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Kitchen Trends For A Trendy You

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Excerpt: Kitchen Trends For A Trendy You. You like to be in style and to stay attuned with all the latest fashion and decorator trends. Why shouldn’t your kitchen be as up to date as you are? Following are some of the hottest kitchen trends you may want to implement into your kitchen design to make it as current as you are. 1. Color is in. Gone are the days of the all white kitchen. Brown is particularly a la mode right now, but grays, blues and greens are also fashionable. Refacing your cabinets in a colored laminate is one way to incorporate this trend. Vivid mosaic backsplashes and cork flooring are also drawing rave attention from kitchen designers. 2. Dramatic impact makes its mark. Unique and strategically placed windows, multi-leveled center islands, open kitchen designs with cozy adjacent sitting nooks, built-in seating areas, and kitchens that are kid friendly are all the rage right now in kitchen trends. 3. Pantries are made to be seen. That’s right, what was formerly a kitchen storage eyesore is now becoming a feature attraction of the room. If you need lots of storage space, try a walk-in pantry. If space is at a premium in your kitchen, a built-in pantry may be a better option. Whichever you choose, make this latest trend a focal point of your kitchen design. 4. Sophisticated touches are making a comeback. Beamed ceilings, antique decorative items, impact-adding molding, dramatic lighting, and porcelain and ceramic backsplashes can all add some major trendy wow…

Modern Flooring Trends

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Excerpt: Modern Flooring Trends. Flooring is among the most basic remodeling items that any homeowner should give enough focus on.  Not only does it set the foundation to the interior decoration but it also enables the area to efficiently serve its purposes.  A floor that is both gorgeous and functional will not only make up for a quality of living that is up an ante but a good boost in your New York home value as well.  With most every industry greatly influenced by trends, you might as well look into modern flooring trends ideal to integrate whether you are in Queens, Long Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan or Staten Island. Whether your personal taste dictates a rustic homey feel, minimal contemporary, artistic flair or anywhere in between; it will be good to know that modern flooring trends revolve on many floor types.  Your options are wide ranging and whichever material you feel complements your lifestyle well, has a timely fashion that you and your family will surely enjoy. Hardwood With hardwood flooring, the trends tend towards wider planks that come in deeper and more luxurious colors.  Distressed and hand scrapped are very popular and more exotic choices are making it in the choice list.  The traditional unfinished oak strip remains popular but walnut, teak, birch, white oak, cherry and mahogany are also fine choices.  Mixing media and custom-made accents and borders are hardwood design trends that are gaining fashionable prominence right now.  And with the green…

Design and Building Trends Over the Last Century

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Excerpt: Design and Building Trends Over the Last Century 1900’s – The typical 1900’s home was built not for décor but, more so for function. You would almost always see these homes built out of brick. Typically these homes were quite confined inside, the front parlor and kitchen would be the two largest rooms in the home. The front room would normally be styled with items that symbolized the families status, such as vases or statuettes, the kitchen is where, as today the meals were prepared, but more importantly the coal burning range was in there, which was important because it was the main heat source for the house. Bedrooms in your typical 1900’s home would be very small and dimly lit; most children not only shared a room, but a bed as well. If you think your household could use another bathroom or two, be thankful you weren’t living in 1900; bathrooms were a status symbol, wealthier families would be lucky to have a tub, and toilets would rarely be found inside a home. 1910’s – The homes of 1910’s were quite similar to the homes of 1900, perhaps the only difference is this is when interior designs came into play. The home itself you would probably find wooden floors, paneled walls, the windows are likely to be stained glass, the most noticeable item in a 1910’s home in my opinion would be the fireplace, it would be the focus point of the room, very large hearth placed in an inglenook…

Kitchen Counters the Latest Trend

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Excerpt: Kitchen Counters the Latest Trend I have visited a lot of homes since I have been with Re/Max Houston over the past 20 years. I’ve been selling Houston real estate now since 1981. For most of these years, I have been advising homeowners on the proper “staging” of their home in order to facilitate a sell. Heck, back in the dark ages, staging was not even in our vernacular. If memory serves me, we called it, “Hey lady, you need to do something with your home if you want to sell it.” Staging sounds much more professional. During this time, there have been a number of hot button trends that have come and gone with time. I should say, with the passing of decades. With another of my landmark birthdays on the horizon, let me just say that trends come and go. A wise seller and Realtor will be in tune with these trends if they want to maximize the value of their property much less sell it as well. For example, in the 1980’s, new carpet was a must for the proper staging of a home for sale in Houston, TX. That orange or green shag carpet from the previous decade just had to go. Peace, love and Jimmie Hendricks lives, but not if they wanted to sell their home. It was time to move on, tune in and change the carpet. Oh! That butcher block laminate kitchen counter was to die for. Try to sell a production built home in…

Top Bathroom Trends for 2010

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Excerpt: Top Bathroom Trends for 2010. As a sanctuary in the home: for the tired mum who wants to relax; calming an overactive toddler; or, if you’re lucky, for a romantic escape. Our design ideas and products show you what’s steaming up the bathroom. Gone are the days when the bathroom was simply somewhere to wash. Bathroom design now aims to achieve a spa-like sanctuary in the home. This season, the serious geometric and stark-white look of recent years is making way for organic shapes, modular options and the introduction of prints and patterns. Colour The prints and patterns prominent in interior design are creeping into bathroom design. Sinks with floral patterns, feature walls of solid colours like red and apple-green, mosaic tiles in intricate patterns – either as a feature wall, frieze or the entire room – and coloured fittings are all on offer. The neutral palette will always be popular but this time around, add a bit of finesse. Vanities Vanities are the perfect storage solution in the bathroom and, as a result, the shape of vanities has remained geometric. To soften the square shape of the vanity, offset it with a round basin and an interesting finish or colour. Prints and patterns are creeping into bathrooms – why not make your vanity a feature? Wall-hung vanities are popular as they maximise the use of space in the bathroom. Deep drawers and plenty of shelf space are also a drawcard. Tapware The all-in-one, single tap continues…

