If you're aiming to create kitchens with a unique look and bathrooms with atmosphere, think gray, silver and white rather than beige and brown, say local kitchen designers.
Black granite counters and cherrywood/maple/oak cabinets in the kitchen along with beige ceramic tile bathrooms have been done to death, and homeowners are yearning for something different.
"There's a move away from granite countertops to quartz counters that are easy to maintain and come in a lot of solid colors," says Mariette Barsoum, principal at Divine Kitchens in Wellesley.
Barsoum says that people are looking for cleaner lines and simplicity — tall, flat-panel cabinets painted white or light gray rather than stained wood.
Cassia Wyner of CW Design in Brookline is doing more transitional kitchens, ones that combine traditional and contemporary styles. She has been mixing color schemes — white, grays, taupe and even red.
"New England tends to be conservative," she says. "But my clients, many of whom own old Victorians, are getting more adventurous by adding color, creating two-tone kitchens that are more modern-looking."
The two-tone color scheme is also coming to bathrooms, says Mary Porzelt, manager of Boston Kitchen Designs in Needham.
"Bathrooms are going for the Zen minimalist look," says Porzelt. "People are doing creams and light grays with dark wood vanities."
Kathie Bonchack, showroom manager at Frank Webb's Bath Center in Bedford and Needham, says she is selling more larger-sized 18-by-18 inch and 12-by-24 inch tiles for bathroom floors and shower and tub walls.
"Smaller tiles are out," said Bonchack, "and wall-mounted vanities and toilets are in. And we're also seeing chrome fixtures, which are the best value, making a real comeback."
One noticeable trend in bathrooms is the look of tubs.
"People are walking away from the jacuzzi with marble surround in favor of free-standing soaking or air jet tubs," says Barsoum.
To get a unique bathroom look, Wyner points clients to porcelain tile, which comes in a wide variety of stylish textures and colors.
"Porcelain tile is just exploding in bathrooms," she says. "It really looks like stone."
Designers say people don't have to spend a lot more money to create a stylish kitchen. Quartz counters cost about the same as granite, and some of the most reliable and attractive appliances aren't the high-end brands.
As for kitchen sinks, there are some new choices besides the ubiquitous stainless steel, with soapstone and farmer's sinks becoming popular. New sinks that are 80 percent granite and 20 percent resin can add color. And while stainless steel appliances are still king, designers say, black and glossy-finish white appliances are making inroads.
LED recessed lighting, which now comes in warmer, yellower tones, has come into its own, and LED strips are being increasingly used for under-cabinet lighting or in tray ceilings.
Kathy Cremone, design manager of Carole Kitchen & Bath Design in Woburn, says she's seeing more wood than tile on kitchen floors to make them look bigger and blend in with adjacent rooms. But bamboo wood floors are out of style, as the softer wood loses its luster quickly and dents easily.
"Everyone wants a kitchen that looks like a chef owns it but never uses it," Cremone said. "They want 60-inch stoves, double ovens, oversized refrigerators. You have to bring people down to reality and to what they can afford. You don't design for the Taj Mahal for a little house on the corner."
