Home Remodel Archives - Tri-Lite Builders

05 Feb 2023

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Blog, Build/Design Process, Home Improvements, Home Remodel, Professional Contractor Permalink

10 Times to Hire a General Contractor

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On February 5, 2023

Wondering if it’s time to hire a general contractor? These pros are experts at managing all aspects of a project, including applying for building permits, hiring subcontractors, overseeing work and cleanup, and more. If you’re thinking of undertaking a major home improvement project, remodel or new build, a general contractor will likely be a key member of your team. Here are 10 times it makes sense to work with a general contractor to help your project run smoothly.

[Modern Exterior]

General Contractor vs. Specialized Contractor

A specialized contractor is a pro with a single specialty area of practice, like electricians and plumbers. A general contractor (GC), on the other hand, oversees all on-site aspects of a construction project, including the work of any specialized contractors. The GC is your point person — the one with a bird’s-eye view of the entire project and the person you call about everything related to the project.

1. You are Ready to Implement an Architect’s Plans

If you’ve been working with an architect to design a custom home, once the plans have been finalized it’s time to find a contractor who can bring the design to life. It’s important that these pros work well together, so if your architect suggests contractors he or she has worked with before, it’s a good idea to consider getting bids from them. But even if you do go with one of the contractors your designer suggests, don’t neglect to do your own due diligence — check references, ask to see past work, and double-check that he or she is insured.

Joan Heaton Architects designed the modern Vermont farmhouse shown here, and Silver Maple Construction implemented the construction.

[Innovative Design Build]

2. You Want to Exercise Your Design Chops

This certainly is not the case for all homeowners, but for a certain design-savvy subset — like Houzz contributing writer Becky Harris, whose remodeled bathroom is shown here — taking on a (relatively) small design project with the help of a general contractor is an exciting proposition. Working with the pros at Innovative Construction, Harris selected her own fixtures and finishes to transform a ho-hum bathroom into a light and lovely space.

Tip: If you’re planning to go right to a general contractor without hiring a designer, it’s a safer bet if you’re keeping most elements in the same place. In other words, the more complexity involved, the more likely you’re going to need to bring a designer on board.

[Gregg Homebuilding]

3. You are Making Changes to Your Kitchen

Anytime you know you’ll be needing multiple pros at work on a single project, it’s usually worthwhile to hire a general contractor to oversee and coordinate the project. In a kitchen, for example, pretty much any work that goes beyond altering a single element (like replacing appliances) will require multiple pros, including a plumber, an electrician, and a carpenter or cabinetmaker. Your general contractor can maintain the larger vision for the space (including a kitchen designer’s plans, if you’re using them), hire and oversee subcontractors, schedule the work, and maintain the site.

[Texas Construction Company]

4. You Want a Simple Addition

In some cases, you may want to hire an architect to create a plan for an addition that integrates seamlessly with the rest of your home before hiring a general contractor. But in other instances, a contractor who specializes in additions can take the lead. Ranch houses, like the one shown here by Texas Construction, are especially well-suited to easy additions because of their horizontal layout and single-level living. A contractor can obtain a building permit and build your addition to code.

[Judith Taylor Designs]

5. You Need to Restore After a Fire, Flood, or Storm

When the Cape Cod, Massachusetts, condo of interior designer Judith Taylor was flooded during a nor’easter, the entire interior was damaged, necessitating a top-to-bottom restoration. From installing new drywall and doing electrical repairs to replacing the floors and repainting, the work after an event like this can be extensive. A general contractor can be your point person to see you through the process of getting your home in shape so you can move back in.

6. You Want to Make Structural Changes to Your Home

Hoping to knock down a wall and open up your space? You may choose to hire a designer or an architect to do the design work if there’s more to it than that, but if what you have in mind is pretty straightforward, your best bet for getting started is probably a general contractor. This pro, once you’ve found the right one, can help coordinate all of the work, from having a structural engineer assess the space to overseeing the construction and electrical work.

[Level Craft Construction]

7. There’s a Safety Issue That Needs Addressing

It may be tempting to hire a handyperson for what seems like a small job, but if the safety of your family and guests is at stake, it’s critical to bring in a pro who knows the building codes and can complete the work with safety in mind. Whether it’s a deck that has rotted out and needs to be replaced, a faulty railing, or wobbly steps, take the issue seriously and hire an experienced contractor to oversee the work.

[AFT Construction]

8. You’re Done With DIY

If you’ve bitten off more than you can chew with a DIY home improvement project, it’s important to know when to hang up your (hard) hat and call in a pro. A general contractor can help guide your project to completion, no matter what stage it’s in.

9. You Need Permits

Whether you are putting in a new fireplace, modifying the roofline of your home, or doing any number of other projects, if you need permits, that’s a good sign that you could use a general contractor. General contractors are well-versed in local building codes and ordinances and can apply for any permits your project requires.

10. You Bought a Fixer-Upper

If you bought a fixer-upper, chances are there is enough work on your docket to keep a contractor busy for a good long while. When Peggi and John Fu purchased the home shown here, they knew that picking the right contractor would be key to getting all of the necessary work done on a tight timeline. The couple went with Slater Construction because the contractor was open to using materials they sourced themselves. Even on a small budget and tight schedule, they were able to transform what was a warren of small rooms and hallways into a light and bright home still in keeping with the midcentury feel of the neighborhood.

This article is shared from HOUZZ Pro and is written by Laura Gaskill, Houzz Contributor. Gaskill covers decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. Her favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life’s simple pleasures. (January 30, 2023)

Premier Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Homework Remodels will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or emailing [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsmen are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

Find more informative blogs and articles on HOUZZ and on our website www.trilitebuilders.com

07 Jan 2023

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Blog, Design, Home Remodel, Trends Permalink

35 Home Design Trends on the Rise in 2023

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On January 7, 2023

They say change is the only constant in life. Lately, that notion feels all too true. But in an ever-changing world, many people are seeking stability — and joy — right at home. And in turn, a lot of homeowners are emerging from the last couple of trying years with renewed vigor for creating lively homes full of color, pattern, texture, and optimism. To capture some of that energy, we’ve gathered 35 home design trends that homeowners and pros are excited about for the coming year. See if any inspire a change to your own home. And from now on, maybe we can put a positive spin on change and just call it progress.

HOME DESIGN TRENDS

Centre Sky Architecture Ltd

Kitchens

1. Modern Rustic Style

A few themes weave throughout these 2023 design trends. Among them are the use of natural materials and a general feeling of warmth. You’ll find both in a modern rustic style we’re seeing show up in kitchens.

Think natural wood cabinets and other wood details paired with natural stone countertops and backsplashes, with a few modern elements thrown in.

This Montana kitchen by Centre Sky Architecture beautifully highlights the look. Taj Mahal quartzite countertops and slab backsplash and wire-brushed white oak cabinets create a rustic vibe, while a steel beam, a steel range hood, and black details give the space a modern appeal.

Lawless Design

This Melrose, Massachusetts, kitchen by Hannah Oravec of Lawless Design is another great example of the trend. Quartersawn white oak perimeter cabinets with flat fronts add clean lines and warmth. Off-white walls, a white island with beadboard detailing, and a fireplace bring some charm, while a stone-look backsplash tile and honed marble countertops add a rustic touch. This was the most-saved kitchen photo on Houzz in 2022.

Ashtin Homes Luxury Build and Design Firm

2. Elegant Farmhouse Style Another style showing up in kitchens is a more elegant take on the modern-farmhouse style that’s been popular in recent years. You’ll find many of the same elements, such as Shaker-style cabinets, apron-front sinks, and furniture-style islands and cabinets. But you’ll also notice the use of dramatic cabinet colors, oversize range hoods, and slab stone backsplashes. This Arizona kitchen by Ashtin Homes exemplifies the style with a jet-black island and upper cabinets (Midnight Black by Benjamin Moore), turned island legs, Shaker-style rift-sawn white oak cabinets, and quartzite countertops and slab backsplash.

Cdot Design Studio

3. Modern Spanish Style Meanwhile, an updated approach to the Spanish style is also taking hold. This Scottsdale, Arizona, kitchen by Cdot Design Studio is a good example of what it’s about. Terra-cotta floor tile, an arched range hood with a hand-painted terra-cotta tile backsplash, and a custom island with an end-grain walnut butcher block counter and spindle leg detail update the old-world style with a contemporary twist.

k+co LIVING – Interiors by Karen B Wolf

4. Warm and Soft Palettes While some homeowners are desiring bold colors in their kitchens, many are looking for warm and soft styles that elicit a restful, relaxing atmosphere. To do that, designers are embracing greige or off-white cabinets, light woods, subtle patterns, and warm bronze and brass finishes.Designer Karen Wolf embraced soft colors in this New York kitchen to create an inviting style.

Kirby Home Designs

5. Natural Materials Natural materials are always in style, but lately, they seem to have hit a high point in popularity. In particular, homeowners are installing quartzite and other natural stone countertops, as well as marble tile and wood cabinets and vanities, especially white oak. Some designers say the surge of interest in natural materials is a result of some homeowners rethinking man-made materials like engineered quartz that have dominated homes in recent years and instead gravitating to natural materials that add character and authenticity to a space. Designer Kirby Foster Hurd of Kirby Home Design used 6-by-6-inch tumbled travertine in silver to add a natural element to this Edmond, Oklahoma, kitchen.

ARAS Imaging

6. Blue Features White and gray are by far the most popular colors used in kitchens. But when homeowners stray from that palette, they often choose blue. In fact, when a homeowner chooses to go with an island color that contrasts with the surrounding cabinets, more than a quarter (26%) will select blue, according to Houzz research. For this Guelph, Ontario, kitchen by Otis Interiors, the homeowners looked to Houzz photos to inspire the mostly white palette with pops of blue, including a navy blue island (Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore) and range hood.

