Two trends in kitchen and bath design have emerged from the displays this April at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in New Orleans: shabby chic and 1980’s gold. While the shabby chic trend has been playing well in the DIY Pinterest scene for the last year, it is now taking greater hold in accessories and permanent features in the kitchen. The 80’s trend, however, is a new emergence thanks to a close parallel in clothing fashions. Here are four examples of the most popular trends from the KBIS show:

Shabby Chic Details

Pallet wood and chicken wire projects are exploding all over Pinterest, but most of them are featured in living spaces and bedrooms. The rustic details trending this year include metal mesh inserts in lieu of glass for upper cabinets as well as a selection of distressed wood countertops for islands, bars and gathering spaces.

Bright Brass Fixtures

The irony in the resurgence of the brass faucet, hardware and light fixture is that most homeowners have been dutifully replacing those shiny gold elements over the last decade. Kohler and Delta, two big plumbing manufacturers, are introducing “new” colors that look exactly like the shiny 1980’s relics. There are more muted versions with a “brushed” finish as well as a “baby gold” known as “champagne” with a pink tint. Since other hardware and light fixture producers are pairing the finishes and allowing for a completed look, this suggests that the 1980’s gold trend is going to stick around for a while. Read More