator drawers are being used in the latest kitchen designs. Perhaps even more surprising is that under-counter wine refrigerators have been recently specified by half of kitchen designers.

5. A Range of Cooking Options
The tried-and-true range continues to serve as the workhorse for cooking, although the combination of a cooktop and wall oven is beginning to overtake it. Gas will remain as the most popular type of cooktop over electric.

6. Dishwasher-in-a-Drawer
Standard dishwashers, with the traditional door that pulls from the top down, will once again be easily the most common type in 2010. However, an increasing number of dishwasher drawers will be installed in kitchens this year for their convenience and their ability to wash small loads of dishes in each drawer, thereby saving water and electricity.

7. Appliances Stainless steel appliances will continue to be a popular choice of kitchen appliances, followed by black then white.

~ Barry

Information obtained in part by the National Kitchen & Bath Assco.