What’s Hot From Miami/Europe

May 23, 2011

As the migration continues north from Miami, the European and Latin American influence is clearly contemporary with leading edge technology. Here are some of the trends….

Exotic wood cabinets, like elm and Indian apple, dressed with a natural finish to let the wood’s beauty shine. These woods also offer an exotic look without an exotic price tag.

Painted cabinets in gray, taupe, and soft brown.  Highlighted colors  in gray and Martha Stewart in light yellow. White is by far the No. 1 color we see.” Shaker doors with rounded fronts for an updated look.

Islands or other work spaces created from furniture pieces.

Flush-mounted appliances. TVs fully integrated into cabinet doors, vent hoods, ice makers, and other appliances. Everything is being built for the iPod generation showing off a Jenn-AirM refrigerator with a touch screen.

Wireless connectivity so that homeowners can remotely log into their appliances from anywhere to start the washer or dishwasher, for example, during off-peak-power times.

Induction cooktops that are fully integrated into the countertop or that feature cooking elements that span the entire cooktop.Vent hoods that are brightly colored or dressed in glass and that feature the latest LED lighting technologies. They are becoming a show piece in the kitchen.

Sinks that are topped by cutting boards, including ones from Blanco, Elkay and Artisan that can serve as additional prep space or hide dirty dishes.

No-touch faucets and ones that indicate with LEDs lights the water temperature, including products from KWC and Franke that are sensible for families with kids.