In our last post we featured Eldorado Stone for your interior and exterior spaces. In this post, we feature new surface materials that are wonderful in the bath and kitchen.

Bathroom Products – Surfaces

Hakatai

“Hakatai’s Bohemia series of glass mosaic tile offers an array of blended colors. Adding visual interest to any kitchen or bath, the 1 3/16-in. x 9/16-in. mini-brick style, semi-transparent tiles are arranged in a traditional offset pattern. Focused on neutral hues, warm golden browns and cool blues, the collections’ color palette includes mirage, mallard, chanterelle, nutmeg, loam, sargasso sea and azul. The pieces are approximately 1/4 in.-thick and are film-faced for easy installation. The tile can be used on interior walls, countertops, backsplashes and light residential floors.”

CaesarStone

CaesarStone has a new quartz product out called Motivo™ which I just love! It is a textured stone with a new look and feel.

“Using a brilliant, patented new technology to apply an embossed effect to a range of our surfaces, Motivo makes a stylish statement with its pattern-designed finishes including Lace and Crocodile. Motivo opens up a world of inspiration and imagination by delivering endless creative options for stunning spaces.

Magnificently Versatile
As with all CaesarStone quartz surfaces, Motivo is nonporous, easy to care for and appropriate for numerous applications, including wall paneling, custom-made furniture, kitchen countertops, vanity tops and more.” Here’s some shots of how Motivo would look on your walls or countertops.

Here is the Crocodile pattern – so sophisticated. Amazing!

I also love the Lace pattern – especially for feminine spaces. Beautiful!

So these are just two of the new surfaces that are out there that I think are the most exciting. With spring here, wouldn’t the lace pattern be especially wonderful in your new spa bathroom? Let’s make that a reality in your home! Contact us here.

Related posts:

1. Kitchen and Bath Design Trends for 2010
2. Surfaces Series – Eldorado Stone Surfaces for Your Home
3. Video showcase of products from K/BIS 2009 (kitchen & bath products)

Here’s Eldorado’s latest video showing how their stone can transform the look of your home indoors and out. I especially love the wine cellar and the niches in the stone wall for candles in the spa bathroom.

So tell me – which is your favorite application of their beautiful stone? Here’s a few examples from their site of different ways to enhance your home with stone. Gorgeous!

Stone gives such a warm stability and permanence to your walls, flooring and exteriors.

Give us a call and we can transform your spaces with natural, inviting stone to give you a new look to your environment!

Related posts:

1. Surfaces Series – Beautiful New Surfaces for Your Bath and Kitchen
2. In Long Island, a Home for All Generations – NY Times.com
3. Kitchen and Bath Design Trends for 2010

The National Kitchen & Bath Association Unveils Kitchen and Bath Trends for 2010

 

This week, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) revealed its key kitchen and bath design trends for the new year. Culled from a survey of designers that was conducted by the association, they indicate a continuation of a number of existing trends in the marketplace, but also suggest shifts in the direction that kitchen and bath design will take this year. Following are the NKBA’s seven kitchen trends and four bath trends for 2010.
 

KITCHENS

1. Traditional Is the New Contemporary
According to the survey results, traditional will continue as the most popular kitchen design style in 2010, with contemporary following closely behind. Where transitional kitchens fall in this survey is unclear, but that the Shaker style is mentioned as experiencing a strong resurgence suggests growing demand. As to color palette, last year saw an increased interest in neutral tones (perhaps because of the challenging economy). The same should also hold true in 2010. Expect shades of white, as well as off-whites, to be the most common kitchen colors, while brown, beige and bone hues will also enjoy wide usage.

2. Cherry on Top
Not surprisingly, cherry will remain the most popular wood for kitchen cabinetry, followed closely by maple; alder cabinets will also gain ground. As for cabinet finishes, 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 tiles, as well as those in natural stone, remain popular kitchen flooring options (probably for their durability and relative budget-friendliness), but nothing beats the warmth of hardwood, which will dominate the kitchen landscape more than ever in 2010. As to countertops, granite will maintain its lead, edging out quartz, which will nearly (but not quite) catch up in popularity. For backsplashes, ceramic or porcelain tile and glass will serve as the materials of choice.

4. Flexible Faucets
Standard kitchen faucets will become less standard in 2010, ceding ground to more convenient models. Pullout faucets continue to increase their market dominance, while pot fillers will also become more prevalent. To complement those white kitchens, the NKBA predicts that most faucets will be specified in brushed nickel, followed by stainless steel, satin nickel and—surprisingly—polished chrome.

