Just a Few Kitchen Trends for 2017

Kitchens have always been the heart and soul of the home, and with todays busy families the space is prime property on the floor plan.  It needs to be functional not only for the cook but for the social gathering which naturally happens within and around the kitchen.   I will share more tips on kitchens but today I wanted to throw out a few kitchen trends that I am using and seeing this year.  Cant wait to see what you all create..

Wondering what color the cabinets should be.   While the top selling cabinets is white, grey is the new white for painted cabinets. And like white there are endless sections of grey tones.  You can mix grey with white, for example a grey island with white cabinets, grey pairs nicely with darker rich tones of stained woods.  

Another trend is oversized fixtures as in oversized lighting over the island, although you may think they are out of proportion with the space they actually provide depth and drama in the room.  Adding larger drawer pulls to the cabinets also creates this same feeling.

Double Islands- Yes you heard me right. Double islands are a hot trend for larger kitchens. Adding a second island is replacing the standard dinette table area creating a perfect seating area with more usable storage and counter space, of course the space required to pull this trend off  is not for most kitchens but when you do have the space go for it.

My favorite quartz,  Caesarstone introduced a line of 6 neutrals in the grayish-beige tones "greige" my favorite is "linen" for contemporary designs which is still warm.  Quartz is nonporous and are resistant to heat, spills, scratches, making it a perfect counter choice for busy families. Remember balance cool and warm color tones against the cabinet colors selected to give a little interest and balance.

For the timeless addition to your kitchen design incorporate the Kohler apron front cast-iron sink, giving the farmhouse look.  Kohler offers this sink in a variety of colors to pair with your overall color scheme and adds timeless focal point to the space. I love this sink because it is deep making it very functional for cleaning up large dishes and pots.

 

Tips on Selecting Rug Sizes

Size:  This tends to be a common question and mistake made my clients.   A good rule of thumb is to base your rug size of the smallest wall in the room and subtract 2’.   For example if you have a 10 x 16 room your rug size be no smaller than 8x14.

 

Dining Rooms:  The rule of thumb is the rug should extend at least 18” past the ends and sides of the table to accommodate the chairs when they are pulled out when in use and still remain on the rug.

Large Rooms: Select a rug which works within the overall use of the space, for example a large room may be set up in two separate conversation areas thus rather than one large rug you would place two rugs to appropriate size for the separate spaces although both in one room

Bedrooms: Incorporate runner rugs on each side of the bed or select a larger rug and place it with 1/3 of the rug under the bed.

White is White Right? Tips on choosing the right white for your walls

You want white walls. The easiest color to pick right? That is until you walk into the paint store and see a entire section dedicated to whites and you all the sudden realize white is not white and this is not a easy as you thought.  There are a lot of different hues in the white category: Cream, pearl, snow, vanilla, ivory, bone, linen the list goes on.

One of the hardest colors to choose is white believe it or not. Did you know there is more than 150 shades of white in Benjamin Moore alone, not to mention the hundreds more in the other popular paint lines.

Here are a few tips:

Pure whites tend to often times make you feel very sterile & cold so this is often one that I recommend staying away from.

Whites can be influenced more than other colors by  what the surrounding finishes such as floors, and light. That said, I recommend using a warm white which will bring out the details in the surrounding art and wood work.

 

Always, paint a 2'x2' sample on a board and move around the house at different times of day trust me this little extra step and time will pay off in the end even with whites.

I recommend sticking with a eggshell or flat finish in the white paint, with a few exceptions for rooms which will require easy cleaning.  The reason I recommend these two types of finishes is because white is a cold color you can offset some of the visual effects by using a less reflective sheen which brings a slight level of warmth to the color when the light reflects.  Also, the more sheen the more imperfections you will see in the wall itself.  

 MY GO TO WHITES ARE:

Benjamin Moore-

 Mascapone - A True white when painted on walls but much warmer than the pure white. When put right next to pure white looks a little yellow but alone it is a nice warm white

China White- This is a warm white and often when held up next to pure white looks off0white with grey tones but alone it is a lovely warm white

Decorators White- A great true white that is both warm and modern

 Paper White- This is a color I often use in Bathrooms & Kitchens because it blends nicely with white marbles and the white of sinks, toilet.

Mountain Peak White - A much warmer creamer white used often in older homes, French Inspired Homes or Farmstyle homes

 Swiss Coffee-  The Builders go to white that is sold on the shelves of Home Depot and other home improvement stores.

My favorite Greige color  ( a combination between a grey & Beige) is Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter at a 75% saturation  or the Wise Owl from Kelly Moore at a 75% saturation. These are my two favorite go to neutrals now offset with any of the above whites.