Briefs – January 2006

• In a December online survey at the Chatterbean website, 48.8 percent of respondents selected granite countertops as their favorite kitchen trend in 2005, followed by the availability of professional appliances and more elaborate lighting. Outdoor kitchens brought up the rear with only 6.1 percent of the vote. The results came from the “How to Cook Up Your Perfect Kitchen” quiz on the personal-trend Website.
• The Marble Institute of America (MIA) and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) announced a partnership last month to present the MIA’s two-day educational course, “Increase Your Share of the Residential Countertop Market,” and offer continuing-education credits to NKBA members. The co-sponsored seminar will be presented five times in 2006