5. Undercounter Refrigeration
Surveyed designers cited French door and freezer-bottom as the two most popular styles of refrigerators, while side-by-side units will retain their share of the market. Also noted was the increased use of undercounter refrigerator drawers, which are ideal for point-of-use convenience and for keeping a kitchen design open. In addition, the NKBA found that undercounter wine refrigerators were 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 is coming on strong due to its energy efficiency.

7. Dishwasher-in-a-Drawer
Standard dishwashers, which feature a traditional door that pulls from the top down, will still be the most common type in 2010, but an increasing number of drawer-style units will be installed in kitchens this year for their convenience and their ability to wash small loads of dishes when needed, thereby saving water and electricity.

BATHROOMS

1. In with the Old, Out with the New
Although some may disagree, the NKBA predicts that traditional will be the most popular design style in bathrooms in 2010, with contemporary designs a distant second. As with kitchens, neutrals are in. Beige and bone will be the most common colors used in bathrooms, followed by white, off-white and brown, 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.

3. Simple Fixtures
Maintaining the more subdued palette, the most common color for fixtures will be white, with bisque and off-white the only other options at all common in new or remodeled bathrooms. For sinks, simple undermounts will be most popular, followed by integrated sink tops, drop-ins, vessel bowls and pedestal designs.

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.

Kitchen and Bath Design Trends From Kitchen and Bath Business Magazine – kbb

How many of these elements are already in your own kitchen? How many would you like to incorporate in a new kitchen? Are you ready to start a kitchen project? Let us know what your favorite elements would be in your new kitchen and we can make it happen for you this year!

Related posts:

1. Video showcase of products from K/BIS 2009 (kitchen & bath products)
2. Surfaces Series – Beautiful New Surfaces for Your Bath and Kitchen
3. Ina Garten’s Kitchen of the Year

From Coastal Living

With its eco-friendly construction and beach-chic feel, our Idea Cottage in I’On, South Carolina, shows how to live large in a small footprint.

Right-Size Living

The next big thing in architecture is right-size living. That means using money-saving, environmentally sound materials to build a smaller but savvier house in which no square inch is squandered yet luxuries still abound. I’On, the idyllic 11-year-old village between historic Charleston and nearby barrier islands, is leading the way once again with its new Jefferson Canal Courtyards neighborhood. We show you how we achieved high style in a compact space.

Be sure to check out the specific videos of the rooms in this idea cottage.

Here are some great photos to wet your appetite!

Love the great colors of fall in this living room.

The beautiful tile in this kitchen is the real focal point. See the kitchen tour video here.

Here’s the wonderful open plan of this cottage.

Guest Bedroom: I love the mocha walls with the neutral hue that makes the yellow, turquoise, and magenta tones in this pattern pop.

Guest bath: I think this bath is much prettier than the master’s bath!

Master bedroom: pretty canopy

I love this stencil on the staircase – such a simple way to add some extra, glamorous touches!

Hope you enjoyed this Idea Cottage from Coastal Living. Tell us what you liked best about this house!

Related posts:

1. Kitchen With A Walk-In Pantry
2. Video showcase of products from K/BIS 2009 (kitchen & bath products)
3. Kitchen and Bath Design Trends for 2010

Take a look at this blog post from www.oddee.com that showcases faucets like you’ve never seen before or even imagined!

For the guys there’s a faucet that looks like you’re driving a motorcycle and one that lets you change gears. For the women, there’s one that is a vase with a waterfall action on the faucet and I love the faucets that change the water to blue and red, depending on the temperature.

A smart faucet that recognizes your face and then gives your perfect individualized pre-selected temperature is pretty amazing. For those that love glamour, there’s the faucet that has Swarovski crystals imbedded in it. Beautiful!

Make sure to go the post to see more incredible faucets. Your bathroom will never be the same!

Read more here…

Related posts:

1. Kitchen and Bath Design Trends for 2010
2. Video showcase of products from K/BIS 2009 (kitchen & bath products)
3. Would you love to get a free ticket to see HGTV Color Splash Host David Bromstad at the Seattle Design Center?

If you’re in the market for building or remodeling a new kitchen and/or bath, take a look at the latest and greatest new products that were shown at K/BIS 2009. These are the trend setters and the latest innovations from the best brands.

Even if you’re not in the market, it’s always fun to watch all the new cool things that are available and to put on your wish list. Mine has gotten longer watching this!

Click here for the video showcase.

Related posts:

1. Kitchen and Bath Design Trends for 2010
2. Ina Garten’s Kitchen of the Year
3. My first video!