Kitchens are the most popular renovation project in Canada, and with good reason. Kitchens have become multi-use rooms, often connected to family rooms and eating areas, while traditional living and dining rooms are going the way of the smoking parlour. Kitchen renovations also provide the highest potential payback when the home is sold -- an average of 72 cents return for every dollar spent on the renovation, according to the Appraisal Institute of Canada.

A recent survey of Canadian Decorators Association (CDECA) members, commissioned by KitchenAid Canada, says that the average consumer who uses a CDECA member spends $30,000 to $50,000 on their kitchen renovation.

The survey says most people renovate their kitchens to improve the functional layouts, and that a major trend is "knocking out walls" to eliminate formal dining areas and incorporate them into kitchen space.

Pantry cupboards are the most popular kitchen addition, and "anything on wheels" -- including kitchen islands and prep workstations -- are also popular. The survey says Canadians are more than twice as likely as their American cousins to install stock kitchen cabinets, and light-coloured wood finishes are still preferred.

However, designer Jacqueline Glass, speaking on behalf of Delta Faucet Canada, says darker, traditionally-styled cabinets are making a resurgence in a variety of rich colours. She says oak cupboards, in particular, are coming back into style after the swing to lighter colours.

Glass says with the trend to darker colours, homeowners are using floors and counters to lighten up the room. One option is to mix materials, such as combining granite with wood and solid surfaces with laminate countertops, she says.

Incorporating glass cabinets and shelving into kitchen design is a key trend, Glass says. There's a desire to showcase day-to-day kitchen items such as dishes, bowls and platters in cabinets, and other items such as knives and colourful pasta jars are being displayed on countertops.

Everyone agrees that stainless steel is still a hot kitchen trend. Although some companies have introduced appliances in bright red, blue and green enamel, large appliances with metallic finishes now account for more than 15 per cent of sales in the North Amercian kitchen market, says KitchenAid, while the enamel units account for less than three per cent. However, a current trend to a "retro look", in which new energy-efficient appliances are being made to look like older units with rounded corners and bright colours, is just beginning to be felt in the market.

In response to the continuing popularity of stainless steel appliances, harmonized fixtures, drawer handles and faucets are also popular. Delta, for example, offers traditional stainless steel faucets, along with other textured metallic finishes such as brushed nickel and a new Venetian bronze finish.

To showcase the old and the new, Frigidaire recently ran a contest to find the oldest operating refrigerators in North America. The two Canadian winners came from Truro, Nova Scotia and Bala, Ontario. Both units were made in 1925. The Bala unit was made out of a wood frame and porcelain panels, and is still in use.

New refrigerators include a variety of features that were unheard-of in 1925, with space and energy efficiency toping the list. "Smart" refrigerators that can connect to home networks and the Internet, to order something when you're running low on that item, are now a reality.

Glass says some other future trends to watch in the kitchen include the use of video and voice-activated telephones; custom-designed, adjustable-height countertops and cabinets; and motion sensitive lighting. These components are already in place in high-end applications, but in future will become more affordable and commonplace.

The survey of CDECA members also says that range hoods are becoming more popular, and are being installed in 65 per cent of new kitchens. Cooking with gas is on the rise, with gas cooktops being installed in 43 per cent of contemporary kitchens. Finally, dishwashers are now an indispensable part of any kitchen. The survey says 86 per cent of kitchen renovations involve installing or replacing a dishwasher.

The National Kitchen and Bath Association says Canadians can expect to spend about 50 per cent of the total kitchen budget on new cabinets, 13 per cent on countertops, eight per cent on appliances, three per cent on fixtures and two per cent on flooring.

For more articles by Jim Adair, please press here.

Published: July 5, 2001

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Jim Adair is editor of REM: Canada's Real Estate Magazine, a business publication for real estate agents and brokers. He is also consulting editor of Homes & Cottages, Canada's largest building and renovation magazine. Email jimhc@pathcom.com.