FineLine Kitchens, Inc

7. Green Cabinets In addition to blue, green is quickly gaining favor in kitchens, especially for cabinets. Both light and dark greens work well with wood details and brass finishes, creating a warm, rich look. This Vienna, Virginia, kitchen by FineLine Kitchens was one of the most-saved kitchen photos of 2022; it combines sage green perimeter cabinets (Moon Bay by UltraCraft) with a medium-tone oak range hood and island base. Ming Green floral tiles with white Thassos marble pieces add another green detail, while brass pendant lights and Brown Fantasy natural quartzite countertops complement the warm wood tones.

8. Wood Cabinets Wood cabinets are trending along with the surge in natural materials. White oak seems to be dominating the choices, but walnut is also popular.

Pruett & Co.

9. Creative Island Seating Casual seating is just one of many appeals of a kitchen island. While the traditional seating arrangement has typically been a row of stools on one side facing the cooking area, some homeowners are seeking alternative setups to accommodate a variety of needs, such as the ability to sit face-to-face with guests or sit at a standard dining table height. As a result, we’re seeing a lot of islands with creative seating arrangements, such as two-tiered designs with seating for 10 and dropped-down or raised-up areas for various needs.

Designer Jenni Pruett of Pruett & Co. created distinct island seating in this Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, kitchen with a raised portion of butcher block.

10. Commercial-Style Faucets Many home chefs are gravitating to commercial-style kitchen features to better tackle cooking tasks. In response, many faucet brands have launched new commercial-style faucet lines that blend industrial and modern looks.

11. Workstation Sinks Workstation sinks are also part of the drift toward commercial-style features. These have been around for many years now, but manufacturers have caught up to the demand and now offer all kinds of sizes, styles, and accessories for things like chopping, straining, drying, and other functions.

12. Induction Cooktops It seems these days everyone knows someone who’s jumped on the induction cooktop bandwagon. For the uninitiated, this method uses electricity to heat pots and pans directly through magnetic induction. These cooktops work with many types of pots and pans — such as stainless steel, cast iron, and porcelain enamel on metal — but they don’t work on all, so you might have to replace some of your cookware. If a magnet sticks firmly on the bottom of a pot or pan, the piece will work with induction.

The benefit is that those pots and pans heat much quicker and cook more evenly than with gas or electric cooktops.

Factor Design Build

Bathrooms

13. Natural Materials

As mentioned, natural materials are experiencing a surge in interest. In bathrooms, that means natural wood vanities, stone countertops (especially marble), and stone tile flooring and walls.

This Denver bathroom by Factor Design Build features a Carrara marble countertop and a natural wood vanity and other wood storage components.

Shaddock Caldwell Builders & Developers

14. Curbless Shower With Continuous Flooring Curbless showers has been a popular bathroom feature for a while. Often the shower flooring is tile in a smaller size or different material than the main flooring, to provide a nonslip surface in the wet area. But more recently, many designers are running that mosaic tile continuously through the entire bathroom, including the curbless shower area. This approach further enhances the sleek, streamlined effect of a curbless shower design, extends the nonslip surface, and helps a small space appear larger than it is.

In this Dallas bathroom by designer April Schneider of F+P Studio and Shaddock Caldwell Builders & Developers, white marble mosaic tile runs the length of the room. The tile provides a clean look, a nonslip surface, and an easy entrance into the shower. It also draws the eye to the beautiful green tile that wraps around the shower.

HW Interiors

15. White-and-Blue Palettes Similar to blue accents in kitchens, this color is becoming a go-to in many bathrooms to perk up popular all-white palettes without veering too bold.

In this West Palm Beach, Florida, bathroom, HW Interiors created a soothing focal wall in the shower with watery blue tiles installed in a basketweave pattern. White finishes enhance light and deliver an airy look and feel, as does the chevron-pattern white floor tile that runs the length of the bathroom into the curbless shower.

DiVittorio Architecture & Design

16. Bathing Experiences Many homeowners are looking to create bathrooms that function for more than just bathing. They want relaxing experiences.

To create that, many are embracing pamper-me features like multiple shower heads with various spray settings, such as deep massage or warm mist.

DiVittorio Architecture & Design included a regular shower head, a rain shower head, and a handheld sprayer in this San Francisco bathroom. A handheld assists with shaving one’s legs makes rinsing down shower walls and enclosures easier and is great for washing pets.

17. Bold-Contrast Bathrooms All-white bathroom finishes continue to dominate homeowners’ choices. But in recent years some people have been inching toward hits of dark contrasting colors. Navy blue vanities and accent tile have gained popularity, and some homeowners are taking a step further to the dark side with jet-black vanities and other black details set against crisp white backdrops. The white finishes keep things light and airy, while the black creates a touch of drama. Brass details and wood-look tile flooring help add warmth to the classic palette.

LIVING ROOMS

Swanson Homes

18. Modern Rustic Living Rooms

In living rooms, demand for natural materials is leading to a modern rustic style that’s both rugged and cozy. Natural stone fireplaces and surrounds, wood beams, and off-white walls mix with comfortable furnishings in organic whites, browns, and beiges to create an updated look that feels anchored to a rural past.

This Mound, Minnesota, living room by Swanson Homes and designer Dalia Carter of Carbon 6 Interiors features a tumbled natural stone fireplace surround, rough-hewn ceiling beams, and mantel and dark-stained alder built-ins. This was the most-saved living room photo on Houzz in 2022.

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

19. Color, Color, Color A renewed interest in bright and bold colors is one of the trends we’re hearing about most from design and remodeling professionals. The shift away from mostly neutrals and whites is something many pros attribute to the pandemic. These days, homeowners seem more adventurous and willing to take a chance on creating brighter, more vibrant spaces. Wallpaper is helping fuel the rush to color, with many homeowners using wild patterns and colors to add pop and personality.

Designer Andrea Schumacher layered bold colors and patterns in this Denver living room, injecting it with a lively style.

1st Impressions Design, LLC

20. Warmed-Up Gray Palettes Despite the resurgence of interest in bold colors, neutral palettes still dominate many homeowners’ preferences. White and wood remain popular, but warmed-up gray and greige palettes are on the rise.

Designer Debra Garvin of 1st Impressions Design used a warm greige (Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams) to create an inviting look in this Chanhassen, Minnesota, living room. She then layered various shades of gray in the furnishings to strengthen the palette.

21. Layers of Textures One phrase that has come up again and again in conversations with design professionals is “layered texture” in decor, wallpaper, materials, and accessories. We’re seeing a lot of designers layer wood, rattan, stone, metal finishes, concrete, and various textural fabrics in a room to create a dynamic style full of visual and tactile interest.

Jackson Design & Remodeling

22. Connections to the Outdoors Homeowners have long craved deep connections to outdoor spaces. Sliding glass doors that completely open interior spaces to the outside are at the top of many dream features lists. But many pros are helping homeowners find more affordable ways to bring the outdoors in. Adding large windows can maximize views and bring in tons of natural light in a less expensive way than fully glazed walls. Meanwhile, a focus on natural materials and colors, as well as wallpaper prints that recall nature, are also helping homeowners feel connected to the outside.

This San Diego home by Jackson Design & Remodeling features sliding doors that completely open the kitchen and living room to a backyard patio.

Stephanie Alegre Interiors

23. Built-Ins Custom built-in cabinets give homeowners storage and display space as well as a finished look, which is why they’re one of the top design features professionals recommend in a living room.

Designer Stephanie Alegre added these custom built-ins flanking a fireplace surround in a Holmdel, New Jersey, living room. A bar sits to the left, with additional storage on the right.

Jill Litner Kaplan Interiors

24. Multiple Seating Options If you want to create a living room that can handle intimate occasions and lively parties, pros recommend integrating various seating options that can accommodate multiple family members and guests.

Consider combinations of sofas, love seats, ottomans, armchairs, swivel chairs, and even window benches and fireplace hearths. This Boston living room by Jill Litner Kaplan Interiors shows how it’s done.

25. Large Area RugsAnother living room feature pros often recommend is a large area rug that anchors the room and provides a jumping-off point for building a cohesive color palette and adding texture and softness.

McRae Lambert Dunn

Other Interior Trends

26. Wallpaper

As mentioned, wallpaper is contributing to an expansion of bold colors and patterns being used in the home. On Houzz, search trends show a rise in interest in wallpaper in 2022 compared with 2021. Searches were up for “paintable wallpaper” (93%), “chinoiserie wallpaper” (71%), “floral wallpaper” (52%), “ceiling wallpaper” (40%), “Art Deco wallpaper” (33%) and “dog wallpaper” (46%).

Graphic wallpaper perks up this formal Southern California dining room by McRae Lambert Dunn architects and helps visually lengthen and widen the footprint.

27. Playful Traditional Style In light of homeowners embracing bright color, wild wallpaper, and layered looks, many pros are seeing a maximalist decor style take hold, specifically a perked-up traditional look that combines vintage pieces with lots of upbeat patterns and wall coverings. Think of it as a traditional style returning in a fun way. Some pros say supply chain issues during the pandemic helped spawn the trend by forcing homeowners to look locally for antiques and recycled, repurposed, or reupholstered pieces with whimsical details and a pretty patina.

Laura U Design Collective

Home Offices

28. Built-Ins

When storage and organization are a top priority, going the custom built-in route is what pros recommend. Similar to what we’re seeing in living rooms, built-ins are showing up in many home offices to tackle storage and display space.

In this Houston home office by Laura U Design Collective, soft blue built-ins (Little Falls by Benjamin Moore) blend in seamlessly with the walls, adding tons of storage without overwhelming the stylish look of the room. This was the most-saved home office photo of 2022.

