More time at home means more opportunity for you to design your personal kitchen, bath :: WRAL.com
Every year we consider the colors and styles homeowners are gravitating towards when personalizing their new home kitchen and baths. The 2020 season, more so than ever, has given us the most poignant glimpse into how everyday living can affect our design choices.
The global pandemic we continue to experience has resulted in families spending more time at home, altering both their needs and wants with regards to aesthetics, technology, innovative design options and energy-saving features.
Buyers may have also found a little extra time to spend on Pinterest or watching HGTV to get inspired on the design of their new home.
“I have buyers that come in after months of being stuck at home with social distancing/COVID restrictions and they have learned what they don’t like,” said Rachel Anne Phelps, design consultant for Drees Homes. “Through staying home, COVID has helped buyers learn how they truly function at home and that carries over to their choices they make with me.”
So, in the spirit of how form and function merge to create a space that your family desires to spend a lot of time in, let’s take a look at what homeowners are currently asking for in their kitchen and bath design!
Lighting
As evenings may include more home-based activities like menu planning, reading, board games or puzzles, proper lighting is of the utmost importance. Undercabinet lighting and stacked cabinetry lighting remain popular in the kitchen as well as the classic look of clear glass options in the bathroom.
Other lighting must-haves include exposed bulbs, sconces everywhere, and drop-down pendants, especially in the ever-popular black and chrome.
“We are also seeing larger pendants and linear lights over the islands in the kitchen,” said Phelps. “A lot of homebuyers see lighting as the jewelry of the home and in main living spaces they want something that makes a statement.”
Fixtures
Many homeowners are opting for their accent pieces to help them achieve a more modern look so they pair up brushed nickel and matte black features with their cabinetry of choice resulting in a wonderful contrast. Supporting that more modern look is the decision to forego dual-handle bathroom faucets, choosing rather the single-handle option.
Appliances
We all seem to be cooking more these days, dusting off recipes and discovering what our kitchens are really capable of doing for us!
As buyers work with their builders to layout their dream kitchen, designers are receiving requests for hidden microwaves, vent hoods with a cooktop, oversized ranges, and of course the tried and true double wall oven or microwave/oven combination.
While stainless steel still ranks supreme (especially fingerprint-resistant stainless steel), black stainless continues to gain popularity in that modern and edgy department. However, an even fresher look of matte white with gold or rose gold handles and accents is being considered by homeowners who desire an open and airy feel in their kitchen.
Tile
Whether it is the view from soaking in