Say Goodbye To High-Shine Finishes—this Is The Better Choice For Bathrooms & Kitchens

The home design landscape, particularly for kitchens and bathrooms, is undergoing a significant transformation, moving away from traditional safe, neutral aesthetics towards a vibrant embrace of color and pattern. This shift was prominently displayed at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, where luxury brands showcased appliances and fixtures in bold hues. For instance, True presented refrigeration and wine coolers in emerald green with brass or copper pulls, while Ann Sacks featured crackled glossy tile in similar shades, notably made from recycled materials. Kohler introduced sinks in plum, lavender, and indigo, reflecting prevailing home décor trends. BlueStar, known for its extensive color options, highlighted Living Coral, Pantone’s 2019 color of the year, and even teased a patterned prototype with blue-and-white stripes and floral overlays, designed by Madcap Cottage. The collaboration between Dolce and Gabbana and Smeg brought their vivid, ebullient patterns to ranges, stove hoods, refrigerators, and small appliances, marking a departure from the conventional white cabinets, Carrera marble, and stainless steel that have long dominated kitchen design. This burgeoning appetite for color and pattern extends beyond appliances to cabinetry and surface materials, invigorating design shows in global hubs like Paris, Frankfurt, and Milan. Trend-watchers have observed an increasing exuberance, with some designs verging on full-blown maximalism. This movement aligns with the growing emphasis on customization and bespoke solutions in home décor, a theme central to events like EuroCucina. While modular forms popular in Europe have yet to fully permeate the U.S. market, personalization is gaining significant traction. Beyond bold colors, there's also a warming trend in metal finishes, with burnished brass, rose gold, and copper replacing stainless steel pulls. Black matte, often paired with gold, is also gaining popularity. Exhibitions at KBIS demonstrated innovative material mixing, including natural and stained wood, matte or lacquered finishes, and various stones, porcelain, and metals. Manufacturers are actively responding to this demand for individuality. Kohler has expanded its palette to cater to the desire for more color in the home. Dacor offers a DacorMatch Color Match service, allowing consumers to personalize appliances with custom colors. Victoria and Albert provides 194 RAL colors through its color-match system, supplementing its standard offerings. Industry insights suggest a growing interest in deep blues and greens, alongside predictions for warm palettes of apricots, tawny browns, and parchment. The rise of personalization is attributed to social media and technological advancements, as consumers seek to replicate admired aesthetics in their own homes. Digital printing technology, for example, enables the application of virtually any image, text, or pattern to appliances with durable, easy-to-clean finishes. This technological progress means consumers now have unprecedented tools to express their unique styles and avoid a "cookie-cutter" aesthetic. Designers are leveraging these new possibilities. Caitlin Wilson, for instance, made a BlueStar Pigeon Blue range and matching hood the centerpiece of her kitchen, contrasting it with white cabinets, natural oak, and antique brass accents. Angela Wellborn O'Neill of Wellborn Cabinets suggests that vibrant colors in kitchen design can enhance sensory experiences during cooking and serve as a focal point for the entire home. This trend also extends outdoors, with colorful grills inspiring patio décor. Hestan, an appliance manufacturer, actively gathers color insights from designers. John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon, authors of "Prints Charming," advocate for layering colors and patterns. Studio DB's Kips Bay Decorator Show House bathroom exemplifies this approach, featuring a plum clawfoot tub against a panther-patterned silver wallpaper and Viridian Green walls, creating a "sexy boudoir" ambiance. The role of pattern is also expanding through elegant hand-painted murals and a wider range of porcelain tiles, quartz, stones, and laminates, which now feature more exotic materials and complex veining. Backlighting and translucent surfaces like quartz and onyx further add dimension. Despite the growing acceptance of color and pattern, remodeling these spaces remains a significant investment, often leading to careful consideration of product choices and budget. However, there are accessible ways to introduce color, such as making a statement with a colorful range or tub, adding a vibrant backsplash, utilizing the floor as a canvas for geometric patterns, making the island a focal point, incorporating texture through strong wood grains or 3D tiles, or simply updating taps and cabinetry hardware for a quick refresh. #KitchenDesign #BathroomDesign #InteriorDesignTrends #ColorInDesign #HomeRenovation #ApplianceColors #Customization #PatternInDesign #MaterialMixing