Laundry Rooms

29. Moody Cabinet Colors

Moody cabinet colors are contributing to an ongoing trend in kitchen-inspired looks showing up in laundry rooms.

Haven Design and Construction

30. Mesh Cabinet Fronts One interesting feature showing up in laundry rooms is mesh-front cabinet doors like those in this Omaha, Nebraska, laundry room by Haven Design & Construction. These allow users to air-dry delicates inside without leaving them on display to visually clutter up the room.

You’ll also notice the on-trend moody cabinet color (Chelsea Gray by Benjamin Moore).

Grove Collective

Bedrooms

31. Dark Millwork Accent Walls

Speaking of moody colors, the approach is also making its way into bedrooms as a dark accent wall behind the headboard, most often accompanied by millwork. The approach helps add depth to a room, allows the bed to stand out as a focal feature, and creates a dramatic style.

This Utah bedroom by Grove Collective showed how it’s done, helping it become the most-saved bedroom photo on Houzz in 2022.

Color

32. Beige Is Back

As mentioned, greens and blues remain popular with homeowners, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, but warmer colors seem to be dominating many interiors.

“The big news is that beige is back,” says interior designer and color expert Jennifer Ott. “But it has different undertones than those from ’90s beige. It’s less yellow and instead has pink or green undertones.”

Moffitt Built

33. Dramatic Exterior Palettes When it comes to exteriors, white board-and-batten or vertical siding continues to be popular. Lately, these bright whites are being contrasted with black details such as windows and trim to create graphic curb appeal, as shown on this Kansas City, Missouri, home by Moffitt Built.

On the other hand, Ott says she’s increasingly noticing a shift to less contrasting colors. “Darker siding colors in muted shades of blue, green, warm gray or tan are complemented by trim and accent colors that are just a few shades lighter or darker than the siding,” she says. “And, depending on the architectural style of the home, a fun accent color for the front door remains popular.”

Landscapes

34. Outdoor Lounges

Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen homeowners look to their outdoor spaces to accommodate a variety of activities, including cooking, dining, and exercising. But few things trump lounging, and increasingly these areas are garnering lots of attention.

Durable, comfortable furnishings, stylish shade structures, and pampering features like outdoor heaters, fire pits, chandeliers, and water elements can create an enviable lounge area.

Stroke of Nature Landscape Design

35. Sustainability A desire for sustainable materials and features has been common for a number of years now. But it seems an intense shift is on the horizon. Many homeowners, manufacturers, and design and remodeling professionals appear to be converging with a shared interest in using long-lasting materials, water-saving features (both inside and out), energy-efficient appliances and windows, and products sourced and made in environmentally friendly ways.

This blog was written by Mitchell Parker, Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis, and humor. January 1, 2023 [Some photos have been omitted for space. See the entire blog on HOUZZ.]

Premier Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Homework Remodels will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or emailing [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsman are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

Find more informative blogs and articles on HOUZZ and on our website www.trilitebuilders.com

05 Dec 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Blog, Home Improvements, Home Remodel, Lifestyle, Trends Permalink

3 Ways Homeowners Are Getting Rooms Ready for the Holidays

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On December 5, 2022

Searches on Houzz show homeowners are looking to create homes that are comforting and fun for family and friends

Getting rooms ready for the holidays means creating a home that’s cozy, welcoming to guests, and ready for entertaining is a perennial goal for many homeowners. But as we head into a holiday season in which many are resuming gatherings after a long pause, it’s more important than ever. And a peek at recent searches on Houzz shows that many homeowners are looking for ideas to help them get prepared.

Here are the design features currently on their minds in getting rooms ready for the holidays.

Cathie Hong Interiors

Guest-Friendly Details

Hosting guests is often a given during the holidays. And certain design features can make that a more pleasant experience for guests as well as homeowners. As the population increases in a home, so too does linen use. With that in mind, homeowners are looking for ways to accommodate extra bedsheets. Searches on Houzz for “hallway linen closet” increased 994% between July and September 2022 compared with the same period last year. A kitchen coffee station is also a great feature for guests and homeowners. In this Saratoga, California, kitchen, designer Cathie Hong created a pullout coffee station housed in light wood cabinets. Searches for a “coffee station in the kitchen” were up 783%, while searches for a “coffee and wine bar” increased 228%.

Designs by D

This drink station off a Minneapolis kitchen by Designs by D includes items for making coffee. But there’s also a beverage fridge, microwave, sink, and plenty of storage and style.

Marina Rubina, Architect

When short on space, many homeowners find combining functions is the way to go. A home office is a natural function to combine with a guest bedroom, and searches for “office guest room” rose 151% year over year.

In this Philadelphia accessory dwelling unit (ADU) by architect Marina Rubina, a second-level guest room also functions as a quiet home office.

Another smart investment when it comes to guests and holiday entertaining: a washable rug. Searches were up 74% this year compared with last year.

ORIJIN STONE, LLC

Cozy Living Room Features

A fireplace is a nice living room feature any time of year, but during the winter holidays, it’s especially desirable — and useful. Searches on Houzz for “living room fireplace” climbed 395% year over year. And searches for “cozy living room” rose 39% in 2022 compared with last year. This Minneapolis living room features an inviting fireplace with hand-carved limestone surrounded by Orijin Stone. Creamy white walls, a wood ceiling, and slip-covered furniture add to the cozy atmosphere.

Le Belle Maison Interiors Inc.

Several elements can contribute to a cozy living room feel. Among them: living room pillows, for which searches increased by 303%, and living room lamps, up 228%.

This Dallas living room by Le Belle Maison Interiors has a stylishly cozy look with an upholstered coffee table, footstools, and other furniture, as well as patterned pillows, a white floor lamp, and a large fireplace.

Julie Coppa Designs, Inc.

Entertaining Elements

Entertaining at home looks different to different people. But there are a few elements that are bound to foster a lively atmosphere. A basement can offer a world of entertaining possibilities. And searches for a “basement games room” jumped 1,267%, while “basement entertainment spaces” rose 247%. This Washington, D.C.-area basement games room by Julie Coppa Designs features several game tables and a home bar.

Sharp and Grey Interiors

When hosting larger dinner parties, sometimes a round table can encourage more intimate — or energetic — interactions. Searches for “dining room round table” increased 222% year over year.

Meanwhile, a dining room buffet can make serving meals more efficient. Searches for a “dining room buffet” rose 108%.

This Philadelphia dining room by Sharp and Grey Interiors features a classic tulip table for six. Black built-ins span a wall and include a countertop area that serves as buffet space.

Zawadski Homes Inc.

Few things make a home party more functional than a wet bar where family and friends can mix up their own beverages away from the bustle of the kitchen. Searches for “wet bar” rose 45% year over year.

This Minneapolis wet bar by Zawadski Homes beckons with glossy blue backsplash tile, stylish cabinets, warm wood and brass details, and a beverage fridge and bar sink.

Red Hills Construction, Inc.

Perhaps one of the ultimate entertaining features is a dedicated home theater. And this Portland, Oregon, space from Red Hills Construction is a bold example, with plush furniture, moody colors, a freestanding bar behind the sofa, and a large TV. Searches for “home theater” were up 44% year over year.

This blog was written by Mitchell Parker, Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis, and humor. November 2022

Premier Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Homework Remodels will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or emailing [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsman are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

Find more informative blogs and articles on HOUZZ and on our website www.trilitebuilders.com

08 Oct 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Blog, Home Improvements, Home Remodel, Lifestyle, living room Permalink

5 Stylish New Living Rooms with Personality

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On October 8, 2022

A well-designed living room often reflects the people who use it. And design and remodeling pros are good at teasing out homeowner preferences to create a special mix of color, pattern, decor, and architecture that feels full of personality. Here, pros share details about how they did just that in five stylish new living rooms with personality.

Amy Pigliacampo Interiors

Midcentury Mood

Designer: Amy Pigliacampo
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Size: 450 square feet (42 square meters); 18 by 25 feet

Homeowners’ request. “The architecture of the space was so special,” designer Amy Pigliacampo says. “It’s a midcentury home designed by Thomas Nixon and Lincoln Jones that incorporates indoor-outdoor spaces with large windows and design elements that continue past the glass. But the homeowners had dark, heavy furniture from their old home that didn’t do the room justice. So the goal was to highlight the beauty of the space by utilizing elements that felt complementary and like a natural extension of the design.”

Main feature. “Every space should tell the story of the people that live there — what’s important to them, how they live their lives, and how they come together to celebrate moments big and small,” Pigliacampo says. “So my aim is always to highlight the key features of the home while optimizing the space based on the realities of their day-to-day.

“This home has so many unique architectural elements, and while we wanted the room to have a curated look, we didn’t want to compete with those strong details,” Pigliacampo says. “The use of indigenous flagstone throughout the home also served as a major inspiration for the palette and design.

“By layering creamy whites with the grays, terra cottas, and pink tones found in the rock, we created a cohesive concept that complemented the original structure. We chose contemporary furniture with clean lines and brought in warmth with soft texture by using natural materials like jute, wool, and clay and a vintage Acrosonic walnut piano.”

Other special features. “The accent chairs are pretty special,” Pigliacampo says. “They were much bolder than anything we initially discussed, but when I showed the client, she loved them immediately — and they really tied everything together in an amazing way.”

Designer tip. “Floating furniture,” Pigliacampo says. “There’s a tendency to want to push furniture up against walls and oftentimes it creates awkward proportions. But you can actually create a much more intimate setting when large pieces ‘float’ in the room. This is also a great way to delineate spaces within a large room, using rugs to anchor the various zones.”

Mark D. Williams Custom Homes

Coastal Character

Designer: Kate Regan of The Sitting Room
Construction: Mark D. Williams Custom Homes
Location: Excelsior, Minnesota
Size: 399 square feet (37 square meters); 19 by 21 feet

Homeowners’ request. “The clients wanted an approachable yet classic-inspired great room that overlooks the lake,” builder Mark D. Williams says. “The intent of this room was to be used and yet also be dressed up and inviting for guests. They also wanted to hide the screen porch and grilling area from the main views.”

