Newest kitchen and bath finish is toast-worthy

Appliances and kitchen and bath fixtures are evolving toward softer finishes, including the look of the moment – a champagne, or soft bronze, finish. A unique blend of silver, bronze and rose gold, this warm finish complements most design aesthetics, and is a welcome contrast to cooler finishes such as stainless steel and matte black.

Originally appearing in kitchens, the champagne finish has been growing in popularity for use in bathrooms where it can be seen on fixtures, shower drains and heated towel racks. The finish’s understated golden tones bring a sense of understated sophistication to spaces.   

Incorporating a heated towel rack in a soft champagne finish is a stylish and affordable way to elevate style and comfort in the bathroom. Used in Europe for decades to keep towels warm and fresh, heated towel racks use the same amount of electricity as just a few light bulbs. Amba Products offers a wide array of free-standing and mounted heated towel racks, all of which are made of corrosion-resistant, high-grade stainless steel – delivering elegance and long-lasting durability. 

Linear drains are another area of the bathroom where a champagne finish can create a style statement. Not only do these clean-lined drains create a seamless, contemporary look – they can be located almost anywhere within the shower, adding versatility. LUXE Linear Drains offers a full line of stainless steel linear drains and tile insert drains for residential settings, available in a variety of designs, finishes and sizes, including custom options.

For a bolder approach, consider adding a retro style refrigerator in champagne and making it the focal point of the kitchen. Elmira Stove Works offers its Northstar line of midcentury modern style appliances – including ranges, refrigerators, microwaves, wall ovens, range hoods and splash backs – in champagne as a custom color. Opting for smaller countertop appliances in champagne is another great way to incorporate the finish in the kitchen.

As more homeowners desire to differentiate their kitchens and bathrooms, adding elements in a champagne finish can create a look that is at once distinctive and subtle – setting these spaces beautifully apart.

Top Home Building Trends in 2020

Many new home building trends are expected to emerge in 2020. Many interior designers are now infusing recyclable materials in their home design plans. People are becoming more conscious about environmental problems, so they're interested in stylish environmentally friendly properties. Integrated living spaces are also becoming more popular. Kitchens are now more closely connected to living rooms. Many people like to socialize while they cook. Patios may also be more closely connected to the living area.

Designs are also becoming more stylish in unique ways. Creative fixture designs are making a comeback, and people are thinking of new ways to upgrade doors and windows. Sliding doors are becoming a lot more popular. They are convenient, and many people like to use them to save space. Sliding doors don't have to swing outward, so homeowners can put furniture next to them. You may want to use sliding barn door hardware to set up a sliding barn bedroom door. These are becoming very popular options for children's bedrooms.

You might also be interested in creative wallpaper options. Fabric wall coverings are becoming very popular. This is an affordable and luxurious way to decorate a bedroom or living area. Some people even like to match the wall design with the upholstery. This can give the house a very upscale look. Marble wallpaper is another interesting option. This looks great in homes with stone tile floors.

Popular floor materials include granite tile and hardwood. Hardwood is always a popular choice, but many people are now choosing to paint the wood to make it match the walls and ceiling. Installing granite tiles is a great way to make a living space look more modern. Many people prefer to use these tiles because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain.

2020 Home Renovation Ideas

Making the home's interior match can be a serious challenge. Many people like to use mirrors or window trim to tie a home's look together. Changing the lighting may also be important. Many people overlook light fixtures when they design a home's interior. Quality lighting is vital, and you should look at the placement of windows and hallways to determine the best place to set up light fixtures. Ambient lighting can make a hallway look much more inviting. Some people like to install LED track lighting. The lights are energy-efficient, and you have many different options to select from.

Popular Wall Colors

Neutral color tones will be a lot more popular in 2020. Paler shades of blue and red are now more appealing than solid color tones. Matte black finishes are also making a comeback. Many people are combining black tile with matching fixtures. Green is also becoming a very popular interior design color. Vivid colors are becoming less popular, but some creative designers use an occasional splash of red or purple to brighten a room. Some people like matching the interior with the exterior. If the exterior of a house is stone, then the inside wallpaper might be beige or gray. Interior designers look at the entire home's interior and exterior designs. The themes should be consistent throughout.

Tile Trends

Tile technology is becoming very sophisticated, and manufacturers can now create synthetic materials that strongly resemble their real counterparts. These materials are being used to decorate walls, floors, and ceilings. Synthetic materials may be preferable in showers because they are often more durable than real materials.

