In the world of cabinets, dark tones and classic wood grains are in vogue. Whether the customer’s sense of style is an eclectic blend of custom pieces and colors, or a classic theme of simple cabinets with clean lines, manufacturers have the designs to please.

The strongest design element in most kitchens is the cabinets. But beyond aesthetics, the cabinets must also serve the utilitarian purpose of maximizing storage space. And with the wide array of out-of-the-ordinary materials available for customization, cabinets can be as individual as the individual.

Cupboard Colors

“When you talk about color, the biggest trend is mixing,” says Andy Wells, vice president of product design and merchandising for MasterBrand Cabinets. “Consumers have moved away from one palette and have discovered they can create personality in their kitchen by mixing colors for an individual look.”

“Current clothing fashion continues to influence home décor, and a desire to blend with other interior furnishings to make a personal statement is a factor,” says Rob Glenn, marketing manager for Armstrong Cabinets. “Brown continues to be popular in a fashion sense, and rich colors with an elegant, yet traditional look, easily help mix Old World style with a new, more modern sensibility.”

Armstrong’s Arborcrest and Town & Country lines were created based on classic Shaker design. The Arborcrest full-overlay door style features solid cherry panels with Shaker width stiles and rails and five-piece drawer fronts. Town & Country is a maple Shaker beaded door style with solid maple panels and Shaker width frames. Available glazing options include caramel and pewter, and the company offers a dramatic espresso stain on all maple and cherry styles.

“Earth tones and tinted neutrals provide a balanced range of color for interior coordination,” adds Glenn. “Depth of rich colors, such as chocolate browns, blacks and other deep colors in hardwoods have emerged and will be an enduring trend. Your client may not want to change over your entire kitchen, but a touch of a bold new color can bring a totally new feeling to the room.”

Homecrest’s Madison cherry line of beaded doors feature fully mitered corners and recessed panel styling. Madison cherry is available in rich tones of burgundy finish that bring out the deep red hues of natural cherry. Homecrest’s Sedona maple natural line is inspired by Arts and Crafts architecture for clean and uncluttered appearance.

Quality Cabinets has broadened the options available to builders and remodelers with the introduction of two new finishes and a new wood species choice on a popular door style. With trends continuing to move toward dark, bolder colors, Quality has introduced the dark colors of espresso for oak cabinets and dulce for maple. Additionally, the company now offers its Classic II door style in cherry with three standard finishes and three glazes available.

Pointing out the biggest style trends, Stratton Yatron, co-owner of Adelphi Kitchens & Cabinetry, says, “Some of our business has returned to darker, more traditional colors and woods such as dark stained walnut wood or almost black stains, and some of our business is focusing on exotic veneer options such as birdseye maple and Macassar ebony.”

Adelphi recently increased its offerings by adding 20 new framed and frameless cabinetry styles, several new colors, and two new wood species. Styles range from Presidential Cathedral and Double Georgetown to Aspen and Scottsdale. The company has also added walnut and alder to its standard wood selections, which include birch, cherry, maple, oak and knotty pine. Adelphi’s new finishes include burgundy, Colorado red, acorn and nutmeg.

“You can’t ignore the mainstreaming of the environmental movement,” says Harold Martin, vice president of marketing for Quality Custom Cabinetry. “It’s everywhere and affecting everything. In lieu of exotic and rare woods, we are seeing a move to reconstituted or composite wood veneers that look like the real thing but are made from abundant, native trees that are renewable and easy to grow. We’re also seeing more faux veneers and reflective foil finishes under a high-gloss coating as green-friendly alternatives.”

Functional Advancements

Beauty isn’t everything but it’s definitely a top priority in cabinetry. And the second, equally important priority is functionality.

Fortunately, manufacturers offer products that combine the two for enhanced style and substance that fits nearly any budget.

“Consumers are bombarded with a constant stream of ideas and designs,” says Yatron. “I think that the desire for more straightforward, and perhaps, more contemporary kitchens is becoming more of a trend than it had been in recent years. Some of the designs we are developing are almost repeats of things that were new in the '60s and '70s.”

Yatron stresses the key to satisfying clients is “to properly select not only the best style of cabinetry for any given project but to also try to minimize the need for space-wasting fillers, and be able to hide things such as ventilation ducts and pipe chases.”

Armstrong’s ChefCenter is a built-in organizational tool. The ChefCenter is available with various sizes of pullout fillers that contain shelves or perforated organizers and wall cabinets with pull- out shelves. It features either a 30-in. or 36-in. drawer base with organizer and pullout organizers. Since the unit is modular and scalable, it can easily include innovative, value-adding features to enhance standard kitchen plans.