As an increasing number of homeowners now become more adept and comfortable working from home, the kitchen continues to grow in importance as the most significant, functional and enjoyable room in the home. Today’s kitchens are multifunctional, serving as classrooms, offices, studies and break rooms, as well as the main room in the home to gather, spend quality time, prepare meals and dine.

With the continuous evolution of the kitchen’s role, here is what we expect to trend this year:

Design responding to the new roles that kitchens serve. 2025 kitchen designs will incorporate artwork, decorative pottery, cookbooks, collectibles and other items that reflect the owner’s personality and design preferences. That is one reason why we expect open shelving to continue growing in popularity because it allows homeowners to display ceramics, sculptures, plates, cookware, and other important items.

Walnut cabinets are expected to come to the forefront in 2025 as well as darker-toned kitchens. Walnut is soothing, offers warmth and connotes luxury. Don’t be surprised if you see black walls, cabinets and countertops in design publications and social media sites. Black also connotes luxury, and in cabinetry, it can provide either a modern or rustic vibe.

Marble is making a big comeback as a countertop and backsplash material. We are also seeing an increase in wood finishes, such as lighter-toned wood to complement the warmer tones of stone countertops.

Storage is becoming a necessity as working and schooling from home persists. Demand for pantries in kitchens will increase for several reasons. They serve as a central storage area for food stuffs, and that can free up wall space for open shelving, artwork, or be left bare.

Ease of use will also trend in 2025. Everything from touch-open cabinets and drawers that eliminate the need for cabinet hardware to voice-activated faucets, and digital kitchen assistants that help homeowners plan meals, order groceries and inventory supplies, will make using a kitchen much easier and more enjoyable.

Sinks are becoming design statements in addition to the functionality they provide. Sink workstations help improve the efficiency and space in a kitchen, providing additional countertop space and making it easier for homeowners to prepare meals.

Because of the need for private areas to work, attend school or simply relax, open floor plan spaces will be repurposed to provide distinct zones. Use of screens, interior windows, freestanding furniture, cabinets and plants will break up space to provide separate zones for cooking, entertaining and working.

Smart appliances, faucets, lighting, thermostats, locks, doorbells and the convenience features in your cabinetry will continue to advance and gain popularity.

What trends for 2025 make the most sense for your dream kitchen? Let’s talk about it! Give us a call at (407) 629-9366 or make an appointment to visit our showroom at 935 N Orange Ave in Winter Park, suite 102. Happy New Year!

Many homeowners gravitate to classic materials. They want their new dream kitchen to look and function as good as it does the day it is delivered far into the future. We help homeowners make timeless product and design choices that will provide tremendous functionality and aesthetic beauty for many years to come.

Start with cabinets. First rule – don’t be pennywise and dollar foolish. Cabinets are one of the most significant investments you make in a new kitchen. To help ensure your new kitchen’s long-term performance, select styles that won’t have to change, be painted or upgraded for years. White cabinets remain the most popular choice, selected in about half of all kitchen renovations. If you are looking for something a little different, we often will recommend linen colors versus white. The style of the home and the look and feel you want to achieve also influence cabinet selection. More traditional motifs gravitate to framed cabinets stained in walnut or cherry.

More modern or contemporary designs opt for flat panel cabinets in white, gray and lighter shades of blue and green. When it comes to cabinet selection, you truly do get what you pay for, so invest wisely if you want performance and longevity from your investment.

Similar to cabinets, countertops also should be selected for the long term. Quartz has replaced granite as the most popular countertop material because of its strength and nearly maintenance-free qualities. Marble and granite are timeless materials; however, they need to be resealed regularly while quartz does not.

Lighting can make or break how your kitchen looks, feels and functions. Lighting is equally as important as cabinets and countertops. Simply placing flush-mounted or recessed fixtures in the center of your kitchen ceiling can provide functional light, but that type of lighting may do little to beautify the space, create a mood or evoke favorable emotional responses. Effective lighting illuminates a space in layers using different components and strategies to paint the final picture. That involves layering fixtures, sconces, pendants, undercabinet and in-drawer lighting, and using lamps that complement other materials in the kitchen.

Backsplashes are another element where homeowners should select color schemes and materials that can withstand the test of time. White subway tile has been a standard-bearer for some time. We often suggest larger tiles or different orientations such as vertical or chevron patterns for customers who want a twist on that look. You can also use different grout colors to make a distinctive design statement with subway tile.

What elements of your dream kitchen need to withstand the test of time? Give us a call at (407) 629-9366 or make an appointment to visit our showroom at 935 N Orange Ave Ste 102 in Winter Park, and we can help you select the products and designs that can result in your own timeless kitchen.

