of treated wood and plastics in cabinets designed for
outdoor use as in showcase outdoor kitchens. Chris
Reynolds, vice president of sales and marketing for
CWP Cabinetry, said the goal is to create a “
four-season product” that responds to growing outdoor
living trends. He said outdoor kitchens sometimes
are marketed as “men’s kitchens.”
Wood on top for drawers
Another place where wood still dominates is in
drawer slides. More than 68 percent of the kitchens
on display used solid wood drawer sides, often with
dovetailed joinery and predominantly in maple.
Plywood drawers that were common a few years ago
were virtually non-existent this year, and laminate
drawer sides accounted for less than 2 percent of the
displays.
European manufactured or inspired metal drawer
systems continue to increase in popularity, account-
SPECIAL REPORT
Although solid wood drawers were in the majority at KBIS,
metal drawer systems were on the rise.