While cabinet finishes seem to be trending toward whites and creams or blacks and browns, every other item in the kitchen seems to be popping in every shade of the rainbow. Here at the 2007 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in lovely Las Vegas, we’re checking out kitchens with more bling than Elvis’ jumpsuits.

Just this morning, I checked out BlueStar, a manufacturer of ranges (and now wall ovens and cooktops, too) in 190 colors. That’s not a typo. So if stainless steel bores you now that everybody has stainless appliances, pick out a color like “heather violet” or “curry” to make your kitchen unique.

I am told, however, that ruby red, steel blue and jet black are the company’s most popular color choices.

BlueStar 48″ range in ruby red

Instead of hanging a painting on the kitchen wall, the wall itself can be the artwork with the right tile. And if you’re paying $450 a square foot for the new Iznik tile from Ann Sacks, you won’t want to cover it up. Made primarily from quartz and handpainted in a Turkish tradition dating to the 16th-century, these tiles feature jewel tones and nature themes.

Ann Sacks Iznik tile

The pros in the know — designers, architects, manufacturers and such — say that the most important kitchen amenities in the average new home are:

1) Counter space,
2) Cabinet space,
3) Double sink,
4) Table space for eating,
5) Size (floor area).

This is according to the “Home of the Future” study, conducted in 2006 by the National Association of Home Builders and based on polls of architects, designers, marketers and manufacturers. And it sounds about right.

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