What's trending in cabinetry & hardware? Acclaimed designers share their insight

What distinguishes a successful design from a flop? Recognized designers Laurie Haefele of Haefele Design and Knikki Grantham, Belwith Products, share their insight into what's hot and what's not and other cabinetry and hardware design trends.

The two will be presenting as part of the Cabinets Track at the 2018 Cabinets & Closets Conference, March 27 in Pasadena, California. The day-long Cabinets & Closets Conference precedes the Cabinets & Closets Expo, which takes place March 28 and 29 at the Pasadena Convention Center.

Laurie Haefele

Utilizing her background in architecture, Haefele has specialized in innovative kitchen and bath design since 1997. In 2002 she founded the award-winning Haefele Design, based in Southern California. An associate member of AIA, ASID, and NKBA, Haefele has also been recognized as one of the world's top designers by Robb Report Luxury Home Magazine and her work has appeared in several episodes of HGTV's Kitchen Trends and in numerous industry publications.

“About 95 percent of my work is from referral," she has stated. "I believe in delivering what my clients want, and working until they are happy with the results.”

Among the topics she'll cover in the presentation are: selling standard versus highly sophisticated designs; material and color selection; color blocking and striping; trendy and hidden features; lighting options; and other moving parts to the design process.

Knikki Grantham

Joining her in the presentation, Grantham has more than 20 years experience in the furniture and design industry, including sales, marketing and product design and development, and attained an Associate ASID as well as other accreditations. 

As the Trends Manager for Belwith Products, Grantham is well versed in the topic of design, particularly with regards to hardware. Among the items covered in her presentation are the Maximinalist vs. Minimalist influences, "larger, exaggerated with more design, more bling and more originality," and the "Vagabond" look of combining antiquities with modern design, sort of like "a worldly traveler with an eye for the original." Grantham will also look ahead for 2019 and the Art Deco influence already in notice.

"I am a student of furniture design so the leap to hardware was not very far to go," Grantham said.  While finding inspiration in apparel, furniture and other designs, she noted previously, "You really want to identify the trend, but also ask, ‘How is it going to resonate to your area?’”
 
“Your timing is such that you’re going to launch when the trend is really hitting at the right time. That’s what our customers look for,” Grantham said. “We really want to hit at the same time, so that when the customer’s got that trend and that style in their mindset, that they can really find what they’re looking for, fairly simply.”

To find out the latest cabinetry and hardware trends, be sure to attend the Cabinets Track at the 2018 Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo. In addition to "The Future of Cabinet & Hardware Design," topics in the track include: "What to Charge" (FDMC's pricing survey); "Expanding from Residential to Commercial Markets;" "Are You Ready for Industry 4.0;" and the roundtable discussion "What's Your Problem" by the Cabinet Makers Association.

In addition to Cabinets, there are two other tracks: one on closets business management, and another on lean production management. Attendees who register for any track are free to move among the conference sessions. The conference also offers a highly topical opening keynote on "The Business Case for Diversity" by Whitney Pyle, vice president and COO of Advanced Cabinet Systems, as well as a plant tour to Semihandmade, maker of high-end replacement doors for IKEA cabinets.

For more information or to register for the event, visit CabinetsAndClosetsExpo.com.

 

 

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About the author
Karen Koenig | Editor

Karen M. Koenig has more than 30 years of experience in the woodworking industry, including visits to wood products manufacturing facilities throughout North America, Europe and Asia. As editor of special publications under the Woodworking Network brand, including the Red Book Best Practices resource guide and website, Karen’s responsibilities include writing, editing and coordinating of editorial content. She is also a contributor to FDMC and other Woodworking Network online and print media owned by CCI Media. She can be reached at [email protected]