At the big trade shows like the one that the kitchen and bath industry holds every winter, manufacturers love to show off their new wares. Among the myriad faucets, sinks, appliances, cabinetry and surface materials, those in the trade, and the journalists reporting, begin to sense trends, whether it's a commonality of color, finish, materials, patterns and even design features such as open shelves.

The reason fashioning a new or spruced up kitchen is best left in a capable designer's hands is because there are so many options -- not just with aesthetics, but with appliance choices and what they can do, whether it's delivering restaurant quality BTUs on a cooktop or delivering healthy steam/convection.

Designers also can help navigate through style, as well as what's practical, based on cooking and entertaining habits. Which makes more sense: a pot filler (a faucet installed on the wall behind the stove -- especially handy for filling large pasta pots) or a second dishwasher? How much will you use an instant hot/instant cold faucet? How much storage do you need? And what works best -- drawers or cabinets with pullouts? What's the best lighting -- task, decorative, both?

Throughout its 53-year existence, the National Kitchen and Bath Association has tracked trends. Most recently, 450 members all over the country were polled to get a pulse of the direction of design in new construction and remodeling -- at up to $99,000, with nearly half of the kitchens in the $20,000 to $49,000 range. One-third of the respondents describe clients as empty nesters, and about 20 percent represent multigenerational households and families with teenagers.

NKBA's top 10 kitchen trend list for 2016:

-- Transitional style, with clean lines and less ornamentation.

-- Two or more cabinet colors/finishes in the same kitchen, often in a light/dark combo.

-- Pullouts, tilt-outs, and tilt-ins for easy access to storage, trash and recycling.

-- The look of wood flooring dominates, be it actual wood or wood-look ceramic tile.

-- Different countertops for islands and the perimeter, varying in both color and material.

-- Outdoor kitchens, most popular in the Southeast.

-- Built-in coffee stations and wet bars, as well as built-in wine refrigerators.

-- Pocket doors.

-- Pet spaces, including built-in feeding stations, food storage and crates.

-- Docking and charging stations.

Modern looks have been a common thread in interior design as well. It's not just about clean lines and perhaps fewer corbels and fussy embellishments. What's at the heart is a yearning for simplification, less visual clutter and better organization.

That doesn't mean homogeny. It's all about the mix -- teaming different materials, such as wood, stone or quartz, metal, porcelain, glass or concrete tiles, that read effortless, in spite of the complexity of combinations.

A key development is the male point of view.

"We're definitely getting a lot more input from men," says Atlanta designer Mark Williams. "Because more kitchens have to adapt to today's open plan living spaces, they need to be a little more luxurious in their palette and style."

Consumers are embracing the idea of combining two or more finishes, often opting for a darker value to ground an island. Mixing up surfacing materials also is drawing interest, with quartz gaining traction because of its range of looks and low maintenance (it can take heat and doesn't scratch or stain). Also significant is the range in countertop profiles -- from the very slim to inches thick.

Whether the choice is rich wood grains or high-gloss paint hues, Williams says it's important to break up space with textural changes, especially in a neutral palette. "People tend to feel dark colors and strong wood grains are more masculine design elements -- we soften that with subtle curved shapes and textured tiles."

Contrasting rough and smooth does lend sizzle. In a Chicago area kitchen designed by Terri Crittenden of the Fredman Design Group, it's the backdrop of mortared rugged stone, reclaimed barn beams and smooth marble with minimal veining, plus swirled glass pendants above the island that visually excite.

"There's a little loosening of attitudes about what is typical," says designer Cheryl Kees Clendenon of In Detail Interiors in Pensacola, Florida. "People are more willing to experiment, mixing cabinet colors."

Consumers are warming up to gray tones, which offer an attractive alternative to the once ubiquitous cherry- or espresso-hued wood. They fit into a variety of styles, from country to coastal, with more weathered finishes to transitional and modern, in matte or high-gloss paint.

According to the NKBA survey, wood flooring is dominant. It's often expressed in wide plank -- a look that's also replicated in porcelain -- and most authentically with raised wood grain.

White, of course, remains a classic. That said, there's much more of an effort to layer.

