Whether you plan to build or buy a home, remodel a room or seek ideas to expand your “green” footprint, we are all in the beginning stages of constructing our dreams. Each month, this column will invite you to look beyond the usual ideas and consider alternative, cost-effective and eco-friendly options. With so many topics to explore, from top to bottom, room to room, inside and out, the goal of a vision is to take a firm step forward and begin living the dream.
Despite the numerous great rooms of comfortable furniture, ample lighting, and warmth, family members and friends often congregate in the kitchen. Why? Beyond a great source of food and beverages, it is much easier to socialize in a small intimate and familiar location. In recent years, the breakfast table has been replaced with the island or counter stools for the mere idea of connecting people together. Even a couch has found its way into some kitchens to promote comfort; yet, this new trend still raises doubts, and likely will not last long! If you are planning to update your kitchen this year, here are the new styles, which are both modern and functional.
The Minimalist Trend: The “living with less” lifestyle has made a great impact on today’s kitchens. Seventy-five percent of households seek the ability to declutter surfaces to promote tidiness. The days of the “U” shaped countertop with ample cupboard space has made a drastic change.
- Countertops are converted to an “L” shape, leaving countertops free from small appliances and containers.
- Upper cabinets continue to be removed, and replaced with a few shelves or windows.
- The technological “home assistant” surpasses the need for a kitchen television.
- In seeking items that serve multiple purposes, all-purpose bakeware that can be used in the freezer and refrigerator, oven and microwave, and is dishwasher-safe became just as trendy as the multi-purpose wireless, voice-controlled small appliances.
- Statistically, homeowners spent approximately $42,000 in 2017 for functional kitchen accessories such as the pull-out waste or recycling baskets, cookie sheet organizers, revolving corner trays, and deep drawer or swing-out trays and shelves. In the need to “put away” items, storage and organization continue to be a high priority. Whoever thought we would be introducing the new term, “appliance garage?”
The Color of the Year
Choosing a paint color can be a time-consuming and frustrating process when the array of colors is so diverse. Popularity often influences main choices, from the ever-appealing “white” to the blue and green hues, which emerged as popular color choices for cabinetry in 2017. In the new year, an additional trend is seeing cabinetry in darker natural woods, such as walnut and mahogany, or a charcoal black. If you are seeking an intense color, then check out this year’s Pantone color choice, “ultraviolet.” In lieu of looking for a “color,” think about the description you would like to achieve, such as fresh and earthy, a warm white, a pop of color, or bold and bright.
Eco-Friendly Flooring Options
Last month, Constructing Dreams discussed the value of engineered wood flooring, specifically bamboo as a preferred, stable, and durable option to the alternative hardwoods. It’s most appealing feature is that the “planks” are less likely to expand, contract or shift when exposed to moisture or humidity, which makes it a viable option for every room in the home, especially, ones that are prone to moisture, including the basement. While stranded carbonized bamboo is one option in a multitude of plank widths and hues, the list continues with engineered wood made from hickory, maple and oak.
Stainless Steel
Simplistic in care, easy to clean, and beautiful in appearance, it is understandable why homeowners are choosing stainless steel. Not only requested as an appliance, kitchens are now featuring stainless steel countertops, sinks, and backsplashes. If your current appliance isn’t ready to be replaced, “Liquid Stainless Steel” is a new brush-on paint that achieves a similar look! Anything is possible to achieve a modern kitchen make-over!
