Another holiday season is fast approaching, and we’re already seeing design blogs weigh in with what they predict the latest trends will be for the coming year. If you’re planning to remodel soon, it’s a lot of fun, but often not particularly helpful.
Here at T&K, we believe there are some things that are always in style: three ways to approach a remodeling project that should be considered before the “color of the year” or the trending finish for your faucets and cabinet hardware.
#1: Every Moment Counts
In our area of New Jersey, everyone is busy ─ with important stuff like work, kids’ schedules, and volunteer activities. No one wants to spend precious time or energy on home maintenance. Fortunately, there are many building materials available today that will require less of your time for upkeep.
Quartz countertops are quickly becoming the favorite substitute for granite. These composites are as sleek and shiny as granite, but virtually maintenance-free. Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) and Luxury Vinyl Planking (LVP) are not your grandparents’ vinyl flooring. They are beautiful, durable, water resistant, and easy to maintain. LVT and LVP can be used in any room in place of wood, tile, or stone at a more affordable price.
When selecting exterior products, you can choose from a wide range of materials that reduce or end the need for many repairs. Exterior wood can be replaced with products such as fiber cement siding and engineered decking.
#2: Every Family Member Counts
While you’re making time to spend with family and friends, you can also make your home more comfortable and convenient for everyone. Using Universal Design throughout your home introduces wider halls and doorways, lever handles on faucets and doors, adequate task lighting, and increased lighting on stairways. Make the kitchen more accessible for everyone by adding pullout shelves, multiple counter heights, a beverage center, and an undercounter microwave.
Finish the basement and divide it into separate rooms: kids can play and adults can relax in their own areas. Even your pets can relax with built-in nooks for sleeping. A tiled bathing station in the laundry room or mudroom can even make the dreaded dog-washing task much easier!
The “healthy home” aspect of remodeling is important too. Thoughtful building material choices can help indoor air quality, and protect family members against chemical sensitivities, allergens, mold, and mildew.
#3: Every Square Inch Counts
There’s no excuse for inaccessible cabinet spaces anymore with a variety of storage solutions for the kitchen. Custom cabinet organization can make blind corners and hard-to-reach upper shelves accessible, and end the chaos created by leftover containers and precariously stacked pots and pans.
Updating a bathroom wouldn’t be complete without vanity storage options like fitted drawers, pullout shelves, hidden outlets for hair dryers, and charging stations for shavers. A built-in tile niche or shelf in the shower will keep shampoos and body washes handy while eliminating unattractive wire shelving.
Since feeding your dog or cat is a daily chore, install a feeding area in the kitchen or laundry room. Add a low cabinet shelf for food and water bowls and a slide-out bin to store food more conveniently than dragging around a huge bag of kibble.
We are thankful we can use these three criteria to make sure your home is as beautiful as it can be, while taking into account the comfort of all members of your family, your precious time, and your budget. Contact us today and we can help give you a remodeled home you can be thankful for every day you live there.