"White on white is not a trend," says interior and product designer Courtney Cachet. "It's a look. Texture and varying shades are always what it boils down to when working with one-toned spaces."

Still, color is making its mark. Black actually has surfaced as a new appliance choice, especially in matte finishes, but it's too new to make any trend list. One of the most buzzed about introductions from the high-end French range manufacturer La Cornue is Atlanta-based interior designer Suzanne Kasler's Couleur palette. She added some fashion hues -- including pink and a range of blues from baby to turquoise, and subtle pale blue greens to mint. Manufacturers like the Italian manufacturer Smeg offer retro 1950s looks with signature rounded edges and refrigerators in bold shades like red and orange, lime green and pastel blue and green (available at www.westelm.com).

"I do love color," says Clendenon, "but I layer it in balance with neutrals and organic materials, so it doesn't look like a comic book. It's like a black dress, showcased with a gorgeous red or turquoise pendant. For me, color is a great equalizer."

Don't forget about the color and sheen of metals. Warm coppers and burnished golds are gaining fans and being used in tandem with silver tones.

Pattern also is playing a more conscious role. Besides countertops, where marbling, veining or other markings can figure in, backsplashes, feature walls and even ceilings are candidates for patterns.

"Tile is really taking a leading role," notes Clendenon. Porcelain in bold geometrics, mosaics and three-dimensional styles, like those in Walker Zanger's new concrete collection can lift the design to a new level.

Pendant lights are another way to make a style statement that addresses scale and color.

Cachet advocates such touches. "When designing small spaces, which are so common here in New York City, we are often more inclined to keep them ultra-simple -- that's all wrong. Small spaces need even more design and decor. Insert your own personal style and fashion as much as you can."

Which perhaps explains, in part, a new darling in kitchen design: open shelving. In modern floating style, or with brackets as part of the design, the look is hot. They break up walls of cabinetry and allow personalization.

"The open shelving concept speaks to today's trend of displaying dishware, collections and family heirlooms," says designer Kerrie Kelly, who is based in Sacramento, California. "Instead of it being viewed as clutter, dishes, cups and stemware are now part of the scene, adding an informality to the overall design."

Forget the cookie cutter approach. Chicago-based Julia Buckingham tries not to follow design "rules" or settle for something expected. "Homeowners should have fun with the design process," she says.

"People don't want the kitchen down the street," says Kelli Kaufer, an interior designer from Stillwater, Minnesota. "They want to make it their own."

If you choose well, your kitchen design should have a long shelf life.

Sources

-- Benjamin Moore, 855-724-6802, www.benjaminmoore.com

-- Julia Buckingham, Buckingham Interiors and Design, 312-243-9975, www.buckinghamid.com

-- Courtney Cachet, send email to info@courtneycachet.com, www.courtneycachet.com

-- Lori Carroll, Lori Carroll and Associates, 520-886-3443, www.loricarroll.com

-- Cheryl Kees Clendenon, In Detail, 850-437-0636, www.indetailinteriors.com

-- Terri Crittenden, Fredman Design Group, 312-587-8150, www.fredmandesigngroup.com

-- Kerrie Kelly, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab, 916-706-2089, www.kerriekelly.com

-- Kohler Co., 800-456-4537, www.kohler.com

-- Peter Ross Salerno, CMKBD, Peter Salerno Inc., 201-251-6608, www.petersalernoinc.com

-- Silestone by Cosentino, 281-494-7277, www.silestoneusa.com

-- Mark Williams, 678-539-6886, www.markwilliams-design.com

-- Wood-Mode, Wood-Mode Chicago Lifestyle Design Center, 800-561-0419, www.wood-mode.com

SIDEBAR

Kitchens are more than ready for their close-ups with details like eye-catching open shelving. Besides offering display for choice dinnerware or heirloom pieces, Kerrie Kelly says that open shelving makes the kitchen more "livable ... with everyday items at arm's reach."

But there's more than meets the eye. Some of the most welcome kitchen features are inside cabinets.

Inserts for flatware and cutlery are becoming more available -- even dual layers. Touch-latch cabinets open up to reveal storage within, and are even more easily accessible with a slide-out shelf. Dividers organize pots and pans in deep drawers. Partitions that divvy spaces and cantilevered inserts or trays for spices keep them handy. Pullouts make it easier to contain the clutter beneath the sink.

