Guest Blog:
Top Tips For Unique Home Renovations
For years, researchers have been telling us that a focus on experiences is the key to leading a happier life. And while that might conjure thoughts of unforgettable trips and sights to see, you can’t forget our lives at home where we spend most of our time.
Interior designers and decorators are starting to rethink renovation projects to greater emphasize the human experience. We’re seeing an increasing trend of investment in unique and practical spaces that put people first. Here we’ll explore the amazing home renovation ideas that just might help inspire you to create your happy place at home.
Starting Outside:
Outdoor living spaces are becoming more likely to take the function of inside rooms as homeowners invest in backyard spaces that are both fun and relaxing extensions of their interior spaces. Integrated personal lap pools, jaw-dropping water features, extensive patios and decks with modular seating, cool outdoor kitchens and dining areas, and relaxing fire pits are all at the top of today’s home renovation lists.
Under Foot
Just like interior flooring choices can transform any room, homeowners are opting for equally impactful flooring materials outdoors. Think patio pavers in alternating colors to create striking geometric patterns. Or concrete patios with intricately-stenciled designs that mimic interior area rugs. Even wooden and composite decks are now being livened up with all-weather paint applied in bold stripes and colors.
Now You’re Cookin’
Just as indoor kitchens become the hub while entertaining, fully-equipped outdoor cooking spaces become part of a social, entertaining, and dining oasis. Today’s well-appointed outdoor kitchens include wood-fired pizza ovens, stainless steel commercial grilling and prep stations, and mixed-material stone and wood bar or island seating. Add a stylish wooden pergola over top that will keep breezes flowing while providing a screen in sunny climates.
The Finishing Touches
Create privacy by hanging breezy outdoor curtains or by planting low-maintenance evergreen shrubs in stylish planters. Add the soothing sounds of a multi-level water feature next to a lap pool, therapy pool, or swim spa with an outdoor shower to rinse off after. Frame an inviting gathering place with a stone or concrete fire pit surrounded by durable, stylish, and comfortable seating piled with pillows and matching throw blankets. Now you’re ready to start having those lifetime experiences entertaining family and friends in your stylish outdoor space.
Moving Indoors:
Kitchen Cabinets
The kitchen is the number one space for family and friends to mingle. But it is also the number one space where a tastefully unique remodel will provide the biggest boost to your home’s value. And to realize a maximum return on your kitchen renovation you’ll need to put dated cabinets at the top of your list. Updating kitchen cabinets doesn’t always mean a complete tear-out. Sometimes updating your cabinets can be achieved through cabinet refacing, where a technician replaces the kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts and then applies a wood veneer to the cabinet boxes. Finish the look of your new cabinets by splurging on high-end cabinet door and drawer pull hardware.
Top It Off
The other important upgrade with the biggest wow factor is the kitchen countertops. Among the most popular countertop material options including laminate, concrete, and marble, quartz is by far the best choice. While it looks like natural stone, it is actually a man-made material that is tougher and more scratch-resistant than natural stone surfaces.
Open It Up
The open concept floor plan trend has been increasing in popularity because not only does it make your space look much bigger, it connects the kitchen, dining, and living spaces, maximizing entertaining and socializing potential in a lighter, brighter, more cheery space. In addition to removing wall partitions to maximize space, consider replacing traditional swing-open doors on kitchen pantries or adjacent laundry rooms with space-saving pocket doors to further utilize available wall and floor space. While you’re at it, replace those traditional slab doors with frosted or see-through leaded glass or pane-windowed doors to further enhance the airy, open feel of the room.
Go Hi-Tech
Built-in microwave oven drawers continue to top the list of best-selling appliance innovations. These fit right under your countertop and also function as warming drawers, air fryers, and convection ovens. Lift heated items straight up to the counter without bending. Another must-have is the under-counter beverage refrigerator for quick and easy access to wine, beer, or canned soda. Coffee lovers will want a fully-integrated hot drink system that makes coffees, espressos, cappuccinos, and hot teas without refilling water tanks or messing with plastic pods. It even steams milk and cleans itself. It’s like having your favorite barista at home.
Find Your Zen at Home
Explore the world when you can, but there’s nothing quite like having a home you love to come back to. Hopefully, these trends in home design give you a few ideas to help create the ideal spaces for you and your family.
About The Author:
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James Deutsch is a writer and content strategist with a passion for travel. Always on the move, he bounces between the west and east coasts, pursuing his love for writing, music, and finding unique knick-knacks and gifts. |
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