Traditional is by far the most popular look here. On the east coast of Florida, they do more contemporary. A traditional kitchen will have a raised panel, miter-corner door. We’re leaning toward glazed finishes that accent the form of the door. A dark brown mocha on top of a medium-tone maple will give a warm, cozy look. The white and pickled cabinets of southern Florida are out.
The Old World look has really caught on in our area, with lots of woodcarvings and elaborate hardware. There’s a lot more detail and more architectural treatments than we’ve seen before. People want to make more of a statement. We’re seeing a lot of wood accenting and detailing. There are a lot of different choices. By far the most popular are carved wood pieces and architectural woodcarvings: corbels around a wood hood, crown mouldings with hand-carved designs, carvings above the fridge on a blank panel, French curves. This look is in because we had tropical for so long that people got tired of it. We’re doing white kitchens on remodeling jobs. They’ve usually decided to remodel in the first place because the current space is too small and dark so they want to open it up with a lighter look. We see this particularly in beach condos where they want the beachfront look.
In the last 10 years there has been a huge change in the kitchen industry with an explosion of different choices, looks, and products. In particular, companies are coming out with more decorative hardware. Hardware has gotten to be a more difficult choice. People spend as much time picking out hardware as they do the main cabinets. Door styles and colors are more limited, but with hardware you can get many different looks. Sleek contemporary poles or wrought iron can be put on traditional cabinets; old rust finishes are popular.
By John Rowland, Co-owner
Palm Bay Kitchens & Baths
Naples, Florida
www.palmbaykitchens.com