Simple Style

Gone are the days of designs filled with fussy, overdone details. With the crazy pace of modern life, people are looking to ditch the clutter, especially in the bath, and designers are responding by creating peaceful, personalized sanctuaries. Intricate carved designs on cabinetry can work against this desire for simplicity, – all of which is driving the trend toward cleaner lines and a more simplified look in vanities, according to manufacturers surveyed by KBDN.

“It seems the carved, gaudy, heavily molded looks are on the wane,” says Denny McLaughlin, executive sales manager, Bertch Cabinet Mfg., Inc. in Waterloo, IA. “Simpler designs, Shaker or, in some styles, even a slab door with simple lines are the most popular today.”

Phil Lee, director of marketing, Ronbow Materials Corp. in Newark, CA agrees. “The demand seems to [be] less design – the minimalist look, or ‘less is more,’” he says.

Rod Brewer, director of product and design, Mid-Continent Cabinetry, in Eagan, MN, attributes the trend to the desire to have a very organized house. “People want to have simple, uncluttered lifestyles,” he asserts.

Dawn Robinson, showroom specialist, VitrA USA in Suwanee, GA, states, “The sort of elaborate details that were popular in years past are certainly attractive, but they are often hard to clean and add lots of cost. Most consumers list easy maintenance as being a priority for their products – the more decorative scrolls, engravings, etc. just cause more places for dirt and dust to settle. Most pieces today are cleaner in their features – they even go so far as to leave off handles and drawer pulls altogether and feature touch opening and closing that operates on soft glides.”

But while the details are becoming simpler, designers are still looking for pieces that reflect personal style and taste. “Today, it is about choice,” says McLaughlin. “Discerning customers want to have classic looks, but want their selection to be unique.”

Steve Wilcox, product development manager, Sagehill Designs in Cerritos, CA, says, “Consumers want more of a ‘custom’ feeling to the products that they buy. Therefore, the more detail or unique styling features we offer at a value, the more they seem to gravitate toward them.” He adds, however, that this does not mean adding needless ornamentation to a design. “Rather, it means adding features that have meaning and that the consumer either functionally or emotionally relates to.”

Functional Furniture

Nothing adds a personal touch to a home like furniture, and this holds true in the bath, as well. The gravitation toward furniture-style vanities allows designers to help clients create the personalized spaces they crave. According to manufacturers, the use of furniture pieces is one of the most prevalent trends in the market.

“Furniture-style vanities are still very hot. Homeowners love the idea of turning their baths into mini ‘sanctuaries,’ a place to escape to within the home, if only for a few moments. Furniture pieces can make this happen,” says Lee.

Furniture pieces help give the room the unique touch that homeowners are looking for.

“People don’t just want boxes hanging on the wall anymore,” Brewer states.

Karen Wistrom, ASID, v.p. of marketing for Dura Supreme Cabinetry in Howard Lake, MN, agrees that the freestanding vanity is more popular than ever. She notes that, when the trend first came on the scene, people were taking antiques or items that weren’t intended for the bathroom and adapting them for bath use. While the look was great, the inability of finishes on those items to stand up in a high-moisture environment made them impractical long term. “Cabinet manufacturers are taking advantage of this by offering high-grade finishes that are impervious to moisture, and capitalizing on that whole look for bathrooms,” she says