Main feature. “The coffered ceiling beams really accent the great room from the rest of the main level,” Williams says. “We also designed the south-facing windows with a hidden remote blind in the bottom of the beam to be used for privacy and to help on sunny summer days. For the flooring, we went with classic 5-inch white oak with an almost clear stain that was really light and played on the natural beauty of the wood.”

Other special features. “The clients wanted to feel very sunny and joyful in their home, so we made sure to incorporate a lot of colors into the furniture selections to play off the neutral tones,” designer Kate Regan says.

CMC Designs Charleston

Pattern Persona

Designer: Catherine Carabello of CMC Designs Charleston
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters); 15 by 18 feet

Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners purchased the home in September and needed a small renovation and a complete face-lift,” designer Catherine Carabello says. “They are a young family and needed a home that they could entertain in but also allow their 2-year-old son the freedom to play and feel comfortable.”

Main feature. “The jumping-off point was definitely the wallpaper,” Carabello says. “We felt it was fun but also classic enough that they would not get tired of looking at it.”

Other special features. Brown Tuxedo-style sofa. Boucle accent chairs. White beadboard wainscoting (Cloud White by Benjamin Moore). “It’s a wonderful color for both traditional and contemporary spaces,” Carabello says. “The natural shades added the softness and texture needed to balance the white wainscoting and the wallpaper.”

Designer tip. “Texture and layering are always needed to complete a design,” Carabello says.

Wallpaper: Thibaut

10 Living Room Features Pros Always Recommend

Alison Kandler Interior Design

Cottage Collection

Designer: Alison Kandler Interior Design
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 255 square feet (24 square meters); 15 by 17 feet
Homeowners’ request. Play down the home’s Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with a colorful cottage style. “It’s a fun mesh of styles,” says designer Alison Kandler, who used photos of colorful rooms found on Houzz as inspiration.

Main feature. “The fireplace is symmetrical in the room so everything is designed around that existing, very large fireplace,” Kandler says. “Also, the ceilings are tall — 10 feet — and they had dark-stained beams. To play down the Spanish Colonial Revival style, I painted the beams white and added wallpaper between the beams to make the room feel more playful and cottage-like.”

Other special features. “The white sofas, covered in outdoor fabric, and black furniture pieces are great neutral backdrops to all of the colorful accessories,” Kandler says. “The window coverings are sheer, allowing for privacy and softness but still maximizing the natural light. The colorful vintage rug helps tie the room’s colors together. I always mix in one-of-a-kind vintage pieces so each room feels unique.”

Designer tip. “Adding built-in bookcases at the end of a long room helps shorten the overall look, which makes the room feel cozier,” Kandler says.

“Uh-oh” moment. “My client really wanted a large TV in the living room over the mantel, since there is no separate den in this house, but also wanted the room to feel elegant,” Kandler says. “We agreed on a TV with fine art screen savers so the room would never sit empty with a big black TV on the wall.”

Wallpaper: Quadrille; blue sofa fabric: Jaali in Iznik Blue, Peter Dunham Textiles & Wallpaper

Moore House Design

Barn Beauty

Designers: Blair Moore and Bromley Moore of Moore House Design
Location: Cutler, Maine

Homeowners’ request. “This was a relatively unconventional and labor-intensive barn overhaul,” designer and homeowner Blair Moore says. “It’s the original barn of an old stick-and-shingle Colonial cottage by the name of Coasters’ Chance that’s been in our family for a few generations. The goal was to extend the livable space of the cottage to turn it into an entertaining paradise. What is now the great room was originally the cottage’s barn and was filled with horse stalls. If you look closely, you’ll see the wide planks on the floor and hints of hydrated lime. We wanted to highlight these hints of the structure’s history throughout the design. Making this space functional, inviting, comfortable and of course beautiful were our top priorities.”

Main feature. “The barn used to be totally limewashed and filled with horses and hay, so we really didn’t want to lose that rustic character,” Moore says. “There was a fair amount of old limewash still covering some of the walls and flooring, so adding plaster walls was a sensible material choice for us that we felt would help blend the old with new.

“After much deliberation with the family and our design team, we made the decision to only bring the plaster halfway up the walls. The original vaulted barn ceiling and beams were simply too wonderful to cover up. They’re the real McCoy that everyone always tries to replicate in new builds — covering them up was a no-go for the family. We also enlarged and rebuilt the windows using traditional techniques and old ripple glass to add more light. The final product is a barn that feels modern but still has ties to its traditional Colonial heritage.”

Other special features. “Since this space was so large, we knew that filling it would be a big undertaking,” Moore says. “Step one was adding a massive, cozy sofa that would almost wrap around the room. We also layered in some of our favorite pieces, like the 1970s Hunter easy chair by Norwegian designer Torbjørn Afdal, a vintage rug and our newly designed Passerine daybed.

“We found this wide-planked table with the most incredible patina and we immediately knew it needed to live in Coasters’ Chance. Obviously, we wanted an equally massive coffee table to go with the sectional, so we added two modern-feeling legs with perfectly placed cutouts so that the table actually slides into them on either end. This gave way to a sleek design without any exposed screws or weird joint plate supports.”

Moore House Design

“Uh-oh” moment. “Our team began by pulling up the gorgeous old wide-plank flooring only to reveal a foundation in worse shape than we had expected,” Moore says. “The foundation was cracked to bits and most of the beams under the floorboards had a significant amount of rot due to a large amount of water. This meant we were going to have to put the barn up on jacks.

“When a structure this old has to be put up on jacks, there is always a possibility that it will collapse on itself. This was super stressful for our team, as we were being filmed and needed this to work in order to renovate the space. After the foundation was dug out and the chimney base repaired, we began the delicate process of replacing the beams. Then, much to our relief, we took the barn off the jacks and relaid all those old floorboards. This was a little more than our design team had bargained for amid a three-month, 3,500-square-foot turnaround, but we love learning on the job and were lucky to have some solid, highly experienced contractors to help us through the process.”

Custom furniture and lighting: Moore House Coasters sectional, Passerine daybed, The Sabi coffee table and Steampunk sconce, Moore House Design; plaster: Dillon Construction

By Mitchell Parker, Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis, and humor.

Premier Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Homework Remodels will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or email [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsman are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

Find more informative blogs and articles on HOUZZ and on our website www.trilitebuilders.com

10 Sep 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Blog, Build/Design Process, Home Remodel Permalink

6 Ways to Cool Off Without Air Conditioning

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On September 10, 2022

Having an air conditioner is a near-must in climates where months-long heat waves are a summer norm. And with that comes an equally scorching energy bill. Even in regions with gentler climates, homeowners can still experience enough hot days in a row to nearly go mad. It doesn’t have to be so hard. Whether you want to save money by running your air conditioner less or brave the heat without one, here are six ways to cool off without air conditioning.

SALA Architects

Block the Sun From Reaching Your Windows Energy-efficient houses depend on well-designed shading systems because the best way to avoid summer heat is by blocking the sun’s rays from ever reaching the windows. It’s a simple concept that we regularly employ with beach umbrellas to protect our skin and carports to shade our cars. Yet when it comes to houses, for some reason people tend to believe that interior drapes are as effective as exterior shading. It’s simply not true.

The Landing Company

The more shading you can include on the outside, the better. If you can’t afford a new matching set of shutters, consider a simple overhang made with brackets and timber slats to block your windows from the intense summer sun.

Sun Control of Minnesota

Solar-control window films can offer UV protection and reduce the amount of heat gained from solar radiation. Compared with some elaborate shading systems, these could be a less expensive alternative.

CMB Construction

Even simple and very inexpensive bamboo blinds can block a good portion of sunlight without completely sacrificing daylight.

Charles Di Piazza Architecture

I can’t stress enough that the best way to beat the heat is to block the sunlight before it reaches your house. Whether you do that by hanging shades, installing awnings, or even planting trees, the most effective use of the funds in your home-cooling budget is in this first step.

When you’re planting trees for shade (or installing any kind of shading), think about the sun’s path through the sky. It may help you to check out an app called Sun Surveyor (or a similar one) that can help you track the sun’s path and how its rays hit your house.

Sarah Dippold Design

Add Interior Drapes, Blinds, or Shades Once the heat from the sun’s rays passes through the glass of a window, that heat is in the house and will need to be ventilated to escape. To keep your floors and walls from soaking up that heat from direct rays and emitting it throughout the day, it can help to add another layer of protection between the window and the main thermal mass of your home. Sheer window treatments are a nice way to mitigate direct sun rays to the floor but maintain soft, natural daylight. Plus, white reflects sunlight better than colors.

MSiegel Design

There are a couple of tricks that you can employ with sheer drapes that you can’t pull off with interior blinds or shades.

My favorite thing to do is throw my sheer drapes in with my laundry the night before a really hot day. (They don’t take up much room, because they are super thin, but you could just as easily dunk them in a bucket of water and ring them out.) I set my machine to finish about the time I get up in the morning, and I put four or five drops of tea tree oil in with the load. When I get up in the morning, I take the drapes directly from the washer (still damp) to the rod and clip them in place. The open windows let the morning breeze pass through the drapes, cooling the air before it reaches me and filling it with the fresh smell of tea tree oil.

By the time the drapes have dried out, it’s about time to shut my windows anyway, before the intense heat of the day starts. You could do the same routine in the evening, but I wouldn’t recommend the washing machine version because of the heat it generates (see No. 4).

