Show-stopper kitchens & baths add vakue

{{/a}}

Take it from the staff at New Homes & Ideas… These desires are okay. They’re even healthy! We all want beautiful homes, and we all know that kitchens and baths are our homes’ focal points. Fortunately, we live in an area in which our dreams can be realized, with the vast array of talent in our home building market. Read on to learn more about show-stopper kitchens and baths, right here in the Triangle. But first, exhale and relax. Feel better already?

In all price ranges, proper kitchen space planning makes a huge impact in the extent of our “ooohs” and “ahhhs.” A good work triangle means that the refrigerator, sink, and oven are thoughtfully placed, with easy access to each other, yet apart from high foot traffic areas, leading, for example, to the family room or garage. “We plan our homes for the way people live day to day,” says Michelle Simms. “Not only do we make our kitchens safe from a workspace standpoint, we also make them great gathering places for family and friends, and we make them accessible to the garage for bringing in groceries. This careful planning results in beautiful, flowing floor plans.”

This former upgrade is now more often than not a standard feature in many Triangle kitchens and baths. “We’re finding that everyone wants granite today, so we’re incorporating it even into our spec homes,” says Brian Herring. “Consumers love natural stone and they love unique countertop configurations, such as circular dining areas at the end of kitchen islands. They’re functional and they create a lot of ‘wow.’ Various countertop edge styles are also popular, such as beveled, bullnose, and decorative. These are just ways to make special features even more special.”

Granite countertops are in demand in master baths as well. As the trend of utilizing influences from nature combines with the popularity of low maintenance, what could be a more natural choice than granite?

Wide, deep drawers are terrific conveniences in both kitchens and baths. “Our customers love the 30” wide drawers we’ve been including in our kitchens,” says Simms “These drawers provide great storage space, and it’s easier to get to items in the back of a drawer as opposed to digging to the back of a cabinet. The extra drawers in our master baths are appreciated by customers as well. Why put a vanity area between the ‘his and her’ sinks when you can install storage space? Consumers prefer storage every time.”

In tandem with this philosophy are huge kitchen pantries and over-sized master bath linen closets. Same with butler’s pantries and wine coolers… Storage reigns!

Just as staggered cabinetry heights, the addition of cabinet crown molding, and glass cabinet doors have contributed to interesting, inviting kitchens, so has the use of cabinetry on appliance fronts. “Appliances with cabinetry fronts can transform the look of a kitchen,” says Jordan Finch, Inc. “At the Dr. Watson Inn; we utilized this look with the refrigerator and dishwasher, as well as the ice maker in the kitchen island.

Log on to News Homes & Ideas to find more Show-Stopper Kitchens & Baths.