2012 Trends: What's Ahead for Kitchen Cabinets This Year

Hidden cabinets are one of the hottest trends. Note that the storage in this kitchen is nearly invisible. This is designed to make a kitchen blend with its living space more seamlessly.

Frameless cabinets, a European mainstay, are gaining great favor here, too. Ikea may be most to thank for that trend, as they combine Euro style frameless with mass market affordability. American cabinet manufacturers are taking note and even some traditional face-frame manufacturers are now offering frameless lines. The benefits to the consumer are more accessible cabinets and wider drawers. The benefits to the environment are fewer materials used.

These are not your grandma's laminate cabinets. European manufacturers have shown the beauty and versatility of this material in both high end and more affordable models. Look for exotic woods, interesting textures, self-edging and high-gloss options.

Even traditional kitchens are showing simplified designs. It's rare to find a new kitchen with the ornate, over-the-top detailing we saw before the recession. Simpler lives, simpler kitchens.

More than ever, your kitchen cabinets are likely to be accessoried with in-drawer and door section organizers. These organizers can make what you store easier to find and even increase the capacity of your current storage space. You'll see wood most often in traditional cabinets and metal and plastics for contemporary ones.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a great addition to cabinetry, and not just the display kind! Installed either by the manufacturer or an electrician on site, long-lasting, energy-friendly LEDs make finding contents in deep drawers or deep door sections much easier to find.

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