RSS FeedArchive for February, 2010
National Kitchen and Bath Association – 2010 trends
What’s hot and what’s not in 2010? The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) has announced the latest kitchen trends:
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.
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.
for more information, go to NKBA’s website by clicking here.
Meet the designers
Today, I’ll begin with a post that will be a regular feature on Airoom’s blog, called “Meet the Designers” Each post will highlight one member of our family of designers, giving you a small insight into their background, specialties, and life outside of architecture and building.
Robert Heilman:
2010 marks Bob’s tenth year at Airoom. Bob holds both a Bachelors and Master of Architecture from the Univ. of Il – Champaign – Urbana and became a Licensed Architect in 1993. He is also a Certified Green Builder.
Before joining Airoom, Bob held positions in project development for companies such as White Hen Pantry, Hertz, Gateway, Hallmark, etc. leading new store and facility project creation, but residential work has always been his passion.
“I feel that over the last ten years I have excelled at understanding client’s needs/wants and translating those wishes into functionally beautiful projects! I especially like kitchen and family room design as these spaces truly are the heart of the home!”
Some projects that Bob particularly enjoyed developing are:
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- This kildeer kitchen renovation is a source of pride for Bob
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- Bob enjoyed designing this kitchen remodel for a Wheaton family
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- Blending the roofline with the existing home in this Aurora addition was a challenge, but turned out beautifully.
Bob’s wife, Sheila and two daughters, Kelsey and Erin have resided in Oak Park for the last 20 years. They love the community and are now in the midst of their third home renovation project! You can say it’s a hobby that the whole family can enjoy! When time allows you can find Bob and his family in northern Wisconsin sitting on a dock watching the loons and eagles.
Common remodeling pitfalls revealed
Remodeling your home can be disasterous if it’s not done with care. Before you begin a remodeling project in your home, take a look at these common pitfalls. By educating yourself on what could potentially go wrong, you’ll be better equiped to prevent problems, or deal with them if they do occur.
1. Rushing into your project
2. Choosing the first contractor you interview.
3. Creating an unrealistic budget.
4. Being overly frugal.
5. Paying more for building materials than you need to.
6. Making your home clash with the neighborhood.
7. Changing your mind. A lot.
For a more in-depth explanation of these pitfalls, read the entire article by clicking here.
“Oh, put a cork in it!”
Cork flooring is a hot trend in home remodeling as of late. 
It’s got advantages over traditinal floor coverings such as hardwood, tile, and carpet. For more information about cork’s properties, click here.
“I’m having a hard time imagining what the space will look like”
So you’ve decided that you want to remodel your home, and you’ve started to work with some designers and/or architects to develop plans, but when they show you the proposed floorplan, you can’t visualize it actually being part of your home. It’s completely understandable that you don’t want to commit to a design when you can’t see what it will look like until after it’s completed. How does Airoom solve that problem for you? We show you what it will look like, but not just a sketch or a CAD drawing – we show you something similar to what we showed a recent client in Naperville:
If you’re a visual person, this can make the difference between you being completely happy in the end, or wishing you would have some something differently, and because it’s your home, we want you to know exactly what you’re getting before you commit.
Ask an architect
Wondering if your city will allow you to add a 3rd stall to your garage? Want to finish your basement to create usable space but don’t know where to start? Considering adding a sun room but you’re worried that your current HVAC system can’t handle the extra square footage?
Airoom has licensed architects on staff who would be happy to help you out. Post your question here by clicking on”Ask an architect”.
Remodeling in the current economic times
AIroom kitchen remodel
In the current economic times in America, investing in home addition or remodel can seem imprudent at first thought, but if you play your cards right, this may actually be the best time to remodel. While housing prices continue to drop, remodeling doesn’t have to stop, but perhaps is should take on a different form. Kitchens and bathrooms are always a great area to improve and get a solid return for your investment. Green materials are also a smart choice whether you plan on remaining in your home for a number of years or if you intend to sell soon.
Read the full article from Forbes.