Dimensional tile is also becoming very popular. This sort of tile pops out of the wall, and designers create many fascinating three dimensional designs. You might want to use bas relief tile to make a room look more sophisticated. Printed tile designs are also very appealing. You can use a collection of different tile patterns to vary the room's design.

Blending different materials is also becoming a popular idea. Combining tile floors with matching carpeting can add enough variety to make the room feel fresh and exciting. Some people like to mix wood and tile. It's important that the colors remain uniform throughout the room. Contemporary plant designs will also be popular in 2020. Artists combine leaf-print wallpaper with real plants to create a beautiful organic look within a home. Many artists are also looking at using natural sunlight to make a home look more vibrant. Skylights in bathrooms and living rooms are becoming much more popular.

How To Save Money With Kitchen And Bathroom Remodels

The day has finally arrived, the day you have been waiting a long time for; you finally get to remodel your home and make it look more beautiful than ever. Of course, once you have your budget given to you, you will want to find a way to make it stretch as far as you can and find ways to remodel the important spaces like your kitchen and master bathrooms. Whether you want to find ways to update your cabinets on a budget, integrate a sliding barn door or two, or insert space-saving double pocket doors, you need to find ways to get the job done and make your home look exactly as you always dreamed of without going outside of your budget. Below are a few ways in which thrifty DIYers can make their homes look stunning.

1.) Don't buy all new cabinets for either space

The cabinets in your kitchen and your master bathroom may be sadly out of date and make you feel unhappy when you enter. However, buying brand new cabinets for either space can cost thousands of dollars and blow through your entire budget with just that. Instead, remove all of your cabinet doors, sand the cabinets and doors down, paint them, and add some new handles and knobs. This will cost you a little more time, but financially it will cost a few hundred dollars compared to a few thousand.

2.) Paint wall stripes

Your bathroom walls can look very plain and monotone—completely disinteresting. Doing a complete re-do with new light fixtures and new wallpaper or professional painters coming in will probably not be in your budget. You can still give your bathroom the design attention it needs without breaking the bank or taking weeks on end. You can do this by simply painting the walls in two-tone stripes with colors that are very similar to each other, maybe a shade apart. This takes your walls from looking flat to having dimensions and catching the eye of everyone who goes in there.

3.) Shopping online can also save you money

Imagine spending weekend after weekend going from home department store to store looking for the exact fixtures that you want for your house. You research which ones will look the best, which will be the most cost-efficient, and what appliances will last for the longest time. What many people do not know is that shopping in the actual department stores can actually be costing them more money than if they would get on the computer and shop. There are more deals online, more places to look at once, and you can compare deals much easier online than you can in person. This means you can find the cheapest deals for what you need and save money in the end. If you need to know where to start, there are plenty of money-saving pointers as well as design tips for the spaces in your house that you can find online in no time.

4.) Stay flexible and look for surplus finds

Many department and home decor stores will buy several pieces of the same thing like sinks, bathroom vanities, paint, tile, flooring options, backsplash, etc. Many times, they order too much of one thing which will drive that item into a sale. When you stay flexible and look for surplus and stick sales, you can end up finding nice, expensive, items on sale for a very affordable price that will not hurt the budget you plaid out for yourself.

5.) Get a contractor to help you out

There are a lot of components that go into your bathroom and your kitchen. As thrifty as you are trying to be and as much as you want to save money by doing most of the work yourself, the truth is that there are going to be some parts of the job that will actually be more expensive if you try to do it on your own with inexperienced hands. Sometimes, hiring a contractor to do all of the tough stuff can save you money in the end and leave you to do the fun cosmetic work.

How Much the Kitchen Affects the Property Value?

The kitchen has come out as one of the most critical elements in highlighting the style and glam of your home. It is no surprise that spicing up your kitchen could improve the value of your property. For this reason, remodeling your kitchen will be one of the most prudent things to consider. Understanding the role of the kitchen in improving a home’s value is essential according to Sydney property valuations. We look at some of the most exquisite aspects that will ensure you are conversant with the role of the kitchen in all these.

ROI on a Kitchen Remodel

Studies state that a kitchen remodel is likely to give you over 60% returns on the cost of the task. Depending on the size of the job, you are likely to recoup between 60 and 80% of the value. Nothing could be more satisfactory. Often, the ROI will be determined by the time you want to sell your home and the prevailing general condition of the house. Often, it will have less impact on a home that is in deplorable status. However, it would help if you did not assume that improving or remodelling the kitchen will immediately boost the property’s value. It could take time besides various factors going into it.

