Posts Tagged ‘NKBA’
NKBA reveals 2012 top kitchen, bath design trends
This kitchen, designed by Yuko Matsumoto of Altera Design & Remodeling, features a cool, dove blue wall covered in glass, with warm wood floors, white Carerra marble, stainless steel and taupe quartz..
The National Kitchen & Bath Association revealed the prevailing trends seen among nearly 500 submissions in the 2012 NKBA Design Competition, including fixtures, finishes, materials, color palettes, technology, shapes, focal points and overall geometry.
A top trend among design submissions was the use of glossy finishes and fixtures in kitchens and bathrooms. Shimmering countertop surfaces, shiny fixtures and accent lighting are popular in current kitchens, NKBA says. A complement to this larger trend is the infusion of color behind glass panels. A painted wall in the kitchen with glass panels overlaid can create a sheen of color with a smooth surface to accent shiny appliances and shimmering countertops. Glass tiles are also being used on floors and backsplashes in bathrooms to create a shiny or shimmery look.
The incorporation of white into kitchen designs has also been reinvented, and the color is now popular in hues from snow white to shades of creamy, muted, milky tones. Suspended lighting is used in many kitchen designs to create a dangling focal point or highlight artistic pieces. Additionally, kitchen designs are putting traditional technology in non-traditional spaces. For instance, kitchen cabinets are being designed with incorporated fridge drawers or a steam oven under the sink, where plumbing would be traditionally found.
Current room designs are also symmetric, which can create stability and balance. Rooms possessing pieces that counterbalance each other and with other symmetrical placements within the design often generate purpose and contentment, NKBA says. Designs starting with a particular shape are repeated in various sizes, colors and textures, both in the kitchen and bathroom. Open-plan bathrooms are also more popular than ever, with design focused on efficient space, using few or partial walls. For more on NKBA’s 2012 design trends, visit www.nkba.org/press/releases/pressreleases2012/12-04-25/The_National_Kitchen_Bath_Association_Reveals_Top_Trends_from_2012_NKBA_Design_Competition.aspx.
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NKBA announces kitchen, bath Student Design Competition winners
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (www.nkba.org) announced the ten winners of the 2011/2012 NKBA Student Design Competition, which awarded more than $10,000 in scholarships and prizes.
Sponsored by Sub-Zero and Wolf and Waypoint Living Spaces, a division of American Woodmark Corp., the student design competition awards prizes for the best student designs in the kitchen and bathroom. Students will be recognized at an awards event on April 24, at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
The 2011/2012 Student Design Competition winners were:
Kitchens:
•1st Place: Alice Mulcock, Seminole State College of Florida
•2nd Place: Elaine Treadwell, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Online
•3rd Place: KC Smelser, Montana State University, College of Technology, Great Falls
•Honorable Mention: Jean Dinkel, Canada College
Bathrooms:
•1st Place: Elaine Treadwell, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Online
•2nd Place: Lindsey Taylor Stein, The Art Institute of Philadelphia
•3rd Place: Courtney Federspiel, Lakeland College
•Honorable Mention: Andrea Brown, Seminole State College of Florida
National Kitchen & Bath Association launches health insurance program
The National Kitchen & Bath Association launched a new health insurance affinity program that will offer an alternative for major medical insurance covers for members, their employees and families.
The program offered through JLBG Health will provide a wide variety of choices, particularly for the small to mid-size business owner, NKBA says.
“The NKBA continues to increase the benefits of membership to ensure that there is always a solid return on investment to a member company of any size. The health insurance affinity program is a way for the association to capitalize on its numbers and provide real savings to the member,” said Alan W. Zielinski, 2012 NKBA president.
Savings available through the program come in the form of shrinking deductibles, healthy member discounts, optional free health savings accounts, wellness benefits, prescription drug benefits, worldwide coverage, dental insurance and vision insurance. The program also offers medical insurance ranging from HSA to PPO to traditional health plans that include extensive networks, with features subject to state availability. Industry professionals can learn more at www.NKBAHealthPlans.com.