The article explains the best paint finishes for bathrooms, emphasizing the need for paints that can withstand the unique conditions of these humid environments. Unlike living spaces and bedrooms, bathrooms require specialized paint formulations due to constant exposure to moisture, which can lead to mold, mildew, and paint deterioration. Modern acrylic eggshell or satin paints are generally sufficient, but many manufacturers also offer products specifically designed with moisture and mildew resistance. Helen Shaw, director at Benjamin Moore, highlights that bathrooms and other high-moisture areas necessitate easy-to-clean, moisture- and mildew-resistant finishes. Similarly, Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux, stresses that bathroom paint should be formulated for damp, steamy conditions and mold resistance. James Greenwood, a paint and wallpaper expert at Graham & Brown, recommends ultra-durable, scrub-resistant, and moisture-repellent paints to combat dirt and moisture buildup effectively. Several paint finishes are identified as suitable for bathrooms, each offering different levels of sheen and durability. Mildew-resistant paints are an excellent starting point, with a wide array of colors available to match various design schemes. Eggshell paint, known for its subtle sheen, is washable and acrylic versions are well-suited for bathroom and kitchen use. Intelligent Eggshell, for instance, offers durability and moisture resistance for both walls and woodwork. Satin paint provides a slightly glossier finish and is acceptable for bathrooms with lower moisture levels, though it is often better reserved for woodwork and trims rather than extensive wall application. When choosing between satin and eggshell, the primary consideration is the desired sheen level, as both offer good performance. Semi-gloss and high-gloss paints are ideal for bathrooms due to their superior moisture resistance, but they are generally recommended for woodwork and trims, not for entire walls. While various other paint finishes exist, the article strongly advises against using flat or matte paints for bathrooms, as they are the least durable and tend to absorb moisture, leading to staining, peeling, and mold growth. An exception is Intelligent Matte, which offers a washable finish making it suitable for well-ventilated bathroom walls and ceilings. The choice between satin and semi-gloss for bathrooms depends on a slight trade-off: satin has a subtler sheen, while semi-gloss is marginally tougher. Ultimately, selecting the correct paint finish for bathrooms is crucial for durability, mold resistance, and longevity. Although proper ventilation (e.g., opening windows, using extractor fans) and protective measures (e.g., watertight shower screens, tiled backsplashes) can mitigate condensation and splashes, inadequate paint will still succumb to moisture damage. Therefore, using bathroom-specific paints, eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss finishes is essential to ensure the paint endures the challenging conditions of a bathroom. #BathroomPaint #PaintFinishes #MoistureResistance #InteriorDesign #HomeImprovement #MildewResistant #EggshellPaint #SatinPaint

This article highlights seven bathroom vanity colors and finishes that interior designers consider outdated, advocating for a shift towards more natural and warmer tones. The piece emphasizes that while personal preference is paramount, staying informed about current trends can guide renovation decisions. Drawing on insights from designers Elizabeth Drake, Caroline Kopp, and Magda Callery, the article details specific colors to avoid and suggests contemporary alternatives. Bright white vanities, once popular for their minimalist and clean aesthetic in the 2010s, are now seen as cold and clinical. Designers recommend replacing them with warm whites or creamy off-whites to create a more calming and modern feel. Similarly, cool-toned grays and gray wood stains, which were ubiquitous in the 2000s and 2010s, are no longer favored. The current preference leans towards warmer grays, greige, and mushroom tones, which offer a more complex and inviting neutral palette. Cherry wood stains, a staple of traditional design in the 1990s, are now considered dated due to their dark and heavy appearance. Lighter, more natural woods like oak or maple are suggested as brighter and more inviting alternatives. Orange-toned finishes, whether wood stains or paints, are also identified as artificial and passé. Instead, the trend is towards natural hues, cool colors in soft tones, such as muted blues and earthy greens for paint, and cooler, natural wood stains. High-gloss black vanities, despite their past association with sleek modernity, are out of favor not only for being dated but also for their impracticality as fingerprint magnets. A less glossy finish, such as satin or eggshell black, or incorporating black in other bathroom elements while opting for a natural wood vanity, is recommended. Dark brown espresso finishes are also deemed artificial and outmoded, especially when the stain obscures the wood's natural grain. Modern preferences lean towards medium-to-dark chocolatey browns like walnut, dark oak, or teak, where the wood's character and texture are emphasized. Finally, dusty pinks and mauves, popular in the 1990s, are now considered outdated. Contemporary pinks in bathrooms are softer, warmer, and more muted, offering a sophisticated and mature aesthetic. Overall, the article underscores a broader trend towards natural materials, warmer color palettes, and finishes that enhance the inherent beauty and texture of wood, moving away from anything that appears artificial or excessively cool-toned. #BathroomDesign #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #VanityColors #DesignTrends #HomeRenovation #ColorPalettes