-- Wilsonart Laminate Asks the Pros to Identify the Most Popular Kitchen Design Trends --

TEMPLE, Texas,  April 13, 2005 – Whether you move to your own beat or are a slave to the latest fads, staying educated about the world of design is essential when renovating your kitchen.  To create the kitchen that suits your practical needs and aesthetics, Wilsonart Laminate offers a mini primer of the top kitchen trends based on information from the experts. 

With more than 200 designs and a nearly unlimited number of patterns, colors and finishes, Wilsonart’s laminate provides design options other materials can’t.   No matter the style, laminate has a complementary look for less. 

Below is a sample of the most popular trends:

• Transitional kitchens occur when couples blend different ideas and tastes into a mix that works for them both.  This new trend has surfaced in the last three to five years, in part, due to the growing number of men who are now involved in the design of the kitchen.
   
  “Men want a say in how to build a house and how to arrange lifestyles around the kitchen.  They want to be part of the plan from the onset,” says New York-based interior designer Deborah Antar.
   
  Designers use laminate countertops as a way to pull together such kitchens.   For example, to create balance in a kitchen that contains both modern masculine elements and a feminine rustic style, a granite-like laminate pattern in a rich hue is ideal.  The granite pattern works for both kitchen styles and the infusion of color achieves the required balance.
   
  
• Farmhouse casual kitchens feature lots of wood painted in glazed off-white hues, bead boards of varying widths and distressed-looking materials.  There are many cabinets and large prep areas, traditional light fixtures and wood flooring.  Wilsonart’s Roca Series expertly replicates time-worn stone and is a natural fit.
   
  
• Mediterranean kitchens often sport dark, rich woods with straighter lines than the farmhouse style.  Appliances can be hidden behind panels or exposed and stainless.  Fixtures have simple lines and flooring is wood or tumbled stone.  Color has more of a presence in these kitchens.  The elegant marble looks of the Fusion Series in deep green, blue and black as well as neutral tones are at home in Mediterranean kitchens.
   
  
• Modern kitchens favor high-gloss finishes, fun colors and exotic veneers.  Lighting is not just utilitarian but makes a decorative statement.  Appliances and countertops often feature color.  Flooring can be an exotic wood, such as bamboo, or depict interesting patterns.  Metallic laminate patterns or ones with a subtle sheen as in the MetalFX and LS Series, respectively, provide designs for the modern kitchen.

Wilsonart International, based in Temple, Texas, is a leading manufacturer of decorative surfacing products, including Wilsonart® Laminate.  The company’s laminate was a nominee in the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum's National Design Awards. 

For more information about Wilsonart Laminate or any Wilsonart product, please call the Customer Service Hotline at 800-433-3222, or visit www.countertop.com

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