NKBA launches Kitchen & Bath Career Center
The National Kitchen & Bath Association launched the Kitchen & Bath Career Center, at www.KitchenAndBathCareerCenter.com, which serves as an electronic recruitment resource for the industry.
Employers and recruiters can access the online resource to find employees, and job seekers can post resumes. Job seekers can also search for a position and can filter the search by state or province, category, level, type, country and education. Visitors to the NKBA’s Facebook page can also access current job postings directly through the Facebook interface by clicking the Career Center icon at www.Facebook.com/TheNKBA.
“As the leading trade association in the industry, we’re proud to be able to develop and offer the support and programs needed for success in today’s business climate. We continue to look for ways to connect not only our membership, but the industry as a whole,” said 2012 NKBA President Alan W. Zielinski. “This is yet another way for the NKBA to help provide the foundation for networking resources, without boundaries.”
NKBA releases 2012 Design Trends Survey findings
The National Kitchen & Bath Association released findings from its 2012 NKBA Design Trends Survey, which found new trends in cabinetry wood types and finishes, and a growing popularity in LED lighting use.
Cherry wood, which has consistently been the first or second most popular wood type for kitchen cabinetry, was specified by 69 percent of designers in 2012, down from 72 percent in 2011 and 80 percent in 2010. Maple also fell, specified by 70 percent of designers in 2012 compared to 77 percent in 2011. The survey found that instead of one or two woods capturing the majority of market share, lesser-used woods are being specified more often, including oak (22 percent), walnut (13 percent), birch (15 percent) and bamboo (10 percent).
According to NKBA, natural kitchen cabinetry is trending toward darker finishes, which were specified by 58 percent of kitchen designers. Light natural finishes were recently specified by 30 percent of kitchen designers, while medium natural finishes were specified by 55 percent.
For the first time since NKBA began its design trends survey, traditional was not the most popular design style in kitchens and bathrooms, replaced by transitional style in 2012. Traditional style was specified in 58 percent of kitchens and 59 percent of baths, down from nearly 75 percent in both rooms previously. Contemporary was next, specified in 52 percent of kitchens and 53 percent of bathrooms.
Another trend identified in the survey is the returning popularity of medicine cabinets, which were specified by 43 percent of designers in 2010 and 36 percent in 2011, but were requested by 66 percent of designers in 2012. LED lighting is also becoming popular in homes, according to the survey, as it was specified by 70 percent of NKBA kitchen designers in 2012, up from 54 percent in 2011.
For more findings of the 2012 NKBA Design Trends Survey, please visit http://www.nkba.org/press/releases/pressreleases2012/12-02-16/NKBA_Reveals_Top_Kitchen_Bath_Trends_for_2012.aspx.
National Kitchen & Bath Association market report optimistic for 2012
The National Kitchen & Bath Association released the Kitchen & Bath Market Report for the fourth quarter of 2011, which provided some optimism for the kitchen and bath remodeling industry in 2012.
Survey results show slightly lower numbers of remodels and budgets, with kitchen remodels down 20 percent and bathroom remodels down 2 percent from the third quarter of 2011. Remodeling prices also dropped slightly in the fourth quarter, down 11 percent for kitchen remodels and down 1 percent for bathrooms, compared to the third quarter of 2011.
Showroom visits fell three percent from the third quarter, but 70 percent of survey respondents said they expect an increase in the first quarter of 2012. The NKBA Kitchen & Bath Market Index, a measure of kitchen and bath dealer confidence, was at 32 on a scale from -60 to 60, for the fourth quarter of 2011.
“Although numbers dropped off at the end of 2011, optimism is high and undeterred for the anticipated outcome of the first quarter in 2012,” said Alan W. Zielinski, 2012 NKBA president. “Dealers are very optimistic, with the NKBA Kitchen & Bath Market Index surging from +9 to +32.”
