According to the Color Marketing Group, environmental concerns will be the strongest influence on color choices for products from paint to cars next year. CMG’s top predictions for popular colors and color themes in 2008 include:

Looking “green,” regardless of the color. For fabrics, that means handmade, with no dyes or bleaches. Think natural style, with textures and imperfections considered part of the beauty. In countertops, flooring and tiles, expect to see colors such as off-white, sand, linen, moss and other hues inspired by the Earth.

Beautiful blues reminiscent of the sky and of water. Also watch out for a deep, dark navy that’s almost black.

Warm metallics As we’ve already predicted, look for growth in copper and bronze finishes for fixtures, tiles and trim.

Ethnic accents. Globalism grows in the home, with reds, oranges, pinks, yellows and turquoise from Morocco, India, China and Latin America used to add punch.

If you haven’t heard of them, potfillers are faucets placed near the range or cooktop that are pretty much exclusively used for filling pots with water. Their unusual setting—nowhere near a sink—leads to this question from a visitor:

“What is the best place to place a potfiller—right, left or in the middle? I thought to put it in the middle, but when I see displays they show it on the right or on the left side. So confusing, especially when my plumber is waiting for my decision. I wish I could see a Web site with kitchens that have them.”

The Ladylux Pro wall-mount potfiller from Grohe has a 20-inch spout reach.

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E-mails, to be precise, and I have decided to share some of them, as well as my responses, with all of you. I hope some of our readers will take this opportunity to help each other and weigh in with their own opinions.

Choosing the right colors seems to be one of the hardest parts of putting together a new kitchen. Here’s a perfect example:

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Questions about appliances are never ending. I get them from our readers. I have them myself. So allow me to address a few of the frequently asked questions.

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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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Since 1973, the average new single-family home has grown in size from 1,660 square feet to 2,459 square feet, with more bedrooms, more stories, more fireplaces, more porches, more patios….you get the trend, I’m sure.

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One day the overhead light in my kitchen made a loud cracking noise. Immediately thereafter, chunks of black plastic and a shower of black dust rained down on the kitchen table. Until then, I had not thought much about the kitchen lighting, except to note that it was sufficient for my needs. Was it still?

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As the American home has grown in size, so has the American kitchen. According to the American Institute of Architects, current home designs feature not just more square footage but also bigger pantries, higher-end appliances, better access to other family space in the home, island work areas and desks or computer stations.

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At the cooking class, one of the attendees mentioned that our dinner would be a special treat for he and his fiancee, given that their kitchen was in mid-remodel. Said kitchen - a 10 foot x 10 foot room that included only a range, a refrigerator and a sink with integrated drainboards - had never been updated. There were no cabinets or countertops. While the couple looked forward to new stainless steel appliances and granite counters, at present they had an empty room.

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Last night I took a class at the Chopping Block, a cooking school located just down the street from Kitchens.com at the Merchandise Mart (huge design center in Chicago). Coursework: Empanadas, grilled fish with fruit salsa, grilled zucchini and yellow squash, and coconut flan.

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