Cooking up a new kitchen design for your home is a lot easier when you combine aesthetics with your practical needs. Here’s a mini primer of the top kitchen trends based on information from the experts.

With more than 200 designs and a nearly unlimited number of patterns, colors and finishes, Wilsonart’s Laminate provides options that other materials can’t.

Transitional kitchens are those where couples blend different ideas and tastes into a mix that works for both. This new trend has surfaced in the last three to five years due to the growing number of men now involved in kitchen design.

“Men want a say in how to build a house and how to arrange lifestyles around the kitchen,” said Deborah Antar, a New York-based interior designer.

Designers use laminate countertops as a way to pull together such kitchens.

For example, to create balance in a kitchen that contains both modern masculine elements and a feminine rustic style, a granitelike laminate pattern in a rich hue is ideal. The granite pattern works for both kitchen styles, and the infusion of color achieves the required balance.

Farmhouse casual kitchens feature plenty of wood painted in glazed off-white hues, bead boards of varying widths and distressed-looking materials. There are many cabinets and large prep areas, traditional light fixtures and wood flooring. Wilsonart’s Roca Series, for example, replicates timeworn stone and is a natural fit.

Mediterranean kitchens often sport dark, rich woods with straighter lines than the farmhouse style. Fixtures have simple lines, and flooring is wood or tumbled stone. Color has more of a presence in these kitchens.

Modern kitchens favor high-gloss finishes, fun colors and exotic veneers.

Lighting is not just utilitarian but makes a decorative statement. Appliances and countertops often feature color.

Flooring can be an exotic wood, such as bamboo, or depict interesting patterns. Metallic laminate patterns or ones with a subtle sheen provide designs for the modern kitchen.

For more information, call (800) 433-3222 or log on to www.countertop.com.