Allen Construction

Get the Air Circulating Air will flow only if it is forced (via a fan of some sort) or if there is a large temperature difference with a neighboring body of air. Night cooling is a great way to naturally decrease the temperature in your house and exchange hot interior air for cooler outdoor air. As I mentioned before, I have my windows open only in the early morning, at night, or late in the evening when it is cooler outside than my ideal temperature indoors. You may need to do some testing to see what works best for you, depending on your climate and the orientation of your house toward the sun. For this to work, there needs to be a substantial difference in temperature between the inside of your house and the outside. Once the outdoor air starts to heat up, I close my windows to try and keep as much of that heat out as possible.

Jette Creative

Ceiling fans and standing fans placed near windows at night can help force air movement when there is no breeze and a small temperature difference. During the day the added air movement from fans can help the perception of heat, which is tied to humidity.

Peter Dolkas

The reason everyone loves misters in the summer is not for the humidity of the water in the air, but for the evaporative cooling effect of water being lifted off the skin. In fact, I always keep a couple of plant misters around the house, hidden near the fans, for a quick spritz as I pass by (our dog loves it too).

Another evaporative cooling tip, borrowed from history, is to set a big chunk of ice (or ice packs) in front of a fan with a tray underneath to catch the water as it melts. It makes for a really cheap and fairly effective DIY air conditioner for small rooms. I recommend closing off the space as much as possible, so you don’t lose that great cool air.

Adams + Beasley Associates

Turn Off Major Appliances During the Day To help maintain those cooler temperatures during the day, reduce anything that generates heat in your house or apartment. For example, don’t use the dryer or oven and try not to open the fridge too often. The more you open it, the more the motor has to work to cool it down again, and the heat generated from that work will be released back into your apartment.

Steve Masley Consulting and Design

Try fresh summer salads to avoid using your oven and stovetop.

Kasha Paris

Transition Your Bed Into Summer Mode I don’t know about you, but I feel summer heat the most when I’m trying to sleep. Reduce the amount of bedding you have and stick to natural fabrics like linen or 100 percent cotton. Synthetic blends don’t breathe enough to release all the heat we generate during the night.

Michael McKinley and Associates, LLC

Sleep on the porch or balcony. “Outdoor sleeping has come to stay, so let us recognize the fact and build our houses accordingly.” This declaration appeared in the magazine Decorative Homes of Moderate Costs in 1921, responding to the widespread fad of sleeping on screened porches. Sleeping al fresco was considered, in the time of diseases like tuberculosis, to be a reasonable health measure. As such, for many years, sleeping porches were an integral part of home designs.

Depending on your home or apartment and security concerns, you may have a little exterior screened-in space that can be used like a sleeping porch. You could have a little daybed with light linens for nights when it’s comfortable enough to sleep in the open air.

Phi Builders + Architects

Or, hey, forgo the linens altogether and sleep in a hammock for the summer!

Beckwith Interiors

Stay Hydrated Everyone knows that staying hydrated in summer is extremely important. But did you know that drinking water also helps regulate your body temperature?

by Mariana Pickering July 27, 2022, Houzz Contributor; Owner/CEO of Emu Building Science; LEED AP BD+C. After spending many years as an architectural designer in the high-efficiency residential Italian market, I now run a company that specializes in advanced construction science and Passive House design. We are located in Denver, Colorado, and Northern Italy, and we work internationally with builders, designers, and manufacturers of high-performance projects and products.

Premier Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Homework Remodels will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or email [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsman are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

Find more informative blogs and articles on HOUZZ and on our website www.trilitebuilders.com

07 Jul 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Blog, client collaboration, Home Improvements, Home Remodel, Professional Contractor Permalink

A Letter to Your Clients: 10 Ways to be a World-Class Client

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On July 7, 2022

By Mark Richardson, Pro-Remodelers (June 16, 2022)

While I have spent most of my last 10 years as an author and advisor to remodeling business owners, I spent the prior 30 years creating joy in the life of homeowners through remodeling homes. This column is a letter to your clients (and a guide to you) on how they can be a world-class client and, as a result, smile when their project is complete.

After all, what homeowner doesn’t want to be perceived as a great client? Who would not like to be the poster child client? Who would not like to have a remodeler for life because the experience of working together was wonderful?

Here are 10 ways to be a world-class client:

Communicate

Nine times out of 10, issues in the remodeling experience come from miscommunication. Remodeling can be very confusing and counterintuitive. Ask a lot of questions (there are no stupid ones).

Try to get aligned with your partner or spouse on the priorities

The remodeler should be the remodeling expert and authority, not the marriage counselor.

If you are high-tech, then try to communicate/interact with technologies

Most remodelers like technology and appreciate that. If you are more high touch, ensure the remodeler understands that and finds a way to accommodate your wishes.

Allow the remodeler to control the process

You would not go to a doctor’s visit and dictate the steps of the examination. Weekly meetings are a must (not optional). Make these meetings a priority (like going to church). There needs to be an agenda. Let the remodeler facilitate, but make sure you are proactive and engaged.

Do your homework

Homework is not punitive—it is essential to keep the project on track. Make it a priority. Excuses don’t help the project be successful.

Pay on time and when asked

Your remodeler needs to focus on the project and the experience, not cash flow or being a collection agency. The net profit margins in remodeling businesses are generally between 5 and 10%, so try not to nickel-and-dime them.

Try to be mutually transparent

When asked how much you would like to invest in something, you must answer honestly so the remodeler can be a better house doctor for you.

Say thank you

A personal handwritten note or a simple gift is very much appreciated and savored (but not expected). Feedback is also welcome (but don’t overdo it). It is your job to be a great client, not a business advisor to the remodeler. Ask the remodeler how they would like to get feedback and try to be respectful to their wishes.

Focus on the memories, not just the sticks and bricks

Many think remodeling is about the project, but it is really more about the experience. The remodeler is there to be your tour guide in this experience, not just the craftsman or project provider.

Don’t become strangers

Remodeling can be an exhausting process, and in the end, you may want some space from the interaction and relationship. It’s understandable, however, don’t become strangers. The dinner party you promised? Do it. The referrals you said you were going to make? Do it. And most importantly, just keep in touch. Put the remodeler on the Christmas card list too.

In closing, I have never met a client that went into the relationship dishonestly or did not want a good relationship. However, more than 50% of the BBB complaints are from remodeling experiences.

This is in large part based on everyone corrupting the above advice. In the homeowner’s defense, they are not remodeling experts. It is the remodeler’s job to guide and counsel them on how to have a world-class experience and be a great client.

From Pro-Remodeler, author Mark Richardson flips the script, offering insights into what makes a good client and ways remodelers can help.

Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Homework Remodels will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or email [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsman are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

09 May 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Bathroom Remodels, Blog, Design, Green Remodel, Home Remodel, Kitchen Remodels, Lifestyle, Trends Permalink

10 Faucet Trends for Kitchens and Baths in 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On May 9, 2022

See the latest styles, finishes, features, and other faucet trends featured at the recent Kitchen & Bath Industry Show with this HOUZZ article. Reading through it, we think you will find that different faucets may match your lifestyle better than others as well as determine the right fit for the right style in your kitchen and/or bath remodel. We also think that the trend toward water monitoring with your faucets is a great way to keep your remodel green. Water monitoring lets homeowners control and monitor their water usage to conserve as needed. Continue reading for 10 of the Faucet Trends for Kitchens and Baths in 2022.

Latest Faucet Trends for Kitchens and Baths

Kitchen and bathroom faucets are one of the most common upgrades during a remodeling project. In fact, 81% of renovating homeowners upgrade their kitchen faucet, while 88% upgrade their bathroom faucet, according to the latest Houzz kitchen and bath research. With such high demand, manufacturers respond every year with new faucet styles, finishes, and features to align with current trends. And many of those manufacturers use the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show to launch their new faucet collections. Here’s a snapshot of fresh faucets that debuted this month at the 2022 trade show in Orlando, Florida.

Faucet Trends for the Kitchen

1. Pull-Down Designs

You’d be hard-pressed to find a kitchen faucet these days without a pull-down function. This feature allows homeowners to extend the spray nozzle to rinse vegetables, fill pots, and clean the sink basin.

Many manufacturers are updating existing collections and launching new ones that include a pull-down function in a range of styles.

Delta debuted its Monrovia collection, shown here. It’s a soft contemporary pull-down style that comes in four finishes. There’s also an add-on protective coat, called Lumicoat, that resists stains and mineral buildup.

Delta’s new Westville pull-down features a transitional design and a magnetic docking station for the nozzle. It will be available in spring 2022.

Peerless is launching its Flute collection in May 2022. The affordable, transitional-style line will include a nozzle with a rinse function that features two fan-like sprays.

Bocchi debuted its Lugano faucet, shown here in a matte gold finish, with a sleek contemporary design that blurs the lines between spout and nozzle.

2. Commercial Style

This style of faucet, often seen in commercial restaurant kitchens, is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. Several manufacturers launched or expanded commercial-style designs this year. It’s part of a broader trend emerging post-pandemic: a back-to-basics strategy that seeks to modernize industrial-style plumbing fixtures.

Moen launched a collection of what it calls spring galley faucets in three styles. The Belfield, shown here in a matte black finish, is a compact industrial-meets-modern-farmhouse style. The collection will be available in fall 2022.

Kallista launched its Juxtaposed semi-professional kitchen faucet line, shown here. Available now, it comes in polished chrome, matte black, and stainless steel.

Bocchi updated its Maggiore faucet, shown here, with new features and higher-quality parts.

Brizo’s Odin semi-professional kitchen faucet will be available in spring 2022 in several finishes, including Brilliance Polished Nickel, shown here.

3. Touch, Touchless, and Other Tech Features

There’s been a lot of innovation in recent years in integrated tech features for faucets. It’s been a gradual progression and one that’s still getting a feel for what homeowners want.

