Gone are the days of designs filled with fussy, overdone details. With the crazy pace of modern life, people are looking to ditch the clutter, especially in the bath, and designers are responding by creating peaceful, personalized sanctuaries. Intricate carved designs on cabinetry can work against this desire for simplicity, – all of which is driving the trend toward cleaner lines and a more simplified look in vanities, according to manufacturers surveyed by KBDN.

“It seems the carved, gaudy, heavily molded looks are on the wane,” says Denny McLaughlin, executive sales manager, Bertch Cabinet Mfg., Inc. in Waterloo, IA. “Simpler designs, Shaker or, in some styles, even a slab door with simple lines are the most popular today.”

Phil Lee, director of marketing, Ronbow Materials Corp. in Newark, CA agrees. “The demand seems to [be] less design – the minimalist look, or ‘less is more,’” he says.

Rod Brewer, director of product and design, Mid-Continent Cabinetry, in Eagan, MN, attributes the trend to the desire to have a very organized house. “People want to have simple, uncluttered lifestyles,” he asserts.

Dawn Robinson, showroom specialist, VitrA USA in Suwanee, GA, states, “The sort of elaborate details that were popular in years past are certainly attractive, but they are often hard to clean and add lots of cost. Most consumers list easy maintenance as being a priority for their products – the more decorative scrolls, engravings, etc. just cause more places for dirt and dust to settle. Most pieces today are cleaner in their features – they even go so far as to leave off handles and drawer pulls altogether and feature touch opening and closing that operates on soft glides.”