• Material quality
• Airflow
• Effective lighting
• Thermal comfort
• Comfortable movement throughout the space
• Acoustical comfort

Cabinets, paints, hardware, countertops, floor and wall coverings and other materials you select for your new kitchen can contribute to a healthier space and lifestyle. We specify paints, glues, cabinets, and other materials with low to no volatile organic compounds for clients who want a more environmentally friendly and sustainable space. VOCs are chemicals found in many products used to build and maintain homes. Once the chemicals are in the home, they are released into the indoor air we breathe. Natural wood cabinets, stone countertops and glass backsplashes are all environmentally favorable.

A healthy kitchen needs adequate airflow and ventilation. The ability to provide fresh air and create cross-breezes from open windows or doors contributes to a healthier kitchen as does a properly sized vent hood or fan that meets your range and cooking style needs. Clients that want to be on the cutting edge may be intrigued by an interior garden that grows vertically, also known as a living wall. Another healthy kitchen option is to create indoor herb gardens or strategically locate herb planters. Living walls and interior plants help reduce stress, improve air quality, enhance creativity and absorb sound, among other benefits.

Healthy kitchen design also accounts for the way you and your family cook and eat. A healthier kitchen should contribute to a healthier lifestyle that includes the use and consumption of fresh ingredients from an outdoor garden, living wall, indoor plants and herbs. Refrigerated drawers near the stove can help to keep foodstuffs fresher for longer periods. Open shelving, glass containers, glass-front refrigerators and glass-front cabinets showcase foodstuffs and can encourage you and your family to consume more wholesome foods than processed packaged goods.

Lighting can make or break how your kitchen looks, feels and functions. Natural light from windows, doors, skylights and other sources contributes to health and well-being. The use of lighting controls, dimmers, switches and motion sensors can help boost your productivity and energy and enhance your sleep quality.

Thermal comfort is another crucial component of designing a healthy and environmentally friendly space. The use of smart thermostats, heated countertops and floors and a tight building envelope around a new kitchen keep the area toasty in winter and cool in the summer in an environmentally responsible way.

A new kitchen should allow all users to effectively and safely navigate the space. The three main areas of a kitchen referred to as the golden triangle comprises storage areas, including the refrigerator; the cleanup area, including the sink; and the cooking area, including the stove.  The sink should ideally be located between the refrigerator and the stove to ensure a comfortable and unencumbered traffic flow and efficient use of the space. Each leg of the triangle should be between four and nine feet, and the total distance of the triangle should be between 13 and 26 feet to promote safe and easy navigation throughout the space.

Comfort also is derived from clean lines and a sense of calm that results from uncluttered countertops and islands.

Acoustics are the final element of a well-designed healthy kitchen. Noisy dishwashers, appliance motors, sink bottoms and surfaces that enhance sound disturb what otherwise is a peaceful kitchen. Eliminating unnecessary noises is part of a healthy design that homeowners welcome and deserve.

If you want to learn more about additional design elements and strategies to promote a healthier and more environmentally efficient space in your home, give us a call at (407) 629-9366 or come to visit our showroom at 935 N Orange Ave, Suite 102.

Health and Wellness Take Center Stage

More than 40% of renovating homeowners converted their master bath into a space for relaxation. 55% of Houzz study respondents reported that soaking in a tub helps them relax. Conversely, 54% of respondents enjoy taking long showers.

Shower appeal is growing. Nearly 50% of homeowners removed the tub during the remodel, opting for larger and multifunctional showers.

High Tech Fixtures

Nearly 50% of faucets and more than a third of toilets in renovated baths feature advanced technology that includes increased water efficiency and finger-proof finishes on faucets and self-cleaning toilet systems with heated seats.

Accentuated Spaces

Accent walls are hot in bath remodels. Nearly 40% of remodels cited in the Houzz study featured accent walls in the master bath. 19% of homeowners opt for an accent wall inside the shower; 18% placed an accent wall outside the shower. Using different surface materials, such as tile or stone, was the most popular method to create an accent wall in the master bath, followed by colors, patterns or textures that differ from the rest of the bath. The most popular accent wall color was blue.

Light Up Your World

80% of homeowners renovating a master bath improved their lighting, and that makes sense because lighting affects how a room looks and feels.

If you would like to create a personal haven in your home where you and your family can go to relax and rejuvenate, give us a call at (407) 629-9366 or make an appointment to visit our showroom either in person at 935 N. Orange Ave in Winter Park or virtually.

Most homeowners renovate their kitchens and bathrooms when they have become outdated, when they want them to function differently, when existing fixtures are either damaged, broken or don’t work effectively and when they have the financial means to do so. The decision to renovate does not occur on the spur of the moment. Almost all of the homeowners we help to create their dream kitchens and baths, spend months performing independent research and making sure they have the financial means to get what they want.