Pets also are playing a role in kitchen design, with dedicated feeding stations, food storage and even crates.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Lighting design is brightening the home decor landscape. The advent of LEDs has been illuminating, and it was led to the rethinking of shapes and mixing of materials. Besides offering more versatile design, the smaller light-emitting diodes are attractive because they consume less energy and last longer.

By 2030, LED lighting will account for 75 percent of all lighting sales, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Switching to LEDS just over the next two decades could save the U.S. $250 billion in energy costs.

Leading the innovation is the pendant light, which continues to wend its way through nearly every room of the house. Often a staple in kitchens, where it shows up in pairs or a trio for task lighting over counters, the pendant has grown in size and importance. It is now taking on the chandelier -- even with its price tag, as the range may be from a few hundred dollars to just under $4,000.

"Everybody loves the pendant," say the folks at the LampsPlus catalog, suggesting it could be because of its artistry or its practicality.

"Without a doubt, the pendant chandelier is one of the most exciting types of hanging light fixtures available today," the Shades of Light catalog states. "A unique alternative to chandeliers, pendants can make a dramatic impact."

Some even suggest that for millennials, the pendant is simply a hip chandelier. While it may feature crystals or quartz that make it fancier, it's not as ostentatious as the more glitzy formal dining fixture, a plus for a younger generation, but also for Baby Boomers who are looking to simplify.

Although the discussion could well be semantic, Cecil Adams, creative director for Currey and Company, an Atlanta-based lighting and furniture brand, still holds on to the old-school definition: "To me, a pendant is a light bulb on a string."

He did concede, though, that usage has pushed the pendant to more creative applications, as well as more innovative designs that cross categories. There is stunning, artisan handblown glass, clear or colored, wavy, seeded or mottled. Fabric that's puckered or sheer, stretched over geometric frames. Paper that resembles puffy clouds. Wood or steel that's bent, laser cut or perforated so that light dances through it, as in charming Moroccan lanterns.

"We do show and sell a lot of our fixtures in multiples," says Adams. "Someone might purchase three to take place of a traditional chandelier, or hang in clusters in stairwells, foyers, powder rooms, or above a fancy bath tubs," sometimes staggering the heights for interest.

"Pendant lighting has become huge," says Patricia Davis Brown, a licensed interior designer and certified kitchen and bath designer based in Vero Beach, Florida. Davis Brown, a member of the trend-forecasting panel for the National Kitchen and Bath Association, says that horizontal formats and gold finishes are especially engaging. "And the size of the pendant has gotten much larger," she notes, with LEDs and other lights as well.

Davis Brown's blog, Dig This Design (digthisdesign.net) includes features on lighting from trends to tips.

She cites the crossover of drum lampshades to pendant styles that put the light inside as a pivotal point -- a handsome, modern option. "Some had a shabby chic style," she says. "The look is industrial, traditional, for a lot of mix and match in decor."

As we become acclimated to more substantial volumes and shapes, the design envelope continues to be pushed. You'll find styles that parallel what's happening in furnishings -- so mid-century modern, a hint of Art Deco, industrial and neo-Chinese, as well as forms compatible with emerging '70s looks are among them, and also finishes of the moment, like gold-matte and polished, burnished bronze and copper.

To track what's trending in pendants, just page through current home design magazines or retail or specialty catalogs like Lumens (www.lumens.com), LampsPlus (www.lampsplus.com) and Shades of Light (www.shadesoflight.com). You'll often find handy tips about styles, where to use and how to hang.

Some of the most prevalent directions in pendants include:

-- Seeing the light. Looking though a fixture to its light source -- Edison bulbs, LED tubes or candle lights is a favorite in industrial style. Sometimes the dressed bare bulb has beefed up or refined by a textural collar of metalwork around it, as the Hooked/Nude bulb pendant from the London brand Buster and Punch. A few years back, a conventional chandelier hung inside an acrylic box or a drum shade, surprised, with its modern, cool layered effect. Now, there's a whole new cagey category, with metal wires, rods thick black graphic frames or narrow wood strips geometrically composed to frame the light. Or in a globe crisscrossed in a string-like effect, as the 24-inch Nido Orb from Currey and Company. Or a spoke-y oval shape by Foscarini that spotlights its light source at the base, also a downlight.

