Decorating Trends 2012 Kitchens
A shift towards maintaining a healthier planet and the need for creating a healthier economy are showing up everywhere, including kitchen design. Designers and manufacturers are responding with earth-friendly materials, energy saving appliances and luxurious finishes.





We love open floor plans (Kitchen and Living Room Update and Remodel) with kitchen, living room and dining areas flowing together. As a result, appliances and all the other things that were previously hidden, are now in full view creating the need for beauty as well as efficiency.

If you're remodeling your kitchen, these are the major trends that will bring you more enjoyment now and a greater return on your remodel dollars when you decide to sell.

Top Kitchen Trends for 2012

1. Integrated Appliances
   
   

   

   
   Refrigerators are built into cabinetry and sometimes even concealed behind cabinet paneled doors. A less expensive way to get this look is to buy a counter-depth refrigerator and surround it with floor to ceiling cabinets. (See Kitchen Update and Remodel Ideas)
   
   
   
2. Energy Efficient Products
   
   

   

   
   Dishwasher drawers, like this one from Kenmore, allow you to wash small loads without wasting water or energy. Some also have a plate-warmer option and a steam clean setting for fine stemware.

   
   

   

   
   Faucets are getting smarter, too. Many of the new ones offer regular flow and an aerator option for rinsing fruits and vegetable. A water saving pause function allows you to temporarily interrupt the flow of water without turning off the faucet. This is the Annabelle from Moen.
   
   
   
3. Simpler Stone Countertops
   
   

   

   
   Busy granite slab counters are stepping aside for a cleaner, simpler, easier to care for look like Cambria, a super hard composite quartz surface. In this gorgeous kitchen designed by Daniel Bodenmiller, the light countertop sets off the dark cabinets and doesn't compete with the lustre of the decorative glass tile backsplash.
   
   
   
4. Beautiful Back-Splashes
   
   

   

   
   Tile is stepping into the spotlight. The new glass tiles are incredibly gorgeous, many with metallic shimmer like Elements Glass. These tiles can be rather pricey, but that doesn't mean you can't have them. A less expensive and more subtle way to incorporate these beauties into your back-splash is to pick a neutral colored tile that coordinates with your kitchen, and use the glass tile as an accent. Like the back-splash in Decorator Insider Secrets.
   
   

   

   
   If you like a simpler, more natural look, a dry-stacked stone back-splash is perfect.
   
   
   
5. Make it Pretty and Interesting
   

   

   From Sunset Kitchen, open shelves turn your pretty dishes and glassware into art. Much more interesting to look at than a solid wall of wood cabinets. You don't have to install new shelves, just take the doors off some of your cabinets. Tips to make this work:
   • Display only pretty things
   • Don't overload the shelves or they will look messy
   • Group similar items together
   • Stand a tray on end at the back of the shelf for more color
   • Paint the back of the shelves a pretty shade that coordinates with your kitchen
   • Be creative, there are no rules

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