For more information, please go to www.nkba.org.
National Kitchen and Bath Association elects 2012 Executive Committee
The National Kitchen & Bath Association elected its 2012 NKBA executive committee, which will be led by 2012 president Alan W. Zielinski.
John K. Morgan will serve as president-elect, while John A. Petrie will serve as vice president. Carolyn F. Cheetham will serve as treasurer, Clay Lyon will serve as secretary and David Alderman will serve as immediate past president. For more information, visit www.nkba.org.
NKBA offers new Kitchen & Bath Industry Directory
The National Kitchen & Bath Association worked with MultiView Inc., a digital media provider for associations, to launch a new resource for kitchen and bath professionals, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Directory.
NKBA’s directory allows industry professionals to conduct targeted searches for products and services, as well as connects them with industry-wide trade partners.
“The directory is a low-cost way to connect with other kitchen and bath businesses throughout the year,” said 2011 NKBA President David Alderman. “It’s a way to ensure that companies are well represented in their key markets year-round, complementing the connections that professionals forge each year at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show.”
To view the Kitchen & Bath Industry Directory, visit www.NKBA.org/Directory or www.kitchenandbathindustrydirectory.com.
NKBA Market Report finds increase in kitchen, bath remodels
The National Kitchen & Bath Association released the results of its Kitchen and Bath Market Report for the third quarter, reflecting a rise in showroom traffic and an increase in kitchen and bath remodels from one year ago.
In the third quarter, showroom visits increased 8 percent over the previous quarter, a 42 percent increase over the previous year’s traffic. While the volume of bathroom remodeling sales declined 9 percent from the second quarter, results showed an 85 percent increase in bathroom sales volume compared to one year ago. Kitchen remodeling sales also declined from the previous quarter, but were up 36 percent from a year ago.
Both kitchen and bath remodeling prices rose compared to the previous quarter, up 7 percent and 30 percent, respectively. Compared to a year ago, kitchen and bath remodeling prices were higher by 16 percent.
“Although optimism seems to be taking a hit, the numbers today from a year ago are encouragingly higher, ranging in increase from 4 to 85 percent higher on various points,” said Bill Darcy, executive vice president of NKBA. “The volatility of the third quarter is balanced by the overall increased consumer traffic, sales volume and remodeling prices in the past year.”
The NKBA Kitchen and Bath Market Index, which measures the confidence of kitchen and bath dealers on a scale of -60 to +60, is at +9 for the third quarter, indicating kitchen and bath dealers expect only slight growth in the market through the fourth quarter.
To download a full copy of the report, please go to www.nkba.org.
NKBA celebrates Kitchen & Bath Month in October
During October, the National Kitchen & Bath Association will celebrate Kitchen & Bath Month by providing the free, downloadable NKBA Kitchen Planner and NKBA Bath Planner, as well as by donating products to Kitchen & Bath Month’s official nonprofit partner, Storehouse of World Vision.
NKBA planners include the following features: a step-by-step guide of the remodel from start to finish; guidelines of details and components to consider while planning; comprehensive design options to choose your personal style; tips for setting a budget range and advice on ways to save; assistance on finding the right professional for your remodel; and a checklist of considerations and tips to finalize your choices.
The Storehouse of World Vision aims to address the needs of Americans suffering from disaster, personal crisis or economic hardship by providing families with supplies such as clothing, personal care items and building materials. NKBA is urging its members to donate to World Vision’s Storehouse, allowing World Vision partner agencies to construct or enhance community centers, shelters and other facilities that support children and families in need nationwide.
“The NKBA is proud to partner with The Storehouse of World Vision as they work to lessen the effects of poverty in America,” said David Alderman, 2011 NKBA President. ”It’s an excellent way for us as a professional organization to use our resources to give back to the communities across the country where our members do business.”