-- Out of this world. Movies like "Star Wars" and "The Martian" seem to have revved up interest, but perhaps it's simply nostalgia for '50s and '60s expressions of space in galaxies, constellations or satellites. The '60s vintage Sputnik lighting by the Italian company Stilnovo is cousins with Regina Andrew's Constellation collection. Many examples in this genre have 15 or more lights. The Copernico 500 suspension lamp from Artemide, which features seven concentric circles cut from a single aluminum plate, supports 384 white LEDs. The orbs also rotate independently on two axes, allowing a range of spatial configurations, as well as closing to a completely flat plane.

-- Thin skins. Isamu Noguchi's paper light sculptures have been an icon of mid-century design, with simple crafting from handmade washi paper and bamboo ribbing in metal frames. Parisian lighting designer Celine Wright added copper foil as an accent to her Japanese paper lights in sun and moon shapes. Today, paper and fabric, some in a stretchy fiber, are being explored in a variety of looks like cotton candy, folded organic looks like nautilus, or pleated or ruched material.

-- Shaping up. With a palette including wood, stainless steel, resin, and plastics, designers are exploring ways to bend and shape, creating ribboning and ribbing, as in a bell-shaped pendant by the Scandinavian brand Muuto (available thru Lumens), which is finished in felt that hugs its fluted frame. But even traditional shapes show a spunky side with unexpected color, like four stripey bands in a pleasant range of hues on the aluminum Cirque collection, from another Scandinavian manufacturer, Louis Poulsen.

-- Tiering up. From meshy chain mail to dangling crystals and quartz to mirrored glass (Global Views), these layered pendants beef up volume and offer interesting pairings. A pendant "chandelier" from LUXXU that channels the interior architecture of New York's Guggenheim Museum, for example, features four stacked gold-plated brass bands, from which dangle graduated strands of black Swarovski crystals.

-- Surface interest. Textures and dimensions are explored with materials unusual for lighting, such as concrete, at Regina Andrew, and laser cutting and perforation, digitally etched metals as well as three-dimensional layering from Tom Dixon. One pendant from Kelly Wearstler resembles a porcupine: It's an assemblage of thin rods pointing out, with LEDS nestled within.

-- Lining up. You may notice that this type of linear rectangular or elliptical pendant or chandelier also is referred to as "suspension lighting," because it is suspended by one to three cords, depending on its length. Hybrids feature arms coming out of a smallish central globe or twisting, turning and angling about. The linear look has become a go-to for modern style and is resonating not only in use over counters and dining tables, but even in hallways, says Cecil Adams, where a narrow configuration may be more suitable. ET2 Lighting (at Lumens) features an arresting fixture with 24 LEDS suspended in glass droplets from a metallic canopy.

-- Strength in numbers. Designers have played with positioning by staggering pendant heights, sometimes even mixing sizes and shapes. The effect can be quite artistic, like light sculpture that adds a new dynamic to space. Kichler's Danika linear suspension is an example. Simple steel pendants with adjustable arms, in a white finish and natural wood accents, are assembled in three heights. Lighting designers surely have taken note, and are "pre-assembling." John Pomp's glass lights are especially impressive, as they combine clusters of up to 20 under a square or round canopy.

With so many options, consider your needs for the strength of light you need as well as making a statement.

"Decorative lighting is there to create a mood," says Davis Brown. "Lighting is so important for the ambience of a room."