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Design Trends 2010

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Excerpt:   Looking forward to2010,there are many trends in home décor, one major trend among all the others is glass, colored, stained, art and murano. We’ve been seeing this trend making its way into residential design over the last few years and as homeowners become more comfortable with color, the use of vibrant tones in more permanent areas such as lighting and plumbing fixtures will increase. No doubt you’ve all noticed the wide array of decorative mini pendants in a multitude of shades installed in kitchens and bars over countertops and islands. This trend will continue and increase. We will see an increase in the use of glass and enamel as decorative elements over textiles and fabrics, and an increase of iridescent colors which can be attributed directly to the lighting industry and LED technology. LED lights are now seen in every aspect of home décor, including wall art and plumbing fixtures. New trends in colors for interior design are also an important consideration for us all when working on both residential and commercial projects. We will be seeing an increase of warm neutral tones such as terracotta, browns, golds, honey and wheat. Reds will maintain their popularity in the richer, deeper tones as well as those with a blue tint but pinks will phase out and we will see mauve shades return along with shades of aqua. Greens will make a come back in shades of mint, lime, alpine, pale honeydew and hunter. Metallics will turn to gold and bronze…

Trends 2010

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Excerpt: Trends 2010 What do I see as on trend for 2010? There are many trends but here are a few that I see going strong in 2010.   Techno Chic: A new beginning, showing optimism and progress with intelligent features that do all the thinking for you. Everything from faucets to fireplaces with high-tech traits that make it so stylishly simple in terms of looks and usability. Water faucets with streamlined features with sensitive-to-touch screen technology that will preset your ideal water temperature and control your water usage, making your bathroom environmentally responsible while stylishly chic.   ______________________________________________________________________________   Ode to Nature From staircases to shower stalls I am seeing nature-inspired decorative graphics abound. Concrete staircases sporting a meandering tree branch graphic motif. Incorporating all things natural, architectural and sustainably designed into one ultra-modern Zen package. ______________________________________________________________________________   Ethnicity Craftsmanship is treasured. Folkloric patterns and intricate elaboration: embellishments, embroidery and details are embraced in this trend. ______________________________________________________________________________   Color Futures Earth’s Elements: Natural colors drawn from plants, minerals and soil, such as under-ripe olives, yellow ochre, iron oxide and tarnished gold. Pale earth tones mixed in are used on shiny surfaces such as reflective lacquered white sand, patent pale avocado and burnished metals.   Illusion: The atmospheric light-enhanced tones of watery blue-grays such as the “Castle Walls” color used in the Encore penthouse. Translucent and fluid cloud colors of smoky steel grays grounding this palette are vermillion red and horizon brown.   Cityscape:  A sharp modern palette made up…

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Funny Bathroom Prank

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Excerpt: In almost all traditional bathroom designs the bath is always the main feature, so keep this in mind. Towards the end of the 19th century many bathrooms became alot smaller so cast iron baths were changed for freestanding bath designs which were thought to be more hygienic. Effective Victorian styles are available from manufacturers such as Victoria and Albert with ball and claw feet similar to that period. Pretty mirrors with decorative edges and pictures were common features seen in the bathroom. Black and white family portraits are a great way to imitate the united front families resembled in that period. Portraits should be placed in the main focus of the room for guests and family to view clearly. Fixed shower heads with wide projections are a must have with traditional fixed arms it creates a classic replica. Manufactures such as Hudson Reed specialise in traditional showers to create the ultimate classic look. Clutter is not a disadvantage in a Victorian styled bathroom design as it creates a more lived in feel. Miniature trinkets and detailed objects will only add to the character and warmth. Modern blinds will be too 21st century so instead opt for sweeping curtains with tassled tie backs to create a lavish finish. Vintage radiators and towel warmers will create a charming bathroom addition whilst being practical. High heat outputs will definitely keep you feeling warm in the winter months. Deep toned pinks and purples are the colours enhance the enduring bathroom ambience. A distinctive…

How To Pull Off the Office Bathroom Prank

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Excerpt: The bathroom is a challenging room when it comes to maintaining Feng Shui in your home. The ba gua, the optimal map for a home’s layout according to Feng Shui principles, doesn’t leave room for a bathroom—indeed, it was developed before indoor plumbing, when the bathroom area would not have been inside the home.According to Feng Shui, the bathroom has a draining effect wherever it’s placed—so it will diminish the positive effects of optimal placement for the bedroom, living room, and other important areas of the house. The effect it has depends on where it’s placed in your home. However, there are a few things you can do to prevent chi drainage and ensure your home’s Feng Shui integrity. If your bathroom is in an important area of the home, for example in the marriage, family or abundance area, it could have a draining or dampening effect on the benefits proper Feng Shui in those areas provides. To prevent this, place a full-length mirror on the outside of the bathroom door—or hang one above it. This will help prevent the chi in your home from flowing into the bathroom area. In addition, keep the toilet lid down and keep drains closed or covered when not in use—this will further prevent chi from being drained. If your bathroom is near or on the second floor above your front door or kitchen, it could direct negative energy into these important areas. Located near the entryway, the bathroom can drain away chi…

All About DIY Kitchens

The kitchen is the most significant room in the house. It is the nerve centre of what keeps the family ticking over. Subsequently when it comes to giving the kitchen a facelift, should you go for a professional or is DIY kitchens in you?

In the existing economic climate, there is no doubt that many of those on the fence may well essentially try their hand at

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