The first step in keeping a project on budget is to develop a budget that is realistic during the planning phase of a project. Here are the keys to developing a realistic budget:

• Work with professionals who know what they are doing and pick their brains to uncover what will work best for you and your home. Experienced showroom professionals know manufacturer track records for order fulfillment, customization capabilities, customer service and warranty backing.
• Determine what is most important to you in your new kitchen or bath. Prioritization becomes easier when you consider who will use the space, how often and for what purposes. We have several clients who love to cook and entertain and want their kitchen not only to be a showplace but also to have the same functionality as a commercial kitchen.
• Make sure that a professional measures the space. The dimensions of the room enable experienced designers to recommend specific areas for appliances, countertops, sinks, fixtures, windows, etc. that work in concert with one another. You don’t want cabinet doors hitting countertops or anything else. You don’t want your island to impede the opening of a dishwasher. Accurate measurement of your space also helps showroom professionals recommend storage solutions that make your new kitchen function as well, if not better, as it looks.
• Develop a comprehensive, tight plan and stick to it. Changing your plans, design and products after construction begins usually causes budgets to blow up.

Determine if you need to reconfigure the space or can use your existing or part of your existing infrastructure as is. Having to move and reconfigure plumbing, electrical, ductwork, ventilation and structural support will dramatically affect a budget. A note of caution: Depending on the age of your home and the scope of your project, some unexpected changes may be required to ensure that your new kitchen or bath meets the requirements of your local building code.

Ask your showroom professional for cost-saving ideas. Tile manufacturers now produce slabs that look and feel like stone and floorcoverings that resemble hardwood.

Avoid the temptation to be pennywise and dollar foolish. As tempting as it might be to want to reuse your faucet or sinks, don’t. Older fixtures are environmentally inefficient compared to today’s offerings and won’t provide nearly the same functionality, look or feel. Plus, keeping existing components defeats the purpose of renovating your new kitchen.

What is a realistic budget for your new kitchen or bath? We can help you develop one! Call us at (407)629-9366 or visit our showroom at 935 N Orange Ave Ste 102.

A well-sized and properly positioned vanity can make or break a bath’s look, feel and functionality. The key factors to consider when selecting a vanity include:

• style and aesthetic preferences
• the materials used to make the vanity
• countertop material
• desired number of sinks/bowls
• placement
• storage space required
• existing infrastructure and available space

When selecting a bath vanity for the master bath, powder room or any other bathroom, the pieces should complement the home’s existing décor. While there is a benefit to adding an occasional piece or accent that contrasts stylistically, putting a modern European vanity in the powder room of a Victorian home would seem awfully out of place.

Vanities made specifically for bathrooms account for fixtures and plumbing, and they are crafted with moist environments in mind. The height of the vanity influences plumbing fixtures needed to meet your goals. For example, vanities that are less than 34 inches tall are best suited for a vessel-style sink.

Another critical factor in selecting a vanity is the finish used to seal and decorate the cabinet. Finish refers both to the process used to seal the wood and the materials used to change the appearance of the wood. Finishes used to seal bath vanities can withstand moist and humid environments.

The countertop selected for the bath needs to account for functional and practical considerations. Bathroom countertops come into contact with nail polish remover, cosmetics, toothpaste, shaving cream, hygiene products, hairdryers, curling irons and more! Many bath products can damage a countertop that is not appropriately sealed or not made to withstand abuses that occur in the daily use of the bathroom.

Aesthetically, we advise our clients in to pick a countertop before selecting tile or other floor and wall covering materials. It’s generally easier to match surfacing materials, e.g., tile, stone, wood, to a unique countertop material or design rather than the other way around. The goal is to select materials that compliment, as opposed to compete, with one another.

Most of our clients select a vanity that features two bowls. With two bowls, those using the bath have their own space.  Separate grooming stations make it easy for multiple people to prepare for the day at the same time. However, in bathrooms where space is at a premium, a double bowl vanity might not be possible. The size of the vanity should work in the area. You don’t want to order a vanity that blocks doors or limits movement if the cabinet drawers and doors are open.

A well-designed bathroom is an organized bathroom. To maximize the efficiency of a bath, homeowners should identify the products and accessories that they use daily, for example: curling iron, hairdryer and cosmetics. This exercise helps you determine what needs to be stored and identify possible storage locations inside and outside of the vanity cabinet.

The existing infrastructure also can influence the type of vanity you select and its placement. If you want to replace what exists in the same location, selecting a vanity of similar size should not create issues. However, if you need to reconfigure plumbing, electrical and ventilation, that could add to construction costs if not accounted for in the initial planning phases.

If you would like additional information on how to select the perfect vanity for your bath, please call our showroom at (407)629-9366 or visit us at 935 Orange Ave Ste 102 Winter Park FL 32789.