Posts Tagged ‘homes with basements’

Kitchen & Bath Trends for 2010

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

nkba_kitchens_undercounterrefrigerator_250px2Below are 2010’s seven kitchen trends and four bath trends.
KITCHENS

1. Traditional is the New Contemporary
Traditional will continue as the most popular kitchen design style in 2010, with contemporary following closely behind, while the Shaker style is seeing a surprisingly strong resurgence. Shades of whites and off-whites will be the most common kitchen colors in 2010, while brown, beige, and bone hues will also be popular.

2. Cherry on Top
Cherry will remain the most popular wood for kitchen cabinetry, followed closely by maple, while alder increases in use. As for the finishes placed on those cabinets, medium natural, dark natural, glazed, and white painted will all be common. Other colors of painted cabinetry and light natural finishes are in decline, however, as are distressed finishes.

3. Floored by Tile
Ceramic and porcelain tile, as well as natural stone tile, remain popular kitchen flooring options, but hardwood will dominate the kitchen landscape more than ever in 2010. For countertops, granite continues to be the most popular option, but quartz will nearly catch up in popularity. For backsplashes, ceramic or porcelain tile and glass will serve as the primary materials.

4. Flexible Faucets
Standard kitchen faucets will become less standard in 2010 in favor of more convenient models. Pull-out faucets continue to increase their market dominance, while pot filler faucets will also become more prevalent. Kitchen faucets will most often be finished in brushed nickel, followed by stainless steel, satin nickel, and — surprisingly — polished chrome.

5. Undercounter Refrigeration
French door and freezer-bottom are the two most popular styles of refrigerators, and side-by-side refrigerators remain a popular option. A surprising trend is the extent to which undercounter refrigerator drawers are being used in the latest kitchen designs. Perhaps even more surprising is that undercounter wine refrigerators have been recently specified by half of kitchen designers.

6. A Range of Cooking Options
The tried-and-true range continues to serve as the workhorse for cooking, although the combination of a cooktop and wall oven is beginning to overtake it. Gas will maintain its position as the most popular type of cooktop over electric, although induction cooking continues to gain in popularity due to its energy efficiency. 

Energy- and water-efficient appliances are here to stay.

7. Dishwasher-in-a-Drawer
Standard dishwashers, with the traditional door that pulls from the top down, will once again be easily the most common type in 2010. However, an increasing number of dishwasher drawers will be installed in kitchens this year for their convenience and their ability to wash small loads of dishes in each drawer, thereby saving water and electricity.

BATHROOMS
1. In With the Old, Out with the New
Traditional will be the most popular design style in bathrooms in 2010, as contemporary designs will be a distant second, followed by the Shaker style as an even more distant third. Beiges and bones will be the most common colors used in bathrooms, followed by whites and off-whites, and then by browns, indicating a somewhat subdued color palette this year.

2. Ceramic and Granite
Ceramic and porcelain tile will be the dominant flooring materials in bathrooms this year, while natural stone will continue to prove popular as well. Though increasingly popular in kitchens,hardwood flooring won’t become common in bathrooms in 2010. For vanity tops, granite will remain king, with quartz and marble also proving popular options.

Ceramic, granite, and porcelain tile presents a wide range of texture, color, and contrast. 
 

3. Simple Fixtures
Perhaps more than ever, the most common color for fixtures will be white. Bisque and off-white will be the only other fixture colors at all common in new or remodeled bathroom. For sinks, simple undermount models will be most popular, followed by integrated sink tops, drop-in sinks, vessel sinks, and pedestal sinks.

4. A Nickel for Every Finish
Faucet finishes in the bathroom are similar to those used in current kitchen designs, with brushed nickel continuing to lead the way in 2010. Polished chrome and satin nickel will also be incorporated into many bathrooms, just as they had been throughout 2009. These faucet finishes will be followed by bronze and stainless steel.

