Custom cabinetry trends

Rev-A-Shelf relaunched its website, www.rev-a-shelf.com, to better extend its cabinet and closet organizational products to customers.
The new website features expanded content and streaming media, including step-by-step product installation, online marketing videos and new navigational tools. In addition, the website offers customer product ratings and reviews, product press releases, Rev-A-Shelf literature library and a site-wide search engine.
On Rev-A-Shelf.com, users can access information on where to find a preferred kitchen dealer or distributor, as well as locate a retail outlet. Industry professionals can download design resources such as 20/20, DWG and DXF files, with access to an image database.

Wellborn Cabinet expanded its Select Series line with a new cabinet door style, and additional finishes, construction and drawer front options.
The company added the Hartford MDF door style to its Select Series, along with the drawer front choices of Prairie classic, and Nantucket and Newport slab. New finishes include: Sable Charcoal, Sienna Charcoal, Midnight and Sandstone on Maple and Oak, Dark and Spiceberry on Oak, and Sandstone on MDF.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association revealed the latest design trends from the 2011 NKBA Design Competition.
Among nearly 500 entries received in the competition, NKBA says the strongest themes were in designs with distinct visual elements and vibrant colors, unique details and use of textures, personalized products and materials, and an architecturally artistic approach to proportion. Glass was incorporated into kitchen and bath designs in door windows and countertop backsplashes, while hues of chocolate and espresso with natural finishes were seen in wood cabinetry.
“Each year, NKBA member designers exceed expectations and raise the standard we’ve come to anticipate from their entries in the NKBA Design Competition,” said 2011 NKBA President David Alderman. “NKBA designers continue to find surprising ways to incorporate complex design solutions and the latest technology into incredible kitchen and bathroom designs. The National Kitchen & Bath Association is excited to release the overriding trends conveyed in the 2011 NKBA Design Competition.”

Cabinet sales decreased 2.9 percent in March 2011, compared to March 2010, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assocation’s monthly Trend of Business Survey.
The survey also found that for March 2011, stock cabinet sales fell 9.6 percent, semi-custom sales increased 5.3 percent and custom sales fell 10.4 percent.
The 2011 year-to-date sales showed a decrease of 4.5 percent overall, with stock sales down 7.9 percent, semi-custom sales down 0.8 percent, and custom sales down 5.7 percent, according to KCMA’s survey.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association announced the finalists in the 2011 NKBA Design Competition, honoring the best kitchen and bath designs of the year.
The 2011 competition honors the top three designs in each of nine categories, as well as special “Best-Of” award winners, from the nearly 500 entries received. Winning designs were announced at the Design Competition Awards event in April, during NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas.
“The National Kitchen & Bath Association is proud to offer NKBA designers the opportunity to have their best kitchen and bathroom designs from the past year acknowledged for their excellence,” said David Alderman, 2011 NKBA president. “The designs selected, represent the finest in function, personalization, innovative- thinking, and beauty.”
A complete list of winners in each category can be found on NKBA’s website.

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association released its monthly Trend of Business Survey, which showed a decline in cabinet sales for February 2011.
Participants in the KCMA survey reported that cabinet sales decreased 7.3 percent compared to sales for February 2010. Stock cabinet sales decreased 10.9 percent, semi-custom sales decreased 3.6 percent and custom sales decreased 9.6 percent. The year-to-date sales decreased 5.7 percent, with stock sales down 6.9 percent, semi-custom sales down 4.9 percent and custom sales down 3.6 percent.
Survey participants included stock, semi-custom and custom companies whose combined sales represent over 50 percent of the U.S. cabinet market.

Blum Inc. announced it will hold demonstrations of its Age Explorer suit at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show on April 26 and 27.
At 11 a.m. each day, show attendees will have the chance to see Blum’s Age Explorer usability tests in the company’s KBIS booth C5351.
The Age Explorer is a suit that enables the wearer to experience physical limitations in a realistic way. The suit simulates decreasing mobility due to the natural aging process or other physical limitations, allowing the test subject to feel how it affects daily kitchen work. Blum researchers use this suit to test all products for qualities related to ergonomics, motion and utilization, according to the company. Blum currently has 15 such suits that are being used for testing in 13 countries.

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show will offer a smartphone application to attendees of the 2011 show, which will take place in Las Vegas from April 26 to 28.
KBIS 2011 app will provide 24-hour access to information on educational sessions and speakers, exhibiting manufacturers, interactive maps and networking events. It will also allow show-goers to organize schedules and show appointments, navigate the show floor with GPS tracking, download exhibitor information, receive show alerts and event schedule updates, and receive discounts from Las Vegas merchants.
The app is available for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and other web-enabled handheld devices, KBIS says. For iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users, visit the iTunes App Store and search for “kitchen & bath industry show 2011″ to download the app. For Blackberry, Android and other types of web-enabled phones, users should connect their mobile phone’s web browser to http://m.core-apps.com/KBIS2011.