Clean, warm and comfortable describe today’s hottest kitchen trends, and this is particularly evident at the kitchen water station. The days of creating a full-blown, commercial-style workspace have taken a back seat to creating a more relaxed gathering place, and that means some of the pro-style elements have been toned down. However, that doesn’t mean consumers are willing to sacrifice personality in their sink and faucet choices.

“People still want the feeling of a professional kitchen, but they now desire it in a softer statement in order to keep the space comfortable and warm, rather than [doing] an entire [pro-style] kitchen,” says Tim Maicher, director of marketing for Blanco America, in Lumberton, NJ. “Maintaining warmth and personality in the kitchen is high on the design checklist for today’s consumers.”

Maicher expects elements of the professional look to remain strong through 2011, and he believes that faucets and sinks that can deliver the combination of professional style, while working in transitional formats, will see growth.

Al DeGenova agrees that the trend toward truly commercial style/professional kitchens is waning. “Though there is still demand for the commercial-style products in stainless steel, the move is toward softening kitchens with more wood elements and other ‘organic’ features,” says DeGenova, director of marketing communications for Grohe America, in Bloomingdale, IL.

Softening the kitchen naturally leads to cleaner and simpler designs, which keys into consumers’ changing design preferences, he notes.

“From our perspective, and the perspective of our customers, the trend seems to be simple and clean,” concurs Dan Sullivan, president of Affluence Seamless Sink, in Cincinnati, OH. “People seem to be saying ‘the less to look at, the better.’”

Quantity VS Quality

While adding square footage to the kitchen may be trending downward, adding quality is on the rise. Kitchen sink and faucet manufacturers note that consumers are buying long-lasting, quality products that offer additional functionality or innovation beyond what’s expected, to help them enjoy their homes.

For faucets, this may mean choosing a high-arc, pull-down faucet with a multi-function spray to make kitchen chores a little easier, according to Beth Wallick, manager of marketing communications for Moen, in North Olmsted, OH.