Sources

-- Jonathan Adler, 800-963-0891, www.jonathanadler.com

-- AERIN, 866-647-3330, www.aerin.com

-- Arturo Alvarez, www.arturo-alvarez.com

-- Regina Andrew, 734-250-8042, www.reginaandrew.com

-- Artemide, 877-278-9111, www.artemide.net

-- Baker Furniture, 800-592-2537, www.bakerfurniture.com

-- Buster + Punch, info@busterandpunch.com, www.busterandpunch.com

-- Currey and Company, 877-768-6428, www.curreycodealers.com

-- Tom Dixon, 212-228-7337, www.tomdixon.net

-- Elk Lighting, 866-344-3875, www.elklightinglights.com

-- Flos, 888-952-9541, www.flos.com

-- Framburg Lighting, 800-796-5514, www.framburg.com

-- Global Lighting, 800-326-0725, www.globallighting.com

-- Hubbardton Forge, 800-826-4766, hubbardtonforge.com

-- LightArt, a 3form company, 206-524-2223, www.lightart.com

-- John Pomp, 215-426-7667, www.johnpomp.com

-- Kichler, 866-558-5706, www.kichler.com

-- Louis Poulsen, 954-349-2525, www.louispoulsen.com

-- LZF, based in Valencia, Spain, distributed through Lumens Catalog, 877-445-4486, www.lumens.com

-- Northern Lighting, distributed by Global Lighting (800-326-0725, www.globallighting.com)

-- Studio A Home, a Global Views Company (globalviews.com), studioa-home.com

-- David Trubridge (www.davidtrubridge.com), distributed through Lightology, 866-954-4489, www.lightology.com

-- Visual Comfort and Company, 866-344-3875, www.visualcomfortlightinglights.com

-- Waterworks, 800-899-6757, www.waterworks.com

-- Kelly Wearstler, Kelly Wearstler Online Store, 855-295-3559, www.kellywearstler.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Fashionistas know all about statement pieces -- especially accessories like the perfect piece of jewelry, scarf or handbag that totally makes an outfit. We don't talk about them as much in the context of home decor, but of course, they exist -- and can be pivotal in kicking up the design of a room.

And that's the beauty of shopping for a singular sensation. It can be as large as a sofa or bed, a chair or side table, bedding, tableware, a faucet, tub or even hardware. Size doesn't necessarily matter. The price can be high end -- or not. The main thing is that the piece makes a difference -- which, as Bernie Sanders might say, is HUGE.

Furnishings may be standouts because of color, shape, pattern, texture or materials. Some are unabashed showoffs; others quietly attract -- especially upon closer observation, perhaps because of subtle details, like an unexpected mix of materials, a silky finish, a striking trim or a quirky, seemingly random painted foot on a chair.

Introducing pops of bold color usually spells drama, and we see it time and again in an otherwise neutral space. But the impact of a violet sofa, for example, is amplified in a design that trumps that color with all kinds of shape -- namely "bubbles" that cover the entire surface. The three-seat sofa, designed by Sacha Lakic for Roche Bobois, is clad in 3-D or proprietary 4-D stretchy fabric over padding that gives it shape.

A simple modern form in a long, track-armed sofa called Grey, engages in colors like turmeric or a rich teal/turquoise, further appealing in a tactile, textural felt. At Interior Define, a made-to-order e-tail company in Chicago (which also has a brick-and-mortar showroom), you can customize size, feet, arms, and fabric (from available stock) at a lower price point than competitors. Kiln-dried hardwoods, quality foam and down filling are standard.

Pastels also have been making a mark in home decor from furniture to housewares. But imagine the impact of a pink or blue in the kitchen, especially with a large appliance. One of the most buzzed about introductions at this year's Kitchen and Bath show was from the French manufacturer La Cornue. The company teamed up with Atlanta-based designer Suzanne Kasler, whose Couleur palette for its super luxe classic range includes pink, mint and a pale blue-green.

Adding pattern creates another dynamic. Again, it can be explosive, as in a dominating wallcovering pattern or impactful as a piece of art. The art deco-influenced Victor lacquer cabinet from Roche Bobois is such an example. The simple two-color version in red or bittersweet and cream is a showpiece, and the high-gloss finish adds to its glamour. Variations of the pattern are available, some in multiple hues, like two shades of orange and brown.

Geometry comes into play in the form of dimensional objects, and one of the coolest introductions at this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York is a clock by deconstructivist architect Daniel Libeskind. The designer deviates from conventional shape, alluding to "the labyrinth of time," on his sketch for the angular, disarming timepiece: "Time is not circular; it veers sharply to mark the event as unexpected -- as the clock itself."

