Follow the Trend: HOUZZ 2018 U.S. Kitchen Trends Study
Each year, HOUZZ surveys U.S. homeowners about their recent or planned kitchen renovation projects. This year, the 1,734 homeowners surveyed gave us a ton of things to consider.
What's the first thing to go? Countertops
Countertops, sinks and backsplashes are the most common upgrades during kitchen renovations. (94%, 89% and 88% respectively). Countertops are the top feature upgrade in kitchen renovations, and the most desired countertop material is now engineered quartz. In contrast, the classic look of granite is on a three-year decline. As far as countertop color choices go, multi-colored and white tied for the most popular at 27%. With gray, coming in as a third option at 15%.
Styles in Transition
More renovating homeowners are opting for a completely different style than those surveyed the previous two years. Homeowners are now leaning away from iconic modern and traditional styles and are moving towards transitional, contemporary and farmhouse styles. Did someone say ship lap?
Knowing this, it makes sense that not only are sinks one of the most popular kitchen categories shopped for on HOUZZ, but the best selling farmhouse (aka apron front) sinks, are still a top trend.
White, Wood & Stainless are Knock Outs
White kitchens are still all the rage. White continues to gain in popularity across the board- for cabinets, countertops, backsplashes and even wall finishes. White is the most popular in urban and suburban settings compared to those in rural areas. Wood flooring is still on the rise going from 49% in 2016-2017 to 52% in 2017-2018. What about appliance color, you ask? Stainless steel is a home-run at a whopping 73% over it's competitors; white coming in second at a mere 9%. The same holds true with sinks. Stainless steel is still the top selling material white white sinks (fireclay, granite composite, cast iron etc) coming in second.
If you are interested in reading the full report, click here to download!
Frequently Asked Questions About Kraus
Kraus has been, and continues to be, one of our most recommended brands for several reasons. The Kraus product quality is consistently high. On par and often exceeding the finish, features, and styles of brands priced a lot higher. Speaking of which, the brand is priced extremely well. Kraus’ popularity has grown exponentially and demand for their sinks and faucets is not slowing down. This leads us here: Questions and Answers about Kraus that, we at DirectSinks, are asked quite often. If you have other questions not mentioned below, please call, email, or stop in!
Kraus was founded in 2007. They are headquartered in Port Washington, NY.
Really good actually! The majority of Kraus Kitchen Sinks are made of 16-gauge stainless steel, which is more than adequate regarding thickness of the metal. The sinks have a generous amount of undercoating and padding which results in a very quiet sink. The faucets are very well made and easy to install. We recommend their products to our own friends and family, and we also have their sinks, faucets, and accessories in our own homes.
Kraus' Full Warranty can be seen here
We Summarized the Kitchen Sink and Faucet Info Below
Faucet Warranty - Lifetime Limited Warranty
Kraus USA Plumbing, LLC (“Kraus”) extends this warranty to the original purchaser for personal household use of the Faucet when purchased from an authorized Kraus dealer and in the location of original installation. This warranty is non-transferable.Kraus warrants the structure and finish of the Faucet to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for as long as the original purchaser resides in the residence in which the Faucet was first installed.
Kraus warrants the Faucet's sprayhead assembly (including the engine, aerators, structure, restrictors, back flow preventers, sprayer hoses, braided supply line hoses which encompasses nylon, silicon and stainless steel) of the product to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase.
Kraus warrants the Faucet's cartridge to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for a period of five (5) years from the date of purchase.
Any product reported to the authorized dealer or to Kraus as being defective within the warranty period will be repaired or replaced with a product of equal value at the option of Kraus.
Kitchen Sink Warranty - Lifetime Limited Warranty
Kraus USA Plumbing, LLC (“Kraus”) extends this warranty to the original purchaser for personal household use of the Kitchen Sink when purchased from a Kraus authorized dealer and in the location of original installation. This warranty is non-transferable.Kraus warrants the structure and finish of the Kitchen Sink to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for as long as the original purchaser resides in the residence in which the sink was Kitchen Sink was first installed.
Any product reported to the authorized dealer or to Kraus as being defective within the warranty period will be repaired or replaced with a product of equal value at the option of Kraus.
Absolutely. If you call their offices, they actually pick up. If you write in, they respond.
Business Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am to 8:00pm (EST)Address: 12 Harbor Park Drive Port Washington, NY 11050
Call: (Kraus Customer Service): 1-800-775-0703
Text Kraus At: (631) 212-0703 (Message and data rates may apply.)
Email Kraus Directly:Info@KrausUSA.com
Not normally. First, if you dig into the internet deep enough, you will find a complaint about every sink brand and rust.
Kraus is often mentioned simply because of the popularity of the brand.
Most frequently, something that looks like rust shows up in the first few weeks after the sink is installed.
Why? During the countertop fabrication process a very fine dust is created (like sawdust from wood, but very fine). If this dust is on the sink after installation and gets wet, it may show oxidation on the surface of the sink.We see this as the most common cause. Typically after the sink is thoroughly cleaned after installation, no stains will show up. Another situation that can cause a stain or mark is if something is left in the sink and it's wet, especially flatware, pots and pans, and steel wool. The composition of your water can also contribute to this. Water with high iron content will leave stains frequently.
Really great information about this can be found here, at Bar Keepers Friend
Kraus typically has the items shipped in 2-3 days. Most items will ship with UPS from their New Jersey warehouse. Some small items, such as faucets or accessories may ship out of their N.Y. location.
No, unfortunately our clients can not pick up from Kraus
DirectSinks will often have various faucets and sinks at our location. Generally, these items are stocked for our local clients such Kitchen and Bath Designers, Builders, and Countertop fabricators. If you are on Long Island and want to pick up something from us, please call first. We do not keep stock of everything. Please call and ask before making the trip!
Normally, you won't find Kraus on display. However, exceptions are out there. We have several Kraus faucets and sinks on display in our Cabinet Showroom. Some of our local Kitchen and Bath clients also show some various Kraus items.
Observations and Opinions
Kraus | Ruvati | Advantage | |
---|---|---|---|
Overall Quality | Excellent | Excellent | Both Great |
Warranty | Limited Lifetime | Limited Lifetime | Both Great |
Availability |
|
|
✓ Kraus |
Customer Service | Consistently Excellent with Great Communication | Inconsistent & lack communication | ✓ Kraus |
Style & Design | Vast Selection of Kitchen Sinks and Faucets Decent, but more common bathroom sink designs |
Vast Selection of Kitchen Sinks, No Faucets Large Varity of Bathroom Sink Options with many unique options, including stainless steel. No Bathroom Faucets |
✓ Kraus if you need a Kitchen Sink & Faucet ✓ Ruvati if you are looking for a Bathroom Sink |
Value and Price | 30" Small Radius Undermount Sink KHU100-30, Standard Online Price $329.95 Often has Sales. In this exact example, the Kraus sink has been on sale for less than the Ruvati |
30" Small Radius Undermount Sink RVH7300, Standard Online Price $299.00 Infrequently has Sales |
Can go either way. Kraus often has sales that bring this example to their advantage Check the current pricing with the links below: Kraus KHU100-30 Ruvati RVH7300 |