 The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is a non-profit trade association with nearly 40,000 members that has educated and led the kitchen and bath industry for more than 45 years. NKBA.org provides consumers with an inspiration gallery of award-winning kitchen and bath designs, as well as articles, tips, an extensive glossary of remodeling terms, and illustrations and explanations of planning guidelines. At NKBA.org, consumers can also find certified kitchen and bath professionals in their areas, submit questions to NKBA experts, and order the free NKBA Kitchen & Bath Workbook.

NKBA News Release

www.dvwise.com

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Posted in 2010 DV Wise, Certified Green Professionals, General Info, National Association of Home Builders, North Carolina Home Builders Association | No Comments »

Home Sizes Continue to Shrink

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

It wasn’t a blip. The big house really is going away. At least for now.

Average single family home sizes declined from 2,520 square feet in 2008 to 2,480 square feet in 2009, breaking nearly 30 years of uninterrupted growth. And the correction is likely to continue well into 2010, NAHB Assistant Vice President of Survey Research Rose Quint announced in a Wednesday press conference at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas.

Will home sizes will beef back up as soon as the economy rebounds? Quint doesn’t think so. “First of all, you have the impact of first-time buyers, who will remain a very big share of housing market for the foreseeable future,” she predicted. “Second, the era of easy money where you go out and buy $800,000 worth of home is over. Today you have to put 20% down. And now that piggyback loans are not available, you are only going to buy what you need.” Those factors, combined with rising interest in energy efficiency, suggest that home sizes, which peaked two years ago, will now continue to level off, she said.

As houses shrink overall, so are their room counts. Last year the number of homes with three or more bathrooms declined for first time since 1992 from about 28% to 24%, according to NAHB figures. Bedroom counts are also dropping. The number of homes with 4 or more bedrooms fell from nearly 40% to about 32%.

The share of homes with two or more stories peaked in 2006 and is now also trending backwards.

When asked about their plans for 2010, an overwhelming majority of builders told NAHB that they will build lower priced models (95%) and smaller homes (96%) with a particular focus on energy savings and performance. Features such as insulated front doors, low-E windows, programmable thermostats, high-performance appliances and energy-efficient lighting were among the features builders said they are most likely to put in new homes.

Meanwhile, luxuries such as two-story foyers and master baths with multiple shower heads were among the goodies builders said they were least likely to include in new houses moving forward.

Cavernous foyers (now perceived as energy hogs) have fallen out of favor, but there is still a place for high ceilings. “Many builders will still try to save on costs and square footage by combining the great room and kitchen,” Quint said. “As they cut down on square footage, they make up for that loss by raising the ceiling height on the first floor to create a feeling of space.” Eight-foot ceilings on the first floor were on survey respondents “least likely to include” list, while great rooms and 9-foot ceilings on the main level topped the “most likely” list.

The results of a consumer survey of Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) readers, also announced during the press conference, suggests that home buyers are aligned with builders in their thinking. Features consumers said they most wanted in a new home included efficient HVAC systems (76%), Energy Star appliances (79%), efficient design (66%) and natural light (65%).

Some 67% of consumers said they wanted a kitchen with an everyday eating area, and 62% said they wanted a comfortable family gathering space. “There’s been a circling of the wagons for a lot of people, and they are focusing more on family together time,” said Eliot Nusbaum, the magazine’s executive editor of home design.

In that same survey, 65% of home buyers said they wanted an extra bedroom and bath, a desire which Nusbaum attributed to growing numbers of  adult children moving back home or elderly parents living under the same roof.

One thing today’s consumers are less interested in, according to BHG data, is master bedroom suites resembling hotel rooms. “There is much more of a saving and splurging mentality now,” Nusbaum said. “People want plush but not opulent. They would rather spend money in other places like the kitchen or bath, and they are willing to trade off on some things to get other things they want. Maybe having the high-end tile or stone means they spend less on wall treatments or counters. If they still want granite and stainless steel in the kitchen, something else has to give, whether it’s flooring or cabinets.”    by Jenny Sullivan

Jenny Sullivan is a senior editor covering architecture, design and community planning for BUILDER.

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Posted in 2010 DV Wise, Certified Green Professionals, General Info, National Association of Home Builders, North Carolina Home Builders Association | 7 Comments »