2012 Styles and Trends for Your Kitchen and Bathroom

Matt Erickson
Feb 17 |09:39

During a recent Design Trends Survey from the NKBA, over 350 member designers identified the materials, types and styles that they’ve incorporated into kitchen and bath designs in the last 3 months of 2011. Below is a recap of the 10 overall trends for kitchens and bathrooms across the US and including Canada.

Cherry Wood Sours
Cherry wood cabinetry has enjoyed being first or second on the list for quite some time, often directly competing with maple. However, designers are seeing a shift away from cherry wood. With a drop from 80% in early 2010 to 72% in 2011, heading into 2012, that number has fallen even more to 69%. While no one wood preference has overtaken cherry wood, instead designers are seeing an increase in other woods, such as oak, walnut, birch and bamboo.

Movement towards the Dark Side
Only two years ago, dark natural finishes were specified by only 43% of designers. Today, however, that number has jumped to 58% and designers are seeing a decline in light natural finishes. For painted cabinetry, white continues to be the most popular option and distressed finishes seem to be making a comeback.

Glass as a Backsplash
More than half (52%) of kitchen designers report using glass as a backsplash material, up from 41% just a year ago. Granite and quartz are also rising in popularity due to their high use as countertop materials.

Energy-Efficiency is Not a Fad
One real trend that is taking hold in home across the US and Canada is LED lighting. Over the past year, the rate reported by NKBA member kitchen designers has jumped from 54% to 70%.

Pull-Out Faucets Take the Lead
The standard kitchen faucet is being over-shadowed by pull-out faucets. In fact, 14 out of every 15 designers incorporated a pull-out faucet in 2011. Rather than the standard faucet with a detached side spray, integrating these two functions into a single unit seems to be the trend these days.

The Return of the Medicine Cabinet
Once swept aside in bathroom remodels, homeowners looking for more efficient use of space has caused a resurgence in the use of medicine cabinets to gain additional storage without installing separate shelving or cabinetry.

Out with Traditional, In with Transitional
For the first time in the history of this survey, traditional is no longer the most popular type of design. In both the kitchen and the bathroom, transitional has become the most common style. Transitional can be described as a blend of traditional and contemporary, using lines that are simpler than traditional, but more elaborate than contemporary in order to create a modern and classy look.

Solid Surfaces Still Going Strong
The use of solid surfaces is a trend that’s grown even stronger than it was a year ago. The use of solid surfaces, such as granite, quartz, marble and glass has increased to 30% in kitchens and 34% in bathrooms from 26% and 34% last year.

Shades of Grey
While whites and off-whites continue to be the most popular color schemes used in kitchens and bathrooms, gray tones have been become a very popular choice. They can be quite attractive and still give a distinguished look without becoming overpowering.

Polished Chrome is Making a Comeback
Once surpassed by brushed metal finishes, polished chrome is on the verge of a comeback. In the bathroom, polished chrome has seen an increase from 46% to 65% over the past year. Bronze finishes also continue to be popular in both the kitchen and the bathroom.

To learn more about new trends in kitchen and bath fixtures, visit the C.J. Erickson Plumbing “Showroom that Works” where you can try before you buy and get help from expert plumbers who stand by their work. Visit the Plumbing Showroom or call 708-371-4900 today!

 

The Flapperless Toilet from Niagara – A Try Before You Buy Experiment

Matt Erickson
Nov 28 |12:42

What is a Flapperless toilet you ask? Niagara Water Conservation makes a toilet that has a rather unconventional fill and flush system. Conventional toilets have some form of a flapper, or stopper, covering the hole in the tank. The trip lever, or handle, lifts the flapper to allow the water into the bowl and rim for the flush. Flappers, flapper chains and levers are all items that are frequently replaced during toilet service calls.

The Flapperless toilet features tip bucket technology. The fill valve fills the bucket and the handle tips the bucket to start the flush. The flush is good, plus you benefit from a no-sweat tank. The maintenance-free flush system should give you peace of mind if you are used to repairs due to aggressive water or inferior products. This product comes in a round or elongated 1.28 GPF (gallons per flush) or 1.6 GPF.

In our “real world testing” at the C.J. Erickson Working Showroom, we have found that the 1.6 GPF model does a better job than the 1.28 GPF version. The extra water seems to help clear the bowl of solid wastes more consistently than the 1.28 GPF model. This technology would benefit large hotel/motel buildings that have experienced flapper or fill valve problems in the past.

If you want to try the Niagara Flapperless toilet, come on in to the C.J. Erickson Plumbing “Showroom that Works” located at 121st and Cicero Avenue in Alsip. The plumbing showroom is a fully-functional and environmentally friendly, featuring a wide variety of plumbing fixtures to try before you buy. Shop the latest brands and styles and get the help you need from experienced C.J. Erickson plumbers who will stand behind their work.

 

The Stealth Uses Just 0.8 Gallons Per Flush!

Matt Erickson
Sep 19 |11:36

The Stealth UHET (Ultra-High Effiecient Toilet) from Niagara Water Conservation uses only .8 gallons of water per flush.

C.J. Erickson Plumbing is proud to be a local distributor of Niagara Water Conservation products. At .8 gallons per flush, most of us in the service department were skeptical about how The Stealth would perform. So, before endorsing the product and displaying it in our “Showroom That Works” we needed to perform our own ‘real world’ tests.

Niagara Stealth ToiletThe Stealth has been in our plumbing showroom for 2 months now and we’ve had great results. The Stealth is flushed at least 20 times per day with both solid and liquid wastes. There have been no clogs or back-ups to report, and all of our expert plumbers are very happy with the Stealth’s performance.

It’s important for us to point out that while we’ve had good success with The Stealth, it may not be right for every household. If you’ve had sewer problems in the past and your underground piping is not in the best shape, you may want to stick with a conventional 1.6 gallon per flush toilet. The Stealth UHET does a great job of flushing with low water volume, but the reduced water volume might lead to problems in some plumbing systems.

If you are intrigued by the Stealth but aren’t sure if it’s right for your home, come in to our plumbing showroom where you can test the toilet, see how it works and learn the difference between a .8 gallon flush and the 1.6 gallon flush. If the Stealth is the right product for you, buy it in our showroom and a C.J. Erickson expert plumber can help you with installation.

Niagara Water Conservation also offers other toilets, along with a number of showerheads and faucet aerators. Stay tuned… I’ll blog about another cool technology from Niagara next time.

Stop by our “Showroom that Works” at 12100 S. Cicero Ave, Alsip, IL to see The Stealth and other water conserving products in action.