In kitchens where cabinets cover every available inch of wall space, Copenhaver suggests introducing cabinet “bounce.” This simply means that instead of taking the same size cabinets and lining them up, add an oversized cabinet or push some cabinets up and step some down. Adding glass uppers will also help break up the monotony of a line of solid cabinets.
Design Trends: Kitchens
- • It's all about the island
• Introduce cabinet "bounce"
• Add a "built in" look around cabinets
- • Three rooms (kitchen, nook, family room) treated
as one
• Kitchen style follows theme consistent with
architecture
Copenhaver says that creating a “built-in” look can be done at any price point. Simply frame out the wall around the cabinets. He says that it adds one extra step but it may save money since you’ll have to take out a cabinet. Adding material accents — such as brick or stone — will enhance the look. As buyers become knowledgeable about architecture, they want to see that the interior style of a home is consistent with the exterior. So carry through design details to the kitchen and use elements that convey the home’s particular style. A kitchen in a contemporary home, for example, should feature clean lines and sleek materials.
Design Trends: Baths
- Separate fixtures and vanities
- Think of the tub as an oasis
- Add interior architecture
- Create a spa environment
Although kitchens have become more luxurious over the years, the bath continues to be the space in the home where buyers want true luxury. For a while, it seemed like everyone was trying to jam in all the fixtures without really considering how they made the space feel. Copenhaver recommends simplifying bath floor plans to open them up by separating fixtures and vanities.
Splitting vanities, so you have his and hers, allows each person to have their own space to get ready. The vanities can be placed on opposite sides of a room or a tub under a window could divide them. Copenhaver says a tub should be considered as an “oasis” and the design of the bath should reflect that. In many rooms, the tub has become a focal point under an arch opening with steps leading up to it.
Another way to accent a tub is to create columns around it or simply place it in the center of the room. If there’s an opportunity to create a private connection to the outdoors, design the tub under a picture window that focuses on a view. Don’t forget to use outdoor lighting to create a nice atmosphere to be enjoyed while bathing at night.
Add architecture to the bath to make it feel more inviting. Carry through design details found elsewhere in the house to the bath by incorporating arches, bulkhead details, drywall shapes and niches. Copenhaver suggests that you keep layering on the details. Don’t stop with just a sensational center tub — add a walk-in shower behind the tub, a ceiling treatment and a skylight. These touches will help create the sought-after spa environment that buyers seem to want so much.
Photography by Jess Smith/PHOTOSMITH, Laurence Taylor, Jacob Sharp, Craig Cozart, Vance Fox, Charles Wilkins
For more information, contact Dave Copenhaver, AIA, design director Southwest Region for Bloodgood Sharp Buster Architects and Planners, Inc., by e-mail, or call him at 515-273-3020.
Save the Date for the 2005 NAHB/BALA Design Institute for Builders
Mark your calendar for June 13-15, the date of the 2005 NAHB/BALA Design Institute for Builders in Denver, CO. Residential builders will learn the latest housing design techniques and trends from the industry's top design professionals, tour beautiful award-winning homes and communities that display the best in cutting-edge architectural design and learn how to profitably apply these design ideas to the homes they build. For more information about this event, click here.
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