Stone Still Hot in Home Design

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – Granite remains a hot favorite in kitchen and bath design, according to a study from the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) – but simple fabrication may not be enough in the future.
The NKBA study, completed by Sovereign Marketing Research in New York last year, notes that customers may demand etching and other customization. And, granite may get some real competition from engineered stone.
In kitchens, countertops took a back seat to cabinets when figuring remodeling budgets. Cabinets accounted for 36 percent of costs, but countertops placed second at 14 percent. Cabinets also loomed large in bathroom remodeling budgets, taking 21 percent; appliances ranked second at 15 percent, while countertops came in third at 11 percent.
With kitchen design trends, the study showed that granite is used more than any other type of countertop, and will remain in the top spot through 2003. Granite also scored high in bathroom countertops use.
However, the study also showed that kitchen designers are focusing on what they called “synthetic” stone – but, when citing brand names, they invariably named engineered stone such as Silestone® and Caesarstone®.
Designers also noted that etchings and other designs on stone surfaces are “hot” trends for both kitchens and bathrooms. Water-jet-like design fabrication also received notice as a “hot” trend.
The study also showed that the kitchen/bath industry is still bullish. More than half – 54 percent – of those surveyed said that business increased in the past year, and 26 percent noted that the workload stayed the same. Only 20 percent reported a downturn in business or declined to reveal business performance.
The study surveyed NKBA members to examine the latest and most-influential elements of kitchen and bathroom design. All NKBA members with e-mail were contacted, and follow-up telephone interviews fleshed out specific information. Slightly more than half of those surveyed identified themselves as certified kitchen/bath designers.