A designed kitchen is more likely to improve the value of your home. More and more potential buyers will find it appealing to be in a kitchen that is both spacious and modernized. For as long as you aim at taking care of the kitchen in the best way possible, you are likely to enjoy it. Further, it could highlight a style that most potential buyers subscribe to, making it a desirable option for them.

One of the key elements to keep in mind is the role of the market in the aspect of remodeling kitchens. Often, for as long as the market stresses the value of the kitchen, there is a high chance of your kitchen being the centerpiece of any future transaction. Various demographics tend to appreciate the role of the kitchen more than others. Further, if the real estate market is weak, you will learn that a slight change in the kitchen could assure you of better returns down the road.

Nothing is as imperative as having top-notch appliances in your kitchen. You will note that credible kitchen devices will often ensure that the value of the property goes up. Given that they come at a cost, you will realize that recouping a higher return will not be a hassle. A touch of modernity is all you need to enjoy better value.

Cost of Kitchen Remodels

Often, kitchen remodels will cost about 150 to 250 US dollars per square foot. However, the total expenditure will depend on the space covered, the quality of materials, and the layout of the room. This way, an entire project will cost between 10000 and 25000 US dollars. From the amount that you spend, you will enjoy up to over 1% extra in return down the road.

A Sense of satisfaction and joy

Statistics show that more than often, a remodel will ensure that you get the sense of contentment that you so deserve. It allows you to enjoy not only a new environment but also experience comfort and enough space. While happiness is not measurable, it is something that you will always value. It will not only assure you of peace of mind but also guarantee you of enhanced delight.

Conclusion

Carrying out kitchen remodels from time to time will be of considerable significance to the future value of your home. Investing in modern and appealing features will be quite helpful in this pursuit.

5 Appliances You Must Have in a New Home

Moving into a new home is one of the most exciting things as it symbolizes change and development in your life. You want to settle in pretty quickly and start enjoying your new environment.

Yet, if you are not well prepared for the functionality of your home, enjoying it will be the last thing you’ll be doing. It is vital to make sure when you move into your house, you have what you need to make your home functional before you make it equipped. I am talking about the basic things that will help you function 24/7.

Remember, because you are buying these appliances to help you function comfortably in your home doesn't mean that you make the decisions. Take your time in choosing what best works for you and your needs so that when it comes time to equipping your house, you won't have to buy an appliance twice.
Here is a helpful list of five appliances you must have in a new home to help with the settling.

Stove Cooker

After you've moved into a new house, you don't want to spend more money ordering food and eating out until you buy things for the home. Buy a cooker so that you can cut costs by making home-made food.

There are varieties of cookers that range from the number of burners to color and size the stove. The whole point of having a kitchen in your new home is to cook in it, and you can’t do that without one of these.

Decide on whether you'd like an electric or gas cooker or if you’d like to use coil burners or glass top burners.

Refrigerator

After you've cooked your food and have leftovers, I'd like to think you a decent human being who doesn't throw leftover food out. Leftover food is one of the many reasons you need a refrigerator.

You’ll need to keep your groceries fresh for as long as you can unless you want to go grocery shopping every time you want to make some food. Like many appliances, refrigerators come in a variety of options, and finding one that meets your needs will not be a hard task.

Some of the choices you might need to make when choosing a good refrigerator, is whether you want it to come with a water dispenser, do you want detachable shelves that you can adjust? Or do you prefer one with an ice maker?

Whichever you prefer, have a fridge in your kitchen.

Washing Machine

Proper hygiene includes clean cloths. You can't spend your days and quarters at your local laundromat. Get a good washing machine for your new house so that you can do your laundry comfortably at home.

The first decision to make while purchasing a washing machine is whether you want a top load or a front load. Some people prefer to buy the washer and dryer set, which I would recommend to go with the front load for such a choice while some prefer to keep both of them side by side.

Water Purifier

Your only other option is to boil a lot of water for drinking, which will use a lot of energy and time. A water purifier is essential in your home as water plays a massive role in your health; thus, compromising the quality of water you drink could put you and your family at risk of illnesses.

Food Processor

This appliance is on the list because then it saves you money from buying processed or canned sauces. Some of our recipes might need you to use sauces, pastes, or purees. Making the pastes in the house makes it easier when cooking and also saves you some coin while also ensuring that they are healthier than the processed foods.

These home appliances are not only crucial in your new home that you are moving into, but also in your home that you are putting up for a listing. These five appliances in a listed home raise its property value as its one of the aspects of a house that property valuers in Melbourne must tick off their list to value your home.