Brizo’s new Tulham line, shown here, features the brand’s SmartTouch technology, which lets a user tap the spout to turn the water on and off. There’s also an LED light that changes color to indicate water temperature. It will be available in summer 2022.

Delta’s new Monrovia collection will feature similar technology. You can tap anywhere on the spout or handle. And it doesn’t have to be with wet or grimy fingertips. Use the back of your hand, a forearm, or an elbow to tap and activate or deactivate the flow of water. The temperature and flow will be where you last positioned the handle.

Moen’s new Smart Faucet With Motion Control offers several hands-free functions. Tap to turn the water on and off. Or motion forward to turn it on; wave left to turn the water warm; wave right to turn it cold; motion forward to turn it off. You can also connect the faucet to an Amazon Alexa or Google Home to issue voice commands, such as “Alexa, tell Moen to give me a cup of water.” It’s set to be released in July 2022.

In fact, Moen is so confident in its wave and voice command technology, it’s coming out with a completely handle-less style, shown here, in fall 2022, for homeowners who are ready to go all-in on touchless tech.

Moen’s new Haelyn pull-down kitchen faucet will feature new ColorCue technology that features an LED ring around the nozzle dock that indicates water temperature in five ranges. Blue indicates cold below 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Purple is warm, between 91 and 100 degrees; red is hot, above 109 degrees.

4. Mixing Finishes

One popular faucet trend emerging in recent years is the mixing of finishes and materials. This was initially rendered as dramatically contrasting finishes, such as Kohler’s black-and-gold bathroom faucet featured below. But some manufacturers are taking a more subtle approach.

Brizo’s new Tulham line, for example, features a tone-on-tone effect. The example shown here displays a mostly matte black finish with levers and bands in Brizo’s Brilliance Onyx Black finish.

Here’s a one-handle style in Brizo’s Tulham collection, with luxe gold banded with polished gold.

Brizo’s Odin semi-professional kitchen faucet mentioned earlier also comes in a polished nickel finish with a wood handle option.

Faucet Trends for the Bathroom

5. Lever Handles

It’s hard to deny the abundance of widespread lever handle designs in new bathroom faucet products. And it’s interesting to see all the various interpretations of levers that manufacturers have dreamed up.

Brizo’s new Allaria collection, available in the summer of 2022, features a widespread lavatory faucet with lever handles that resemble twisted ribbons.

Another option in the same collection features square handles that are a cross between levers and knobs.

The style shown here mixes matte black and Brilliance Black Onyx finishes.

6. Wheel Knobs

Similar to new commercial-style kitchen faucets, these are another result of manufacturers looking to modernize industrial-style plumbing fixtures. Wheel knobs were found on many of the first plumbing parts and are still used in many commercial applications. Several manufacturers picked up on that detail and introduced elegant takes on wheel knob designs.

Brizo released the Litze widespread lavatory faucet with wheel handles, shown here in Brilliance Polished Nickel.

Delta expanded its popular Trinsic collection to include wheel handles, shown here.

Here’s a single-handle version of Delta’s wheel handle design in its expanded Trinsic collection.

7. Contrasting Finishes and Materials

As with kitchens, manufacturers are mixing materials and finishes in bathroom faucet designs.

Brizo’s new Allaria bath collection features a clear lever option, shown here with a luxe gold finish.

Here’s an Allaria wall-mounted faucet with a clear square handle contrasted against polished chrome.

Kohler’s new Tone collection consists of five faucet options; there are shower and sink faucets and accessories for a coordinated look. The collection comes in six finishes, including two two-tone options: matte black with polished chrome and, shown here, matte black with Brushed Moderne Brass.

Wood is an increasingly popular detail to integrate into faucets. Brizo expanded its Jason Wu collaboration to bathroom faucets last year. Its widespread lavatory faucet is shown here in matte black with wood cross handles.

Brizo’s Litze bathroom expansion now features an option with teak wood handles, shown here with polished chrome.

And Brizo’s Frank Lloyd Wright collection, launched in 2021, includes this single-handle faucet in teak and Luxe Nickel finish.

8. Single-Handle Designs

Speaking of single-handle faucets, many manufacturers are releasing new collections in a single-handle design. Some homeowners find that this style saves countertop space and is easier to clean around than, say, a widespread design.

Delta launched Saylor, shown here, a transitional-style design with a geometric spout, gently flared base, and subtle industrial-style-inspired handle.

In addition to the pull-down kitchen faucet shown above, Peerless’ new Flute collection, available in May 2022, features a single-handle lavatory faucet, shown here in chrome.

House of Rohl brand Riobel’s new Ode faucet features a cylindrical base and rectangular spout that are easy to wipe clean.

Moen announced the expansion of its Dartmoor faucet collection to include a new single-handle design, shown here. It features a gently flared spout and sculpted handle with finial detailing.

9. Traditional and Vintage Styles

While transitional styles certainly dominate a lot of the new faucet collections, some manufacturers are expanding their more traditional-leaning offerings.

Kohler extended its Riff kitchen collection into the bathroom. The company says the elegant, sturdy look is inspired by French Creole and Spanish Colonial architecture.

Rohl, a House of Rohl brand, launched its new Apothecary line, which is meant to complement traditional and vintage pieces, such as ornate gilded mirrors and antique vanities.

The Apothecary faucet features handles and bases with elegant chamfering details that resemble antique medicine or perfume bottles.

10. Water Monitoring

A lot of attention gets placed on the look of a faucet, but a growing area of interest is on water conservation and usage monitoring.

Moen’s Smart Water Network lets homeowners control and monitor their water usage to conserve as needed. It can also detect leaks and notify you. If you’re away on vacation, you can remotely shut the water off and flush the pipes to prevent bacterial contamination or freezing in the winter.

Kohler’s H2Wise system performs functions similar to Moen’s Smart Water Network. It also features AI capabilities that learn your water use over time so you can make more informed decisions.

Article found on Houzz by Mitchell Parker, Editorial Staff, February 2022

Visit our site on HOUZZ here to learn more about what we offer and all the information you can find on their site

Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Homework Remodels will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or email [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsman are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

16 Apr 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Blog, Flooring, Home Remodel Permalink

What’s New in Flooring for 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On April 16, 2022

See the flooring trends for 2022 in this Houzz article by Julie Sheer. This article covers all the luxury vinyl, hardwood, faux wood, and stone flooring products debuting this year

Flooring Trends 2022

The new flooring on display at this month’s The International Surface Event trade show reflected the continuing dominance of luxury vinyl, porcelain and laminate wood-look flooring, with stone imitations popping up all over. In general, flooring colors are warming up, with cool grays giving way to browner tones and more rustic finishes in both real and imitation wood and stone. The move to more waterproof products, bigger tiles, and wider and longer planks continues as well.

“Everything’s going a little bit cleaner. There’s a lot of Scandinavian influence, which is not new, but it’s a mix with Japanese design and that clean-lined look,” says Kathryn Gluibizzi, senior designer for Armstrong Flooring. “You can’t forget that Nordic design has a lot of craftsmanship to it, and there’s a lot of rustic in Nordic design.” Along with freshened-up colors, there was more tile with a stronger rigid core and anti-slip surfaces. Here are some of the flooring highlights of the trade show for the tile, stone, and floor coverings industries, held Feb. 1-3 in Las Vegas. The new collections will be rolling out throughout 2022.

Gray Warms UpOne of the most noticeable trends at the Surfaces event was the lack of cool-toned driftwood gray in the flooring samples. There was plenty of gray, but it had warmer undertones. Some designers consider that part of the so-called Japandi design trend, which melds the Japanese interior style of warm tones and natural elements with a clean, minimalist Scandinavian influence.“You’ll see an element of nature in there, combined with a Scandinavian, more minimal look to achieve that Japandi look,” Gluibizzi says. “From a color point of view, it’s less about the cool grays and more about the warm grays.” Shown here is Armstrong Flooring’s Vantage Premier, a new collection of rigid-core luxury vinyl planks that includes the style pictured: Canyon Face Brushstroke in gray with brown undertones.

Shown here is Provenza Floors’ Moda Living waterproof luxury vinyl planks in Starlit Sea, a warmer gray, with a 20-mil-thick wear layer on the surface and measuring 9.06 inches wide and 72 inches long. The thickness of a luxury tile’s wear layer is measured in mils, with 1 mil equal to one-thousandth of an inch. (One millimeter equals about 40 mils.) The thicker the wear layer, the more durable and long-lasting the tile or plank. Most residential vinyl wear layers are from 8 to 12 mils thick. Experts recommend at least a 20-mil-thick wear layer for heavily used areas. Some of the tiles at the Surfaces event had beefy 30-mil wear layers.

Surface Art‘s display reflected the warmer gray trend in both wall and floor tile. Here’s Brio, glazed porcelain in 8½-by-10-inch solid hexagonal tiles, available in seven colors, along with four 8-by-8-inch patterned options, all suitable for flooring.

The warmer grays of Armstrong Flooring’s Beach-Sand Beige color are seen here in its faux wood Hermosa Rigid Core planks, from the Essentials Plus collection of luxury vinyl planks. They have a 20-mil wear layer and measure 7 by 60 inches. The tile behind it is from the same collection, in Provincial Life-Rose-Thorn Umber.

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Armstrong’s stone-look Alterna luxury vinyl tile, shown here in Grain Directions, achieves a new warmer gray using multiple tones. “These crackled washed concretes we’re seeing everywhere,” Gluibizzi says. “It has just a little bit more crackle detail that allows for it to be more multicolored. There’s a lot of different tones of gray, which makes it interesting.”

Johnson Hardwood’s new Green Mountain series of solid hardwoods include this oak in a warm gray called Craftsbury. Planks are available in maple or oak.