Equally intriguing is the teaming of a geometric pattern with an overlay of florals, a device that has been cropping up in textile and rug designs. The effect of a watercolor of large-scale abstract florals adds softness as well as movement to a fretwork backdrop. Jeff Leatham, the very highly regarded floral designer at the George V hotel in Paris, designed a colorful range of silk and wool carpets for Tai Ping.

While a rug may anchor a room, it also can be a considerable expense. Bed linens, on the other hand, are easier on the budget. Changing out monochromatic duvet covers and pillows for patterns can shift the vibe from bland to wow, particularly with large-scale designs in high contrast colors. A medallion print in navy on white from Serena and Lily pops against a neutral linen headboard.

Stripes -- either on walls or on furniture -- are can't miss, kick-it-up-a-notch options. But one chair that stood out at the spring High Point furniture market played them unexpectedly -- a pinstripe cladding the upper frame of a traditional chair, and cabriole-ish legs, one foot going totally rogue in red paint.

Patterns inspired by nature are perennial hits, and this year palms are especially popular (they were a persistent theme in Parisian textiles). A bold-scale print called Wild Thing from Flavor Paper celebrates a jungle-y vibe that can be as daring as you choose. Interior designer Ghislaine Vinas created a version of the iconic banana leaf paper when she was researching tropical Indochine style and couldn't find her vision.

Butterflies also are favorite subjects, and though they fill dinner plates and fabrics in beautiful colors, one of the most enchanting treatments is 3-D -- a swarm that flutters from the canopy into the globe of the Nymph chandelier from Koket. And beehives sparked a design of bookshelves for Roche Bobois, with the outlines constructed of black nickel.

Dimensional patterns add another layer to design, and metal offers a suitable medium. An art nouveau-inspired floral design carved into the sides of Bernhardt's Sasha chair, then clad in German silver, lend lustrous beauty. Hardware like the Lenny Kravitz-designed Trousdale collection for Rocky Mountain, speaks an edgy language with deep carvings in hand-cast metal, and a new collection of faucets by DXV (American Standard) are all the more thrilling because they actually are 3-D printed in stainless steel.

Our interest in natural materials remains piqued, and stone continues to offer enormous potential for designers. A set of small brass side tables by designer Kelly Wearstler is so much more special with turquoise and quartz tops, whose natural veining rival anything manmade. And the simple shape of a mushroom top is transformed with alabaster in a lamp called Tartufo by Anna New York. It's available on brass or polished nickel.

Sometimes it's the simplicity of design that speaks volumes. A bench by Brooklyn-based Katy Spengler has an almost Shaker-like, spartan look. Its frame is unadorned pale wood. But its upholstered linen top (or your choice of fabric) is plumped with down, sectioned into "seats" with leather straps attached with gold ball fasteners, creating a quartet of plump poufs that invite taking a load off.

That such eye candy delights goes without saying, but comfortable seating in a statement piece almost seems like a perk.

Sources

-- Alessi, store.alessi.com (for online orders)

-- Anna New York, www.annanewyork.com (check website for retailer locations)

-- Anthropologie, 800-309-2500, www.anthropologie.com

-- Bernhardt, 866-527-9099, www.bernhardt.com

-- Bunakara, www.bunakara.com

-- DXV/American Standard, 800-227-2734, www.dxv.com

-- Flavor Paper, 718-422-0230, www.flavorpaper.com

-- Interior Define, 872-802-4119, www.interiordefine.com

-- Katy Skelton, 912-306-0003, www.katyskelton.com

-- Kelly Wearstler/EJ Victor, 855-295-3559, www.kellywearstler.com

-- Koket, 571-288-5269, www.bykoket.com

-- La Cornue, through distributer Purcell Murray, 800-457-1356, www.lacornueusa.com

-- Roche Bobois, 212-889-0700, www.roche-bobois.com

-- Rocky Mountain Hardware, 888-788-2013, www.rockymountainhardware.com

-- Serena & Lilly, 866-597-2742, www.serenaandlily.com

-- Tai Ping, 212-979-2233, www.taipingcarpets.com

-- THG USA, 954-425-8225, www.thgusa.com

-- Tom Dixon, 212-228-7337, www.tomdixon.net

-- Walker Zanger, 818-280-8300, www.walkerzanger.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)