What’s Hot Now: Customization on a budget
I second Joanna–hacks are huge, and they’re not just limited to furniture and accessories. I’m seeing entire kitchens made from relatively inexpensive stock and flat-pack cabinetry, but you’d never know it from the creative mixing, matching, and modifying people are doing to get a custom look. Lindsay’s IKEA kitchen remodel on the Little House Blog is a great example of this trend. From finding the cabinets’ exact paint match to making a trash pullout from a base cabinet, she discovered so many ways to give her kitchen a built-in look.
Photo courtesy of Lindsay Stephenson of Little House Blog
What’s Next:
1. Quartz countertops: Granite still remains a popular countertop choice, but solid quartz-surfacing is gaining ground, and I predict more homeowners will see the benefits of this cultured stone. Although the price is comparable to natural stone, quartz is available in a wide variety of colors and textures, it never has to be sealed, and it’s stain- scratch- and heat-resistant.
2. Replacing tubs with showers: With a growing emphasis on universal design, I think we’ll see even more bath remodels with easy-to-access showers replacing old tubs, as well as more products that will make it easier for homeowners to make the conversion.
3. Herringbone floors: Hardwood floors set in a herringbone parquet pattern are hot right now. As the trend continues, I wonder if we’ll start to see the pattern in laminate, vinyl, and engineered wood versions?
- Trend I’d Lose: I might be the only person in the world who is getting a little bit tired of bold, two-color chevron.
- Blog I’m Loving: Cape 27 and The Hunted Interior are two current faves.
- Person I’m Following: Jenny Komenda. I admire her ability to boldly use color and see the potential in just about anything.
- Show I’m Watching: The Mindy Project. Besides that it makes me laugh, I love the eclectic vibe of Mindy’s apartment on the show.
- Store I’m Shopping: I need rugs in a couple rooms in my house, and I’ve clocked way too many hours on Rugs USA lately. The selection is amazing.
- Color I’m Coveting: Navy blue. I actually don’t need to covet any longer because I just painted a wall in my kitchen Benjamin Moore Hale Navy.
- Accessories I’m Adding: I’ve been adding a few daintier gold pieces to my jewelry collection, and I’m searching for the perfect watch.
—Maria Charbonneaux, Associate Editor, Kitchen + Bath Makeovers