Airy coastal colors are trending right alongside grays, and porcelain tile is still a strong alternative to faux wood flooring. Emser Tile’s new Heirloom collection is a handsome choice for floors and walls. Shown here in Larch, it’s available in 8-by-35-inch tiles and in three colors.

Luxury Vinyl DominatesLuxury planks and tiles. Vinyl planks and tiles were seen in abundance at the Surfaces event, nearly overshadowing other types of flooring on display. Improved digital technology has resulted in ever more realistic imitations of wood and stone. The trend toward rigid cores in tiles and planks, along with thicker wear layers on the surface, has made these products more durable.“Rigid core” is the luxury vinyl tile (LVT) feature of the moment. Higher-quality luxury vinyl flooring constructed with this type of core offers more stability. Many products are now being constructed with a stone polymer composite (SBC) core rather than a wood polymer composite (WBC). Shown here is the new color Viking Hickory Pearl River from Armstrong’s Empower collection, which features vinyl planks with a rigid stone core.What to Know About Luxury Vinyl Flooring

A variety of luxury vinyl planks from Mannington’s Adura Apex collections were on display at the event.

Here’s Armstrong Flooring’s Essentials Plus Hermosa Rigid Core in a new color called Golden Sunset. The wood-look planks have a rigid stone polymer composite core and 20-mil wear layer for increased durability and scratch and stain protection. The planks are 7 inches wide and 60 inches long.

Karndean Designflooring had plenty of its luxury vinyl flooring on display, including some new colors in its Korlok Reserve collection. Luxury vinyl is increasingly popular for its ease of use and improved look, Karndean’s Jennifer Uhlemann says. “I think it’s simplicity. People are busy and want something they don’t have to worry about,” she says. “They don’t want something too fussy. With LVT you can clean it easily. It simplifies your life.”

Here are Karndean’s new chevron luxury vinyl planks in Pale Limed Oak. Having the chevrons already incorporated in a plank makes for easier installation, Uhlemann notes. All of Karndean’s products are Floor Score-certified, meaning they’ve been third-party-tested to ensure that their elements, including adhesives and underlayment, meet indoor air quality standards.

Provenza’s Uptown Chic luxury vinyl plank, shown here in Brown Sugar, has a 20-mil wear layer and measures 7 by 60 inches. It’s a good example of today’s more popular warm colors, with a surface that benefits from improved digital technology that shows knots and grooves.

Provenza’s MaxCore luxury vinyl flooring is 100% waterproof. The company’s new MaxCore collections will include wider planks and longer lengths; the New Wave collection features wide, long planks and 12 pattern selections derived from the company’s hardwood collections.

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Sheet vinyl. Some of today’s sheet vinyl flooring borrows looks from natural stone and wood, complete with faux grouting. Armstrong’s Continuity Comfort, shown here in Unstrained Sunny Beige, is a vinyl sheet flooring with a wood-and-stone look. “We’re playing around with different gradations of a color,” Gluibizzi says. “This is a nice mixed-media idea where we have the Carrara and wood look mixed together.”

Here’s a wood-look sheet vinyl from Armstrong’s Continuity Comfort line called Cypress Grove Greige. The collection has designs that mimic wood, stone, and encaustic patterns, along with hexagons and other geometric designs.

Armstrong’s Continuity Comfort Unstrained vinyl sheet flooring in Geo Gem has strong patterning for a bold look. “I’d put it in a smaller room, but we love the geometry of this,” Gluibizzi says. “It’s a charcoal and not a true black, so that makes it softer and a little more livable.”

Armstrong’s Continuity Comfort Unstrained Sunny Beige vinyl sheet flooring has an almost retro look. The vinyl features Armstrong’s Diamond 10 Technology to make it scratch- and stain-resistant.

The Rise of LaminateIf you’ve experienced only cheap laminate with its shiny plastic look and feel, you’re in for a surprise. Today’s quality laminate flooring has come a long way. It’s still constructed of a layered composite of compressed wood fiber atop a durable fiberwood base, but improved technology means the image layer looks far more realistic. Products with bevels and an embossed texture that mimics real wood can easily compete with the best luxury vinyl planks.Some companies keep the word “laminate” in small print, preferring terms like “high-performance flooring,” a reference to the surface’s sturdiness and ease of maintenance. The German company Inhaus calls its new-generation laminate Lamdura, of which there was plenty on display at Surfaces, including this sample called Buckthorn, from the company’s Visions collection.

This Inhaus display of Lamdura flooring shows the variety of on-trend tones available in its laminate offerings. Lamdura includes three collections, with varying plank sizes and color variations. None of Inhaus’ products have PVC and all of its wood comes from sustainably harvested forests in Germany.

Johnson Hardwood’s Public House collection is laminate flooring with a stone polymer composite rigid core, registered embossing and a 30-mil wear layer.

Johnson Hardwood also has a new collection of laminate planks called Olde Tavern. The series includes shades that mimic reclaimed hardwood, shown here in the trending warmer gray tones.

Wood Is Still GoodFor those who want the real thing, there were plenty of hardwood flooring samples on display at Surfaces. These also reflected the trends of moving away from cool grays and toward warmer tones, richer browns, and hand-scraped rustic surfaces. When lighter shades did turn up, they tended to be airy and coastal-feeling. Similar to luxury vinyl products, hardwood planks are trending wider and longer. Shown here is the Prato color from Provenza’s new Volterra collection of European oak, ranging from light to rustic color variations, with hand scraping, knots, and cracks to evoke a timeworn feel.

Engineered wood, an increasingly substantial segment of the hardwood market, was a popular offering at the show. Consisting of natural wood on the surface with a composite of wood fibers, particles, strands, and veneers forming the rest of the plank, engineered wood tends to be less expensive than hardwood. But unlike solid wood, it can be refinished only a certain number of times. This display from Johnson Hardwood showed its English Pub engineered hardwood, available in hickory or maple.

What to Know About Engineered Wood Floors

Provenza’s new Volterra collection of engineered European oak is shown here in Lombardy.

Johnson Hardwood’s Victorian series of engineered hardwood is available in acacia or hickory.

Provenza’s display of its Old World collection of engineered hardwood featured wire-brushed, hand-distressed, and hand-scraped solid oak and ash. Planks are 7.44 inches wide and up to 6 feet long.

How to Care for Engineered Wood Flooring

Stone Looks AboundStone looks were on display in abundance at the Surfaces event. Stone-like porcelain and luxury vinyl are showing up in a variety of room settings, from living rooms to laundry rooms, and natural stone also remains a durable and elegant choice. Here’s Emser Tile’s new travertine-like Livorno glazed porcelain tile in the Ulivo color.

Here’s a closer look at Emser’s Livorno, travertine-look glazed porcelain available in four muted shades and two sizes.

Daltile’s Wanderwise is a new collection of glazed porcelain tile that mimics limestone in three neutral colors, including Drift, shown here in 6-by-24-inch matte-finish planks installed in a herringbone pattern.

Terrazzo, a midcentury throwback, is having a moment again. The real thing is a composite of quartz, marble, metals or glass set in resin or cement, and today’s porcelain imitations look pretty convincing. Daltile’s Modernist collection in Pearsall is shown here in a 24-by-24-inch grid pattern.

Here’s a closer view of Daltile’s Modernist terrazzo-look porcelain. The existing collection added a 36-by-36-inch tile this season.

Photo from Quality Marble and Granite

For some, nothing can compete with real stone, such as the Perla Venata quartzite slabs shown here in trending neutral tones. At a Surfaces event session called Trending Natural Stones, moderated by Sarah Gregg of the Natural Stone Institute, the latest looks in stone included numerous beige tones, making a comeback after many years when just about everything was white and gray.

Photo from Artistic Tile

For those who crave the ultimate in luxury flooring, real marble is their No. 1 option. Shown here are squares of Invisible Blue marble, featuring a shimmery blue background with soft gray veins and taupe tones. Striking patterns in natural stone have been in demand, Gregg says, adding that the current preference is for soft and subdued veining and larger tile sizes.

The concrete look is ever popular in flooring. Here it gets warmed up in a luxury vinyl tile from Armstrong Flooring’s Essentials Plus collection, shown in Caledonia Celtic Fog. The rigid-core tiles measure 9 inches wide by 60 inches long.

As part of its porcelain tile display, American Olean showed its limestone- and wood-mimicking Historic Limestone Landmark Hex 12-by-10-inch tile in Native Blend, along with Native color floor tile.

Armstrong Flooring’s Lost Empire Amber Sagebrush, from its Alterna stone-look luxury vinyl tile collection, is a cooler gray with hints of a distressed-rug, faded encaustic pattern. “It’s a new classic that can go with pretty much anything, for folks that really love the new graphic way things are going but can’t quite make the commitment to go with black-and-white encaustic tiles. This is a way to do something softer,” Gluibizzi says. The groutable engineered tiles come in a variety of styles, including imitation slate, travertine, concrete, and marble in three sizes.

Here’s a view of Armstrong’s Alterna Lost Empire in Amber Sagebrush luxury vinyl tiles in the 16-by-16-inch size.

Emser’s Erosion concrete-look porcelain tile is available in three sizes and four colors.

Daltile’s Articulo line of imitation travertine porcelain tiles includes this polished 12-by-24-inch tile in Column Grey. The collection’s chevron mosaic polished tiles are on the fireplace wall.

Marble looks in vinyl flooring are hitting critical mass — they were seen everywhere at the Surfaces show. Here’s a selection of stone-look samples from Karndean’s Korlok Select luxury vinyl tile with a rigid core.

Provenza’s Stonescape collection of stone-look luxury vinyl tiles with a waterproof rigid core features a variety of shades.

Article by Julie Sheer, Houzz Contributor February 25, 2022

The original can be found here.

Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Homework Remodels will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or email [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsman are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

19 Feb 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Award-Winning, Blog, Build/Design Process, Design, Home Remodel Permalink

How the Design/Build Concept Works

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On February 19, 2022

You’ve been dreaming of your remodel for a long time and the time is right for you to finally go for it! Now, that you are ready, do you know what the best process is for a successful remodel? Tri-Lite Builders has developed a proven Design/Build concept we go through with all our clients that spans from the initial design consultation, through construction, and on to the finishing process.

We start by asking several questions to get to know you and your style. We listen carefully so we can weave our knowledge and creativity with your hopes and dreams to enhance your home. Our principal objective is to guide you through every aspect of the remodel: from room layout/space plan to the most important detail of your new kitchen, bathroom, or home addition.

Each design phase has similar elements that we craft uniquely to you and the variables involved in your design concept. Your project may include creating hand-drawn renderings or computer-generated 3D views of your new kitchen, bathroom, or floor plan. Each rendering or 3-D view is drawn so that you can preview the feel of your new kitchen or bathroom before construction starts. Throughout project development, your designer is there to lead you through each step.

INITIAL CONSULTATION IN THE DESIGN/BUILD CONCEPT

During our initial phone call, we discuss the remodeling project you want to do. We answer the questions you have about our design/build concept process, construction, project management. Then we ask several questions, to get to know a little about you, your home, and what you envision for your remodel. Next, we schedule a no-obligation in-home consultation. During this consultation we:

Explore your space
Define the initial Scope of Work
Learn more about your lifestyle and preferences
Answer the design questions you have
Discuss comparable budget ranges from similar projects

If you find we are a good fit: personality, design concept, and estimated budget, we begin our design and pre-construction phase.

DESIGN PHASE

The Design Phase will take our preliminary concepts and budget to the finished design and fixed budget with all selections made. We work hand-in-hand to collaborate with you on all details of the design to include:

Floor plan options
Appliance Selection
Cabinet styles and color choices
Countertop material and slab selection
Tile selections including decorative accents for backsplashes, floors, or showers
Plumbing features including styles, finishes, and locations
Electrical features, lighting fixtures, and their placement
Coordinate color choices for all features and walls

Our goal is to create a kitchen, bathroom, or addition that you will be proud of and your family and friends will enjoy. At Design Phase completion the plan is in place: every product is specified, each trade partner is on board, the drawings are ready and the budget is set and approved by you. Time to execute the plan.

BUILD PHASE

The Plan, our specification documents that itemize all product selections, the scope of the remodel work to complete, drawings of the particulars, and budget amounts become part of the Construction Contract. These documents encompass “The Plan” and serve as the guide for our Production team. They work together with the Designer during the Design Phase to ensure that all construction requirements are met. Throughout the Build Phase, our Project Manager is there to execute the details of the plan. The Project Manager is your day-to-day hands-on leader of your remodel and point of contact. Learn more about Tri-LiteBuilders here.

Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

For high-end home design, build, and remodeling in the greater Phoenix area that reflects your vision, Tri-Lite Builders will help you love your home again. Start your project by calling us at (480) 895-3442 or emailing [email protected] to discuss your remodeling project. We offer no-obligation in-home consultation. Our NARI-certified award-winning designers and craftsman are eager to work with you to make your vision for your home a reality! See our portfolio here.

04 Feb 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR Posted in Bathroom Remodels, Blog, Home Improvements, Home Remodel, Kitchen Remodels, Lifestyle, Trends Permalink

Remodeling Trends for Updating Your Home in 2022

Sticky Post By Steve Shinn, CR On February 4, 2022

Trends are a great way to determine what is going on around us and how it affects the way we live. With the pandemic, we have found our homes stretched to meet new needs…it has become a place to work, go to virtual class, and entertain guests safely all while remaining a cozy home with spaces to retreat. Below are the trends from a blog, Remodeling Trends for 2022 by Shannon Lee who writes for bobvilla.com.

Here’s what we predict will matter most to homeowners about updating their homes in 2022.

Sustainability Everywhere

Environmental issues have taken hold in the collective American consciousness as more intense weather patterns and changes in nature’s cycles begin to affect our day-to-day lives. As a result, it’s no wonder so many are looking for more sustainable, eco-friendly products and techniques for their homes.

Expect to see landscaping that beautifies yet protects, especially in areas prone to wildfire or flood, as well as exterior walls of brick or stone. Inside the house, repurposed flooring is predicted to become more popular. In addition, there is an increasing amount of attention being paid to sustainable options like bamboo or cork. Look to the roof for solar panels that take eco-friendliness even further.

Safety Features Inside and Out

Pandemic woes meant staying at home quite a bit, and that often led to realizations about safety in the home. HVAC units with “whole house” air filtration systems or anti-microbial tile may become more common.

Many households now have several generations under one roof, and that means accommodating the difficulties the elderly might have with their day-to-day lives. To that end, expect to see many people renovating their homes for aging in place, complete with roll-in showers, grab bars, and nonslip flooring.

Outside the home, there’s been an increase in demand for those things that keep us safe inside, such as backup generators. The demand for installation of generators is expected to grow by almost 6 percent by 2026.

Multifunctional Rooms

Adults working from home and kids learning in virtual school often meant many people battling for the same work or study space in a home. As a result, multifunctional rooms are a trend to watch in 2022. These are rooms that do double-duty as study halls and work zones, complete with Zoom setups and comfortable seating with central charging stations as a must-have feature.

Kitchen islands served both as breakfast bars and classrooms, so expect the trend to move toward carving out dedicated nooks for each function. If you choose to sell the property later, the return on investment for a minor kitchen remodel can be quite attractive. The trend might extend to furniture as well, with convertible desks and gym equipment that allows for work and exercise at the same time.

Bathrooms That Feel Like Spas

Spending more time at home with other family members can mean a lack of privacy, and that can lead to frustrations. Those seeking privacy in a crowded home might look to increase their bathroom space even further.

Look for luxurious changes as well as practical ones, such as built-in storage units in the bathroom cabinets, deep vessel sinks, and better bathroom lighting ideas (including those with a twist—think bathroom chandeliers). And of course, sturdy locks to keep that well-earned bubble bath all to yourself.

Outdoor Spaces

Those who wanted to entertain during the pandemic often found the only way to make it happen was outdoors. Social distancing helped increase the demand for outdoor space in 2021, and that trend shows no signs of slowing down.

Homeowners are focusing on their patios, decks, and outdoor kitchens as places to relax outside of the walls of the home. Plus, staying home during the pandemic led to a significant uptick in gardening, both growing produce for cooking as well as decorative plants for beautifying the home.

Mudrooms or Transitional Rooms

If you’re going to have a lot of outdoor space to play in, there needs to be an area that transitions back into the home. That’s where a mudroom becomes a handy space. The trend includes mudrooms or “drop zones” with copious amounts of storage for shoes and coats, deep sinks or washing stations for those overzealous pets, or even showers for the humans.

Depending upon the location of the mudroom, it could also include a landing spot for deliveries of packages or groceries if it’s at the side of the house or part of a newly remodeled garage.

Going Retro

Supply shortages were an unfortunate reality for a wide variety of industries in 2021, and the world of home improvement was no exception. From shortages of certain paint colors to an inability to get new furniture delivered in a timely manner, many homeowners have turned to other options for sprucing up their home. The result is a newfound love of retro style.

Local flea markets, yard sales, and antique stores are all great places to land that perfect vintage feel. One-of-a-kind pieces or those that have been upcycled with new upholstery or paint are ideal for a lived-in look at a fraction of the price of something new. Vintage items in a home also support the all-important themes of sustainability and eco-friendliness.

Unique Kitchen Configurations

While the open-concept layout of a home might be vanishing, turning the kitchen into a multipurpose room is definitely a trend that isn’t likely to stop anytime soon. To that end, many homeowners are going with two kitchen islands: one for entertaining and food preparation and the other for school, work, and everything else.

While any sort of kitchen remodel can offer up great return on investment, having two kitchen islands in a carefully balanced aesthetic catapults a simple, mid-range kitchen into high-end territory.

More Attention to Storage

Minimalism has been around for many decades, and the advantages of decluttering have become legend. As Marie Kondo asks, does it spark joy? If not, perhaps you shouldn’t have it around. For many, the solution to this is better storage for the things they don’t want to see every day, but can’t bear to part with.

Kitchen cabinets with pull-out shelves, appliance garages, bathroom cabinetry configured to handle all the small tools of hair care and hygiene, cubbies and hooks throughout entry areas, and under-bed storage with smooth-sliding drawers are all options to hide things away and streamline the look of a room.

The Home Office

Home offices have grown in popularity over the years, but the importance of them truly hit home during the pandemic. As unprecedented numbers of workers log into work from their couch, a more ideal scenario of a proper home office with a door that locks and a dedicated phone line has become a serious home renovation goal. This trend will surely result in many spare bedrooms or even empty spaces above the garage being transformed into a dedicated space for work.

Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

Remodeling on your mind? Tri-Lite Builders is an award-winning remodeler with years of experience. We focus primarily on amazing kitchens, luxurious bathrooms, and large whole-home remodeling projects that include outdoor living spaces. You can learn more about us here. Ready to start? Give us a call at (480) 895-3442 for a free consultation. We look forward to making your dreams a reality!

This blog was shared from https://www.bobvilla.com/articles/remodeling-trends-2022/

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Communicate

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If you are high-tech, then try to communicate/interact with technologies

Allow the remodeler to control the process

Do your homework

Pay on time and when asked

Try to be mutually transparent

Say thank you

Focus on the memories, not just the sticks and bricks

Don’t become strangers

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INITIAL CONSULTATION IN THE DESIGN/BUILD CONCEPT

DESIGN PHASE

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Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area

Here’s what we predict will matter most to homeowners about updating their homes in 2022.

Home Remodeling in the Greater Phoenix Area